What is unethical behavior, exactly? Unethical behavior is an action that falls outside of what is considered right or proper for a person, a profession or an industry. Individuals can behave unethically, as can businesses, professionals and politicians. However, one's definition of "unethical" depends on their own ethical standards and the standards of their society. Take a look at different unethical behavior examples that are generally agreed upon as
unacceptable. To people with high ethical standards, the question of right vs. wrong is clear. Societies reinforce the accepted ethics of individuals with laws and consequences. While some situations may be defined as ethical dilemmas, most people would agree that the following behaviors are not acceptable in individual relationships. Someone lies to their spouse about how much money they spent. A teenager
lies to their parents about where they were for the evening. An employee steals money from the petty cash drawer at work. You lie on your resume in order to get a job. Friends talk about another friend behind his back. A student takes credit for work they did not do. A college student cheats on a school paper by copying it off the Internet. Someone takes $20.00 out of their friend's wallet when she is
sleeping. You sell a house and don't disclose known defects to the buyers. A person sells a car and lies about the vehicle's accident history. Business ethics are so important that most companies have formal codes of ethics to make their expectations clear. Some unethical behaviors in the workplace are illegal as well as unethical. Take a look at the different unethical behaviors one may see businesses commit. A
chemical company dumps pollutants into the water supply rather than cleaning up the pollution properly. A factory releases toxins into the air at levels above what is permitted by the Environmental Protection Agency. An employer coerces an injured worker not to report a work injury to workers' compensation by threatening him with the loss of a job or benefits. A supervisor refuses to give an employee a final paycheck for hours worked before the
employee left the company. Someone in power uses their position to sexually harass a subordinate. A company incorrectly classifies an employee as an independent contractor in order to reduce payroll taxes and avoid providing benefits. Large companies engage in price-fixing to force smaller competitors out of business. Businesses use bait and switch or false advertising tactics to lure customers in or convince them to buy a product. A car salesman rolls back the odometer on a vehicle that is for sale. A company refuses to honor a warranty claim on a defective product. Doctors and lawyers are bound by a stricter code of ethics because they are taking care of and representing people who trust them. These professionals risk malpractice accusations if they act in an unethical manner. Read a sample list of unethical behaviors by these professionals. A
doctor dates a patient in their care. A physician doesn't tell a patient his true diagnosis because it may reveal that there was a mistake in his care. A dentist performs unnecessary procedures on a patient in order to receive the insurance payment.
A doctor uses a patient as a teaching tool for students for long periods of time without the permission of the patient or patient's family.
A lawyer will not return money or provide a settlement that was being held for a client.
A lawyer represents parties on both sides of a legal transaction.
You may also see examples of unethical behavior in the political world. Some politicians walk a fine line between getting elected and remaining ethical, and many governments struggle with upholding rights-based ethics for both their citizens and citizens in other countries.
A politician uses the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to target groups that they do not like by auditing those groups or refusing to give them tax-exempt status.
Someone running for office obtains private tax information about their political opponents and uses that information in a campaign.
A person running for office knowingly tells lies about their own political position or about the political position of their opponent just to get elected.
A politician accepts excess campaign contributions that violate campaign finance laws.
Someone running for office uses money that was donated to their campaign for personal, non-approved expenses.
An elected official uses their position of power to coerce lobbyists into buying expensive gifts for them and for their spouse.
The government secretly spies on U.S. citizens in violation of the Fourth Amendment and lies about it.
A person in a position of power closes traffic lanes to intentionally create a traffic jam because residents in that city are not likely to vote for them in an election.
These are just some of the many different examples of unethical behavior that could occur. But what makes these behaviors unethical rather than immoral? Learn more about the differences between ethics, morals and values, and see how they're treated differently in society. You can also take a look at examples of admirable virtues that many societies value in their citizens.
Code of Ethics Examples: From Personal to Professional
A code of ethics is a set of principles and rules used by individuals and organizations to govern their decision-making process, as well as to distinguish right from wrong. They provide a general idea of the ethical standards of a business or organization. However, people can have their own personal code of ethics as well. Keep reading for a more thorough explanation of a code of ethics, as well as several code of ethics examples.
What's the Difference Between Ethics, Morals and Values?
Have you ever deemed someone’s behavior to be unethical? Have you ever questioned their moral code or the values upon which they base their decisions? When our minds wander to these places, the terms ethics, morals and values tend to feel very similar, but they are not quite the same. Keep reading for explanations and values, ethics and morals examples to learn how they are different.
