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Values and Ethics in the Workplace Essay Example

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Values and Ethics in the Workplace Essay Example
Values and Ethics in the Workplace

Thesis: Many times a person find their personal, cultural and/or organizational ethics conflicting and must reconcile a course of action that will mitigate cognitive dissonance. In order to be a productive member of society, in small groups and globally, one must reconcile these conflicts on a daily basis and continually move forward while maintaining personal integrity and balance.
Values and ethics are a part of our everyday lives. We wake up to these values and beliefs each day as they are the "rules" that govern us. Instilled since childhood by our own parents and society, once these values and beliefs take hold, it is not easy to change them. Individual experiences of values and beliefs stem from the personal point of view, a cultural perspective all the way to an organization perception. As we grow, each person we meet introduces us to new values and beliefs as our world expands into adulthood. We either accept or reject new ideas dependent on if they are cohesive with values we've already come to own and hold true.
Morals also relate to values and beliefs in that they help us determine what is right or wrong and how we as individuals should behave. We say that our conscience delineates between right and wrong regardless of what the law/regulation indicates ought to be done. These are the main beliefs that we try to instill in our children and expect from one another. For example, in our culture we teach the "Golden Rule", which states that one should treat others as one wants to be treated. Some cultures may not agree with this sentiment and that is when you must use your moral judgment to avoid falling into the "When in Rome, do as the Romans" trap. Using your moral judgment, you may not want to do as the Romans in Rome, whatever they may be up to. Thus we come to our first conflict of personal moral ethics. If visiting another culture, country, or even family, would you do as them, even if it goes

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