arts Essays (219 words) - Applied Ethics, Euthenics, Business Ethics

As recently as a decade ago, many companies viewed business ethics only in terms of administrative compliance with legal standards and adherence to internal rules and regulations. Today the situation is different. Attention to business ethics is on the rise across the world and many companies realize that in order to succeed, they must earn the respect and confidence of their customers. Like never before, corporations are being asked, encouraged and prodded to improve their business practices to emphasize legal and ethical behavior. Companies, professional firms and individuals alike are being held increasingly accountable for their actions, as demand grows for higher standards of corporate social responsibility. Individual companies dont really have to deal with the work ethics issue alone. Government legislation gives corporations foundational guidelines for ethical behavior in the workplace. Government legislation about ethical behavior in the workplace also helps to hold companies accountable for the treatment of their employees (Brems, 2009). Who is responsible for acting ethically? Is it the manager, the "company," the stockholders? Ultimately, it is every individual. Each person is responsible for his or her own actions, including professional ethics (May, 2004). An ethical business environment can encompass any work-related concern from discrimination to fraud. In order to create a work environment that reflects ethical behaviors and social responsibility a company ...