+ Ethics and Social Responsibility
+ Ethics Standards of moral behaviour that is accepted by society as right versus wrong.
+ Ethics and Legality Are Two Different Things How should people treat others? What responsibility should they feel to others? Ethics Laws we have written to protect ourselves from fraud, theft & violence Legality
+ Write 1 to 9 on a piece of looseleaf and answer the following questionnaire Complete an Ethics Questionnaire
+ Ethics Questionnaire 1. Which is worse? A. Hurting someone’s feelings by telling the truth. B. Telling a lie and protecting someone’s feelings. 2. Which is the worst mistake? A. To make exceptions too freely. B. To apply rules too rigidly. 3. Which is worse to be? A. Unmerciful B. Unfair
+ Ethics Questionnaire 4. Which is worse? A. Stealing something valuable from someone for no good reason. B. Breaking a promise to a friend for no good reason. 5. Which is it better to be? A. Just and fair. B. Sympathetic and feeling.
+ Ethics Questionnaire 6. Which is worse? A. Not helping someone in trouble. B. Being unfair to someone by playing favourites. 7. In making a decision you rely more on A. Hard facts B. Personal feelings and intuition
+ Ethics Questionnaire 8. Your boss orders you to do something that will hurt someone. If you carry out the order, have you actually done anything wrong? A. Yes B. No 9. Which is more important in determining whether an action is right or wrong? A. Whether anyone actually gets hurt. B. Whether a rule, law, commandment, or moral principal is broken.
+ How to Score The answers fall in one of two categories, J or C. Count your number of J and C answers using this key. 1. A = CB = J 2. A = JB = C 3. A = CB = J 4. A = JB = C 5. A = JB = C 6. A = CB = J 7. A = JB = C 8. A = CB = J 9. A = CB = J
+ Meaning of Your Score The higher your J score, the more you rely on an ethic of justice. The higher your C score, the more you prefer an ethic of care. Neither style is better than the other, but they are different. The styles are complementary. Your score probably shows you rely on each style. The more you appreciate both approaches, the better you’ll be able to resolve ethical dilemmas and to understand and communicate with people who prefer the other style.
+ Ethics is More Than Legality It is not uncommon to hear of instances where business people are involved in unethical behaviour. After two years of denying accusations, WestJet Airlines admitted to spying on Air Canada. WestJet was accessing a confidential Air Canada website designated for reservations. As part of the settlement WestJet will pay Air Canada’s investigation and litigation costs of $5.5 million and make a $10 million donation in the name of both airlines to children’s charities across Canada.
+ What can be done to restore trust in business and business leaders?
+ Laws don’t make people honest, reliable or truthful. If laws were a big deterrent, there would be much less crime.
+ Ethical Standards Are Fundamental Moral Values - Right Integrity Respect for Human Life Self-control HonestyCourage Self- sacrifice
+ Ethical Standards Are Fundamental Moral Values - Wrong CheatingCowardiceCruelty
+ Undercover Boss Lush Cosmetics Full episode on YouTube.com Lush Cosmetics Charitable Giving Charitable giving is at the heart of our business, and we believe it's our responsibility to advocate for the environment, animals and people in need. In 2007, we invented a beautiful hand and body lotion called Charity Pot. 100% of the purchase price goes towards supporting humanitarian, environmental and animal rights causes locally and around the world. Ethical Campaigns We are, and always have been, a campaigning company. We believe in standing up for animal rights, protecting the environment and supporting humanitarian causes. With over 150 stores in North America, we have a unique platform to create positive change in our world, and we put our ethics into practice through activism and charitable giving.
+ Ethics Begins with Each of Us We cannot expect society to become more moral and ethical unless we as individuals commit to becoming more moral and ethical ourselves.
+ Ethics Begins with Each of Us Ethical behaviour should be exhibited in our daily lives, not just in a business environment.
+ How do we do this?
+ Handouts
+ What is an Ethical Dilemma? There is no desirable alternative. You must choose between equally unsatisfactory alternatives.
+ Ethical Dilemma Questions 1. Is it legal? 2. Is it balanced? 3. How will it make you feel about yourself?
+ Ethical Dilemma Questions 1. Is it legal? Am I violating any law or company policy? Whether you are thinking about: having a drink and then driving home gathering marketing intelligence or hiring or firing employees It is necessary to think about the legal implications of what you do. This question is the most basic one in behaving ethically in business.
