CHAPTER 5 REVIEW QUESTIONS

1. Define “Ethics”.
Answer: Ethics can be defined as a set of values or moral principles or standards that a person
or a group of people live by. People’s ethical beliefs describe what is right or wrong for them,
and they often base their actions and judgments in their daily lives on these beliefs. There are
ethics that differ from one person to another, and there are ethics that a community agrees on
as right or wrong.

2. What is the basic purpose of a code of ethics for a profession?

Answer: A code of ethics for the profession is implemented for the of creating an environment of
good governance in which all Filipino professionals shall perform their tasks. This code informs
professionals about the common principles regarding their own profession which can be of use
to them when they are faced with ethical situations at their work.

3. Name and explain the characteristics and values associated with ethical behavior.
Answer: There are ten characteristics and values associated with ethical behavior, namely;
integrity, honesty, trustworthiness and promise keeping, loyalty and confidentiality, fairness and
openness, caring for others, respect for others, reasonable citizenship, pursuit of excellence,
and lastly, accountability. Integrity is the act of behaving honorably, even when no one is
watching. Honesty refers to being truthful, sincere, and straightforward, not ever choosing to commit
deceit. Trustworthiness and promise-keeping characteristics mean that a person takes great care of
people’s trust and respects the commitments they had agreed to. Loyalty and confidentiality mean
that you know when to open your mouth or not. This is also about staying loyal to a certain entity and
safeguarding its interests. Fairness and openness pertain to the person’s ability to accept their own
and other people’s mistakes and diversities, and then be open for improvement because of it. Caring
for others means helping those in need and avoiding hurting other people. Having respect for others
means you regard other people’s humanity; be decent and respectful towards them and avoid being
rude. Responsible citizenship, on the other hand, refers to being a proper citizen who abides by the
laws and the rules and exercises their rights in a thoughtful or careful manner. Another, pursuit of
excellence, is a characteristic that means that a person is able to perform and maintain a high
degree of competence, diligence, and reliability in their tasks or responsibilities. Lastly, accountability
refers to being able to own up to one’s decisions and being responsible for their consequences. If
asked for, they are ready to face punishments or correct the mistakes they have made.

4. Explain why ethical behavior is necessary.

Answer: Having ethical behavior is crucial in our daily lives, not only for our own well-being, but also
for the betterment of the people around us and of society in general. For society to function well, it
needs its people to behave ethically. There are laws that incorporate many ethical beliefs because
those beliefs are collectively agreed on by the public, and the laws are essential for controlling
society’s ethical behavior. Yet not every ethical value can be incorporated into laws; thus, individual
judgment on ethics is also very important. Ethical behavior based on the ethics of an individual plays
a big role in the chain of interactions that flow around a community. A single person’s action can
affect another’s, whether subtly or obviously, and that influence can be passed on. It is important to
consistently behave ethically so that good influence will circulate within a community or organization
and not the other way around.

5. What are some of the reasons why people act unethically?

Answer: Despite the expectation that ethical behavior should be common knowledge already to
society, there are still a lot of people who choose to act unethically. One of the reasons why people
act in this manner is that they have different ethical standards from those of society. What society
considers good or bad is different from what they think is acceptable and unacceptable. Another
reason is that they are aware of how unethical and improper those behaviors are, but continue to do
it because they chose to be selfish.

6. Describe some of the principles or values that are related to

a. Personal ethics

b. Professional ethics

c. Business ethics

Answer:

a. Some principles included in personal ethics are benevolence, trustworthiness, honesty, concern
for the right of others, and compliance with the law. Benevolence is being kind and helpful to others.
Trustworthiness and honesty pertain to one’s ability to be relied on or to be truthful at all times.
Concern for the right of others means having empathy and being considerate of the well-being of
others. If someone’s rights are not fully respected or exercised, it would be right to address and help
them with it. Finally, a person should follow rules and comply with laws implemented for the welfare
of society.

b. Professional ethics include integrity, impartiality, objectivity, professional competence, and

avoidance of potential or apparent conflict of interest. Integrity refers to being upright and having
strong moral principles and values. This is a common ideal core characteristic for every person or
organization. Impartiality and objectivity mean that professionals should be free from conflicts of
interest and create just and fair decisions. Next, having professional competence refers to to
performing up to your full potential and working to improve even more. Lastly, professionals must
refrain from engaging in activities that could cause problems such as potential conflicts of interest. It
is best to avoid situations that could cause future harm to their job and to themselves.

c. Some principles in business ethics are fair competition, social responsibility, and concern for
environment. Competition is a given when it comes to businesses but it is important for it to be fair
and equitable, on equal terms, for it to be meaningful. Having social responsibility means that a
business carries out its activities while still contributing to the attainment of the country’s national
objectives. Then, businesses must always keep in mind their responsibility to give back to nature.
The environment plays a big role in the growth of a business, and it is important to take care of it
through consistent efforts.

7. Explain why ethical behavior is necessary in the practice of one’s profession.

Answer: When practicing one’s profession, ethical behavior is essential for forming work relations
and also for boosting the morale of the profession. Ethical values guide professionals on how to do
their job properly as to what is right and wrong, and following those values and principles is
important for the rightful attainment of one’s goals and objectives. Acting unethically leaves bad
impressions and can even result in a person losing their right to continue their profession. Therefore,
if an individual wants to excel as a professional, resorting to dirty tactics means that they are not
capable enough to excel with their own abilities and only equates to them deceiving others. Also,
having strong ethics would mean that a person would not be easily swayed by clients or other peers
who want them to perform unethical activities. No matter how adept someone is at their profession, if
they lack ethics, they will only stain their own name and the reputation of their profession. Therefore,
ethical behavior is crucial for the proper function of people in their jobs and to ensure that individual
and overall benefits are produced.