Ethics Reflection Paper The act of conducting oneself in an ethical manner comes down to knowing the difference between what is right and what is wrong, and working to do the right thing. According to Mintzberg, Ghoshal, Lampel, & Quinn, 2003, ethics is a question of values and goals, not of methods. Making ethical decisions and working to be socially responsible for a company should be one and the same when conducting business. During the development of a strategic plan ethics and social responsibility should be a priority from the shareholders to the entry-level hourly employee. This paper will highlight ethics and social responsibility during the development of a strategic plan. The paper will also examine how my ethical perspective throughout the MBA program. Every position within a company has a part in being ethical and socially responsible, from the top positions responsible for making key financial decisions to the entry-level employee who may have face-to-face interactions with customers, everyone is key to the company’s success. Companies often use Codes of Conduct to set the tone for behavior; Codes of Conduct can be used as guidelines for employees to follow and will often incorporate themselves into the company’s statement of corporate vision. Some companies establish ethical committees to “establish some kind of routine for probing into the general ethical climate of the firm”. (Mintzberg, Ghoshal, Lampel,& Quinn, 2003) When it comes to my ethical viewpoint, during my 22 years in the military I always have always been taught to act in an
References: Mintzberg, H., Ghoshal, S., Lampel, J., & Quinn, J. B. (2003). The strategy process: Concepts, contexts, cases (4th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall. University of Phoenix. (2011). Week One Web Link: Williams Institute Ethics Awareness Inventory Assessment. Assessment taken January16, 2013, from University of Phoenix, Week One, STR/581 - Course Materials Web site.