+ Ethical Dilemma Questions 2. Is it balanced? Am I acting fairly? Would I want to be treated this way? Will I win everything at the expense of another party? Win-lose situations often end up as lose-lose situations. There is nothing like a major loss to generate retaliation from the loser. For example many companies that were merely suspected of wrong doing have seen their stock drop dramatically. Not every situation can be completely balanced, but it is important to the health of our relationships that we avoid major imbalances over time. An ethical business person has a win-win attitude trying to benefit all parties involved.
+ Ethical Dilemma Questions 3. How will it make me feel about myself? Would I feel proud if my family or friends learned of my decision? Would I be able to discuss the proposed situation or action with my immediate supervisor? The company’s clients? How would I feel if my decision were announced on the news? Will I have to hide my actions? Am I feeling unusually nervous? Decisions that go against our sense of right and wrong make us feel bad – they corrode our self-esteem. An ethical business person does what is proper as well as what is profitable.
+ Progress Assessment 1. What is ethics? 2. How does ethics differ from legality? 3. When faced with ethical dilemmas, what questions can you ask yourself that might help you make ethical decisions?
+ Managing Businesses Ethically & Responsibly People learn their standards and values from observing what others do, not from what they say.
+ Managing Businesses Ethically & Responsibly A business should be managed ethically for many reasons to: Maintain a good reputation Attract and keep customers Avoid lawsuits Reduce employee turnover Avoid government intervention Please customers, employees and society and Do the right thing
+ Setting Corporate Ethical Standards Although ethics codes vary greatly, they can be classified into two major categories: Ethical standards that emphasize preventing unlawful behaviour by increasing control and by penalizing wrongdoers. Ethical standards that define the organization’s guiding values, create an environment that supports ethically sound behaviour, and stress a shared accountability among employees. Compliance-based Ethics Integrity-based Ethics
+ Which one is better?
+ GM Recall : The Switch From Hell It was a deadly defect in an ignition switch that led to the recall of millions of GM cars like the Cobalt and the Ion and the confirmed deaths of almost 30 drivers, with close to 200 more being investigated. D6Q D6Q
+ What are the accusations being made by Chinese environmental groups? What are the accusations being made by Chinese environmental groups? o o Handout & video
+ Apple's largest supplier, the FoxConn Technology group, has announced Friday it will raise wages by 16 to 25 per cent after criticism over its labour practices. The factory's workers have seen three separate wage increases since 2010, and under the new agreement will now make 1,800 yuan ($290 US) a month, up from 900 yuan two years ago. As of Feb. 13, 2012
+ To give you an idea of how an average EF English teacher in China spends his or her salary, here is a sample monthly budget: Gross Income (Salary) : 12,350 RMB Rent : 3500 RMB Utilities (electricity, gas, water) : 250 RMB Phone & Internet : 300 RMB Food : 1500 RMB Insurance : 295 RMB Remaining Disposable Income : 6,505 RMB The Renminbi (RMB) is the official currency of the People's Republic of China (PRC). Sample EF English teacher monthly budget
+ Made in Bangladesh z_c z_c
+ Price fixing Is a practice in which the prices for goods and services are manipulated in a way which is designed to benefit specific companies or individuals.
+ If two companies happen to sell competing products at the same price, it is only considered price fixing if collusion can be proved. In other words, if two supermarkets both sell packs of a dozen eggs at the same cost, this would not be illegal. If, however, someone could prove that the owners of the supermarkets held a secret meeting in which they decided to sell their eggs at the same price, it would be considered price fixing. Don’t write this
+ Irving example brunswick/story/2012/09/28/nb-irving-oil-price- fix-quebec-charge.html brunswick/story/2012/09/28/nb-irving-oil-price- fix-quebec-charge.html
+ Questions for video Who does it hurt? Should it really be illegal? Why?
+ Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) A business’s concern for the welfare of society as a whole.
+ Corporate Responsibility in the Twenty-first Century There are different views of coroporate responsibility to stakeholders: 1. The strategic approach requires that management’s primary orientation be toward the economic interests of shareholders. 2. The pluralist approach recognizes the special responsibility of management to raise profits, but not at the expense of employees, suppliers, and members of the community. This view says that corporations can make a profit only when they fulfill their moral responsibilities to society as a whole.
+ Responsibility to Customers Customers prefer to do business with companies they trust and, even more important, do not want to do business with companies they don’t trust. One responsibility of business is to satisfy customers by offering them goods and services of value. One of the surest ways of failing to please customers is not being totally honest with them. The payoff of socially conscious behaviour could result in new business as customers switch from rival companies simply because they admire the company’s social efforts – a powerful competitive edge.
