Key Takeaways
- Ethics is moral principles, a system that defines right and wrong.
- Business ethics is ethical behavior applied to a business situation.
- An ethical dilemma is a situation that is presented with options that may be right or wrong.
- Values define what is important to you: they are your guiding principles and beliefs, they define how you live your life, and they inform your ethics.
- A mission statement is a roadmap of where a company wants to go.
- Your reputation will affect how people see you throughout your life, which can have either a positive or a negative impact on your career.
- Every action you take defines you; bear that in mind when making decisions.
- Your company will make available to you their policies on various ethical issues in the employee handbook; it is your responsibility to read the materials provided and remain familiar with their contents.
- There are four different types of conflicts of interest: family interests, gifts, private use of employer property, and moonlighting.
- Bribery, the use of gifts to influence someone, is both unethical and illegal.
- Many employers will require you to sign a noncompeting agreement; be sure that you understand the details before you agree.
- Whistle-blowing, the exposure of a company’s wrongdoing to the public, is never your ethical obligation—you are obligated only to refuse to participate. However, it can be a deeply noble act. You must analyze the situation yourself and decide what is called for.
- While different cultures have different ideas about what is ethical, working in a different country, or with a client from another culture does not excuse you from following company policies regarding gifts, and so on.
