Personal Values Development Paper

Personal Values Development Paper Many people face ethical dilemmas on a daily basis. According to Nelson and Trevi (2004), ethical dilemmas are perceived as "situations concerning right and wrong where values are in conflict". When faced with such ethical dilemmas, questions will arise, such as a) how do I react, b) what is the thought process behind the reaction, and c) what forged the feelings and beliefs I have. This paper will address these questions as well as the potential impact of my values and my performance in the workplace. To determine the familial influence on my ethic system development one need not look any further than my immediate family. I was raised on a farm in a moderately rural area. The second of four children, my parents and my older brother were most influential. The farm was secluded and when I was not in school, there was little contact with others. From a very young age, I can remember going to work on the farm along with my siblings. The work was hard but forged a very strong work ethic in us all. Working hard is an integral part of who I am today. And being there for my family when needed taught me a valuable lesson in social responsibility. My father raised many types of animals on his farm. There were many times that I either followed him around while he fed and cared for the animals, or I assisted him. Even though some animals were raised to put food on our table, my father had a kind and sensitive way of working with them. At a very young age I could sense that my father attempted to provide the best living environment possible or our livestock and that when the time came for an animal to be butchered, my father did his best to make sure that animal did not suffer. "A commitment to personal ethics is about developing a moral self capable of dealing with ethical issues as they arise. It is about each of us acquiring an acute awareness of the conditions that define our ethical perspectives and those of others" (Ethical,

References: Ethics Awareness Inventory. (2003). Retrieved September 8, 2006 from https://ecampus.phoenix.edu/secure/aapd/eai/1-eai-intro.asp Nelson, K., & Trevino, L. (2004). Managing business ethics: Straight talk about how to do it right (3rd ed.). New York: Wiley