Ashford University
May 20, 2013
Introduction
The inner works of a successful business is based on the values and beliefs of its owner. In comparison to a family, the owner may be considered the matriarch and employees considered sons and daughters. Based on that assumption, the responsibility for success and prosperity lie solely on the leader. Family success is based on the philosophy of values and morals of its matriarch that are passed down to the children. A business should operate on the same basic philosophy of a family by creating a set of values and beliefs that will represents the best attributes of a company. Those same attributes are then passed down to employees creating a mutual understanding and adopted attitudes and principles. There are as many approaches to business philosophy as there are moral philosophies. This paper will define and discuss moral philosophies application to business, illustrate how they can influence behavior and decision-making, how moral philosophies may impact global strategic planning, describe how companies can integrate moral philosophies into their business practices, and finally, provide an example of a company that has integrated moral philosophy into decision-making and codes of conduct.
Moral and Business Philosophy
Moral and business philosophies could be considered synonymous. Moral philosophy is the principles or rules that people use to decide what is right and wrong (Ferrell, Fraedrich & Ferrell, 2013, pg. 153). Business philosophy deals with the role of business in the solutions to moral principles. As individuals or groups there is a conscious need to keep values, ethics, and the human factor in mind in decision-making whether in business or life decisions.
Behavior and Decision-Making Ethics and moral behavior are hot button issues in business due to the unethical decisions made by executives at Enron, Tyco, and Worldcom. The amoral decision to lie-cheat-steal