Speaking about the topic of ethical and moral aspects it is important to mention that one should run its business in accordance with the ethical rules or standards accepted in the society. Moral attitudes and virtues are the basis in successful business operation. Therefore, a manager is responsible for quality services and goods provided by its company; he or she bears responsibility to supply customers with products that improve people’s living standards. Ethics and morality are set of norms and rules of conduct accepted widely in particular community. If a manager does not follow the moral and ethical rules it is usual situation when their business or the sphere of their workforce fails.
In order to be successful in the market, a manager needs to maintain a high quality services for his customers at all hazards. For instance, to increase their products most of managers use a high-priced package, and as a result the product becomes costly even though the quality remains low. This strategy is definitely unfavorable because it will not help to attract new customers. Moreover, the implementation of this policy will affect both, managers and customers – customers might feel as if they’ve been deceived, and thus the company can loose them. (Belsheba, 2009, 1).
Managers of various businesses should desist from increasing prices without any valid reasons. The tactics of cheating cannot benefit because it does not correspond to the moral values accepted by the company. Managers should also stray from taking part in corruption such as selling low standard goods while bribing government officials in order to continue operating (Belsheba, 2009, 1).
It is also necessary to mention that juridical side plays as important role as customer’s satisfaction. Managers must be aware of the laws adopted and act with regard to established mores. Obviously, they have to comply with the needs of their customers, and run their business legitimately.
Providing the example of the successful running of business, it is obvious to mention some advisable managers’ musts:
- have dedicated workers carrying about their work, but at the same time managers should respect their employees proposing them rest time, medical and social insurances, good working conditions and so on.
- the reputation of the company is no longer coupled with the quality of the products or services it provides. Precisely, employers are not capable of discharging those workers who do not perform their duties properly because of the lack of juridical assistance from governmental side.
- managers have to respect their workers, who in their turn need to be loyal to the company they work in (Bryce, 2008, 2).
At present time, such points as corporate loyalty and respect became not so obvious because employees do not trust managers at the same as managers do not trust their workers, and this is a real problem in our society because of ignorance of all ethic and moral rules (Bryce, 2008, 2).
And it should be pointed out that such features as honor, pride, respect, sacrifice, courage, dedication, commitment, loyalty, honesty, perseverance, integrity, and professionalism, are statements which the society could see only in the past but not actually nowadays. “As Samuel Clemens correctly observed, “Man is the only animal that blushes. Or needs to” (Belsheba, 2009, 1).
A corporate manager should create an environment which stimulates the working process and attracts the adherence to ethical principles. To fulfill this objective, executives need to start at the top and address basic decisions in the working place which may not have legal compliance connotation but, in spite of this, are corporate culture’s constant part. Corporate values and managers’ attitude have the great impact on the employees’ choices, beliefs, and behaviors (Dipankar, 2008, 1).
Most of the decisions made are based on employees’ moral virtues, thought some of them can be faulty. Here is an example: an employee can decide to use an office phone for his own purposes, or use Internet to check e-mails during working hours which is forbidden by company’s rules. These examples are feasible deviations from moral and ethical norms accepted by the company, and the employee is the one who flaunts these rules.
Managers face problems in making ethical and moral decision everyday, and they should distinguish between those made in personal lives and the ones related to business environment. To affirm a decision at work, the manager has to make sure it is grounded and does not disprove company’s moral norms. This is where some moral dilemmas can arise. Managers may find themselves unprepared to solve ethical issues where the decisions must be based on morally confusing situations. “A moral dilemma is a situation in which people judge that morally they ought to do one thing (A) and morally ought to do another thing (B), and sometime a third (C), or even a fourth thing (D) as well, however they cannot perform all of these mutually exclusive options together” (Lurie & Albin, 2006) (Bigart 06, 1).
In some situation managers encounter problems associated with competing merits, and toughness lies upon correct decision. It is necessary to determine which moral virtue. As an example, let’s imagine the following situation: the manager of the company and the worker who is his closest relative. Apparently, this worker does not fulfill his duties properly because he is constantly late at work, and even after he has got some warnings in regard to this matter from his manager, his lateness remained incessant without any reasonable explanations. So, what decision should the manager make considering ethical and moral rules? On the one hand, according to the law, the manager has the right to dismiss the worker but, on the other hand, this worker is the closest relative of the manager. Would this manager make the right decision if it is going to affect a closest person? When the manager decides to dismiss that worker and to give a free vacancy to the most responsible worker in the company, it will be right according to the Law. But in this situation another factor plays a very important role, i.e. the moral principles which make the manager doubt about the decision. It will be against the moral rules.
In my opinion, to observe all moral and ethical principles it would be the right decision to make a treaty, between the manager and the worker, with legally fixed points containing the conditions: if the worker is late once more without reasonable explanation and does not fulfill his or her duties and commitments, then the manager will dismiss the worker with the agreement of both sides without the offend.
In such kind of situation, I think, it is the most accessible decision made by the manager, because if the manager pays no attention to such workers it can influence on the general success of the company and its interests.
Following the above said, the conclusion can be drawn in such a way that the problem with moral and ethical values exists, and in spite of the dispute, it could not be resolved only because of good relationships among people who live all over the world. Both, managers and employees should be aware of moral and ethical values. No matter who people are and whatever they do, they must follow the established ethical rules in order to succeed in business, or in every day life. As this problem is very peculiar, people should ask this question our judges, because they are the representatives of our legislative power and they are the only people who can influence on the situation with ignorance of ethical and moral spheres by writing the laws which would defend our people.
Reference List
Dipankar, G. (2008). Corporate Values, Workplace Decisions and Ethical Standards of Employees. Journal of Managerial Issues, 20, 1.
Ethical Issues That Affect the Success of a Business. (2009).
Moral Decay. (2008).
Bigart 06. Current Ethical Issue in Business. Web.