Full name: ALICIA FARZANA ALI

Student ID number: R2206D14663530

Module Name: BUSINESS ETHICS

Module code: BUSINESS ETHICS UU-BBA-1000-ZM (40868)

Tutor: ALBERT KAYANGE

Date: OCTOBER 22,2022

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Mind map displaying the main challenges that affect the issue of Business Ethics nowadays.

Poor communication

Misuse of company time

Harassment

Organizational Challenges

Discrimination

Lack of cooperation

The above are challenges most workplace face when it comes to ethics, Harassment can be
either sexual in most cases it’s ‘Quid Pro Quo’ which means ‘this for that’ according to the
oxford dictionary it’s a favour or advantage granted in return for something or physical
harassment where some employees try to bully others because of their size, age, race, religion
etc. Poor communication refers to the relaying of information whether it be from employer to
employee or employee to employee, some persons often hold back certain fine details which
often hinder the other person when it comes to performing their duties. Misuse of company
time is very common in most workplaces, an example of this is when staff leave for a 1-hour
lunch but return to duty later or instead of working on a project, they spend time chatting with

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other staff. Discrimination, an example of this is age-based discrimination, some older
employees often try to ‘boss around’ younger employees, another case could be racial
remarks that make others feel uncomfortable. Lack of cooperation, ‘teamwork makes the
dream work’ is a quite famous quote, this is a serious issue which is often ignored by
management in most workplaces because they’d expect their employees to have the
company’s objectives in their best interest and working together to achieve same is why they
were hired initially.

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Introduction

What is a business?

A business can be defined as a place where a good/service is provided to make a profit while
simultaneously creating employment.

What is business ethics?

It refers to knowing what is right or wrong in the workplace and doing what is right.
According to John Donaldson, Business ethics concentrate on moral standards as they apply
to business policies, institutions, and behaviours. It is a specialized study of moral right or
wrong. The law partially defines the conduct, but “legal” and “ethical” aren’t necessarily the
same. Business ethics enhances the law by outlining acceptable behaviours beyond
government control, according to Schroeder, 2019. Business ethics studies suitable business
rules and procedures regarding possibly debatable areas, including corporate governance,
insider trading, bribery, discrimination, corporate social responsibility, and fiduciary
obligations, among others. Some ethical principles are honesty, leadership, compassion,
respect, responsibility, transparency, environmental concerns, and so on. Business ethics
involve a guiding standard for values, behaviours, and decision-making, Horton, 2022.

Companies establish integrity standards to encourage employee reliability and gain

confidence from key stakeholders, such as investors and customers. An organization has
standards that define how employees should perform their jobs. These standards and
regulations are usually regarded as what employees are required to do. Employee rules and
regulations are usually fixed and do not change they must be adhered to by every employee in
the business. When employees work with a strategy that is based on honesty and
consideration, the whole organization benefits. Good work ethic refers to the moral and
behavioural standards that promote a pleasant work environment and encourage workers to
be loyal. If employees are treated fairly, they are likely to be inspired and work hard.

Most companies today have to deal with ethical concerns and issues along with their business
activities, and they will face some problems with those activities as a result of changes and
concerns in society nowadays. Some unethical issues in the workplace environment include

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harassment, discrimination, poor communication from employer to employee and/or even
employee to employee, lack of cooperation among employees, and misuse of company time,
which are just a name of a few.

Business ethics are known to be vital in the success of a company, also organizations need
employees who are dedicated to ethical decision-making. Ethics strongly contribute to the
profitability of an organization, once the staff adhere to the regulations the organization will
benefit from consumer demand for our goods/services to investors. A well-planned
organization with clear goals and objectives adhering to concepts of business ethics reduces
the risk of any potential losses. Some ethics companies should implement are as follows.

A code of conduct; an employer code of conduct describes the standards of professional

behaviour that all employees and third parties acting on behalf of the firm must follow. It
examines the organisation's goals and values and connects them to professional standards.
Many companies use codes of conduct as performance standards. Job descriptions should
include principles which you are expected to follow as an employee some of these include
loyalty, honesty, integrity, and compassion. Willingness to help others and correctly represent
the organization for example customer service representatives are the image of the
organization they are required to have excellent training and patience to always deal with the
customers. It is obvious that employees who feel valued in their positions are more likely to
be engaged at work and avoid wrongful behaviour therefore it is important to show
appreciation to your employees. All the practices by management will improve the
organization for both short-term and long-term goals and objections.

Human resources play a key role in the organisation, not only do they educate employees on
the code of conduct of a business, but they also act as a non-biased party when faced with
ethical decisions. They are responsible for implementing rules to guide and protect
employees and at the same time holding those who refuse to comply accountable for their
actions. The HR department should ensure that all personnel are treated with respect and
dignity and that no discrimination or intimidation occurs, thus the relationship between the
HR and other staff members should be open and comfortable so that when there are any
issues the staff is able to confide in the company. It is important for managers and employees
to be aware of the functions of the HR department for many reasons some of which are the
skills and capabilities of their employees in case a promotion arises preference will be given
to the most suited by experience and qualifications, absenteeism is one of the challenges all

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companies face the HR department ensures that measures are put in place to deal with this
issue some include warning letters, lateness deductions from wages and salaries, etc. one of
the key responsibilities of the HR department is to terminate employees who aren’t abiding
by the rules and regulations of the organization nor has the goals and objectives at his/her
best interest. These are just a few reasons why the human resources department is important
and why managers should be aware of the responsibilities once the responsibilities are clear
managers will better be able to manage their subordinates.

Conclusion

To sum up everything that is stated thus far, business ethics are important to all organizations
they are there to attract investors and consumers while at the same time benefiting the firm
finically. All organizations are challenged with unethical behaviours however how they deal
with this may differ from company to company. It is known that some actions and decisions
may be legal but unethical therefore either increasing or decreasing the profitability of that
organization. The HR department is responsible for decision-making and setting the
professional standards of the organization. It is the employees who are tasked to do what is
best for the company while carrying out business activities daily.

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Reference

John Donaldson, as cited in Paliwal, M. (2006). Business ethics. New Age International Ltd.
ProQuest Ebook Central - Reader

Schroeder, K. (2019, May 9). 3 Reasons Why Business Ethics Is Important | University of
Redlands. Redlands.
https://www.redlands.edu/study/schools-and-centers/business/sbblog/2019/may-
2019/3-reasons-why-business-ethics-important/#:~:text=Business%20ethics
%20enhances%20the%20law
Twin, A. (2021, August 29). Business ethics. Investopedia.
https://www.investopedia.com/terms/b/business-ethics.asp
writing, A. T. A. K. P. A. budding content creator who harbors a love for, eating, sleeping,
buzzwords, repeat W. not battling the latest, & Novel, Y. C. O. F. H. L. in a H. with a
H.-W. (2022, March 11). 05 Ways To Beat Employee’s Unethical Behavior In The
Workplace. Empmonitor Blog. https://empmonitor.com/blog/unethical-behavior-of-
employees-in-workplace/
Kathline. (2012, May 15). Human Resources Q&A: What managers and supervisors need to
know about HR. CharityVillage.
https://charityvillage.com/human_resources_q_a_what_managers_and_supervisors_n
eed_to_know_about_hr/
Horton, M. (2022, July 1). Why Is Business Ethics important? Investopedia.
https://www.investopedia.com/ask/answers/040815/why-are-business-ethics-
important.asp

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