Eth 316: Organizational Ethics And Ethical Issues

Organizational Ethics ETH/316

Organizational Ethics
The purpose of this paper is to discuss the finding from the online research conducted on the company Atlanta Hobby. It will further discuss how ethical principles can address organizational issues as well as the roles that external social pressure have in influencing organizational ethics, how these issues might be relevant to organizational and personal decisions, and finally it will conclude with what the relationship is between legal and ethical issues.
How ethical principles can address organizational issues
Ethical principles can be applied to any type of organization and the ethical obligations extend to all stakeholders of an organization including the customers, employees,
Companies and organization must take into consideration the social expectations of the community where they plan to reside, while keeping in mind that word of mouth can make or break their business. Giving back and positively impacting the community, and treating both customers and employees with the upmost respect are also important elements. “Ethical standards and corporate responsibility initiatives are an important foundation for an attractive corporate reputation, which impacts positively on relationships with consumers and business-to-business customers” (Cavens & Piercy, 2013, "Corporate Reputation"). Ethical violations are widely publicized, and can affect all areas of the business. Organizations and businesses often develop “ethics departments”, or Human Relations. People trust companies because of their reputation, Atlanta Hobby is a prime example of a small locally owner business who has been working hard to meet and exceed both the wants and needs of their community. They have a positive reputation around the community for providing exceptional customer service, and for having a highly knowledgeable, and friendly staff. The owner, Cliff Whitney, understands that it takes hard work to make a business work and is thought of as a strong leader that is driving this
Some other common principles that can be applied to ethical discussions are the principle of benevolence, or helping those in need, principles of paternalism, principle of harm, principle of honesty, principle of lawfulness, principle of autonomy, and principle of justice. Principle of benevolence refers to helping those who are in need, and principle of paternalism refers to assisting those who are in need, and looking out for there best interest even when they are unable to do so. Principle of harm, meaning to not harm others, principle of honesty, not lying to others, principle of lawfulness, not violating the law, and principle of autonomy, which is the acknowledgment that a person has freedom of his or her actions, as well as his or hers physical body. Principle of justice refers to the acknowledgement that a person has the right to fair compensation from harm done, due process, and a fair distribution of benefits. Rights can also be applied. It is both important and relevant for an organization to acknowledge a person’s rights to life, information, privacy, free expression and safety (Manias, N, Monroe, D, & Till, 2013, p.