Sometimes, illegal activity may slip under the radar, and in some cases, an action could be ethical but not legal. Swimming the murky waters of ethical dilemmas is especially difficult for modern professionals who hold a tremendous amount of responsibility. Though it’s true that some professionals are simply unethical, many ethics mistakes occur innocently, due to confusion, fatigue or ignorance.
Legal Considerations
Legal and ethical considerations overlap a great deal, which is why so many consider the law and ethics the same thing. But, society holds ethical standards that the law ignores. Conversely, some professionals come across laws that they deem unethical. Some professional sectors constantly deal with legal concerns. Lawyers, doctors and financial professionals must continually ensure legal compliance. Some professional organizations teach every employee legal obedience while others delegate to a legal compliance department.
Executive Ethics
With the number of CEOs behind bars due to illegal activity, it’s no wonder that many professionals have grown cynical about the state of modern business ethics. The news unethical activity of a few high-ups reaches far, while the responsible behavior of many executives remains unpublicized. The ethical behavior of CEOs may go unnoticed by the media, but it engenders public trust that equals sales revenue and confidence in the company.
Social Responsibility
A business’s reputation counts. That reputation is not only built by the business leaders, but also by other professional employees. Corporate social responsibility (CSR) visibly denominates a professional’s willingness to take ethical action. CSR activities include positive social activities such as donating to charities, sponsoring community events and volunteering. Though professionals must take care to solidify other ethical aspects such as legal and economic responsibilities before engaging in philanthropic activities. CSR without a solid ethical backing looks shallow and deceitful to the public.
Common Issues
Professional ethical concerns come in a variety of forms. Human resource (HR) problems may center on the employer’s desire to make money off of their employees’ hard work conflicting with the employees’ desire to feel appreciated while balancing work with life. Other HR ethical concerns include discrimination, harassment and conflicts of interest. Customer confidence is an ethical worry for professional communicators such as marketers and salespeople who must balance the need to persuade with the need to present honest messages. Consumer privacy is another legal and ethical concern. Many modern business keep sensitive customer information in electronic databases. Professionals have the responsibility to use this information ethical and to protect private information from criminals.
References
- Ethical and Legal Considerations in Selling
- “Managing Business Ethics, Straight Talk About How to Do it Right, Fourth Edition”; Linda Klebe Trevino, Kathrine A. Nelson; 2007
- Corporate Ethics
- Corporate Social Responsibility
Alison Lyke - I am a professional freelance writer based out of Rochester, NY. Besides writing, my interests include music, philosophy, camping, yoga, ...
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