+ Responsibility to Investors Ethical behaviour is good for shareholder wealth. Unethical behaviour may seem to work for the short term, but it guarantees eventual failure. In the 2005 Canada’s Most Respected Corporations survey, 89% of Canadian CEOs agreed with the statement that “companies that are more respected by the public enjoy a premium in their share price”.
+ Insider Trading An unethical activity in which insiders use private company information to further their own fortunes or those of their family and friends. Martha Stewart’s Interview with Barbara Walters: Part 1 and Part 2 Part 1Part 2
+ Responsibility of Employees Once a company creates, jobs, it has an obligation to ensure that hard work and talent are fairly rewarded. Part of treating employees well is ensuring that employers of all sizes provide a safe work environment. The Canadian Labour Congress (CLC) believes that there are well over 1,000 workers who die annually from workplace causes and there are more than one million who suffer workplace injuries. When employees feel they’ve been treated unfairly, they often strike back. How do you think employees would strike back against the company?
+ Responsibility of Society Businesses need to develop long-term profitable relationships with their customers by establishing repeat business. Repeat business is based on buying safe and value-laden products, at reasonable prices. Many companies believe business has a role in building a community that goes well beyond giving back. Their social contributions include cleaning up the environment, building community toilets, providing computer lessons, caring for the elderly, and supporting children from low-income families.
+ Responsibility to the Environment Businesses are often criticized for their role in destroying the environment. The Sydney Tar Ponds are North America’s largest hazardous waste site. More than 80 years of discharges from the steel- producing coke ovens near the harbour have filled Muggah Creek with contaminated sediments. Two decades later, there have been several attempts and more than $100 million spent to clean up this toxic site. In May 2004, the governments of Canada and Nova Scotia committed $400 million to the cleanup. It is expected that this cleanup will take ten years.
+ Earl Jones /earl-jones-in-trust /earl-jones-in-trust
+ Give your opinion
+ Codes of Ethics-Don’t write this, use this for last question Trait Compliance- based Integrity-based PurposeTo obey laws and regulations To conform to internally- determined standards, as well as obey laws and regulations AimTo avoid criminal conduct To enable responsible employee conduct (which includes adhering to the law) LeaderLawyers Managers within the business (with the help of legal counsel) Strategy Education, controls, penalties, less employee discretion Education, controls, penalties, decision processes likely to involve employees, leadership, accountability
+ Handout
+ Ethics web quest project
+ whistleblowing occurs when an employee or worker provides certain types of information, usually to the employer or a regulator, which has come to their attention through work. The disclosure may be about the alleged wrongful conduct of the employer, or about the conduct of a fellow employee, client, or any third party. The whistleblower is usually not directly, personally affected by the danger or illegality, although they may be. What is Whistleblowing
+ The Sarbanes-Oxley Act (SOX) of the United States SOX requires all public corporations to provide a system that allows employees to submit concerns regarding accounting and auditing issues both confidentially and anonymously.
+ Whistle-blowing Legislation in Canada Bill C-11 was passed in November It provides for significant powers to investigate wrongdoing; it contains clear legal prohibition of reprisal against those who make good-faith allegations of wrongdoing; and it proposes measures to protect the identity of persons making disclosures.
+ Public Servants Disclosure Protection Act (PSDPA) which defines wrongdoing as: Violating any federal or provincial law or regulations; Misusing public funds or assets; Gross mismanagement in the public sector; Doing something or failing to do something that creates a significant and specific danger to the health, safety or life of persons or to the environment; Seriously breaching the Values and Ethics Code for the Public Sector and/or Canada Post’s Code of Conduct; and Knowingly directing or counselling a person to commit a serious wrongdoing
+ Progress Assessment 1. How are compliance-based ethics codes different from integrity-based ethics codes? 2. What protection is being offered to whistle-blowers in the public sector?
+ Is Whistle- blowing ethical or not? Explain
+ Whistleblowing Project
+ International Ethics and Social Responsibility Prime Minister Stephen Harper introduced legislation to make the government more honest and transparent through the Federal Accountability Act. This Act promises to end undue influence on government by big business, unions, and industry lobbyists.
+ International Ethics and Social Responsibility Many businesses are demanding socially responsible behaviour from their international suppliers by ensuring that suppliers do not violate domestic human rights and environmental standards. In contrast to companies that demand their suppliers demonstrate socially responsible behaviour are those that have been criticized for exploiting workers in less developed countries. Nike, has been accused by human rights and labour groups of treating its workers poorly while lavishing millions of dollars on star athletes to endorse its products.
+ International Ethics and Social Responsibility The justness of requiring international suppliers to adhere to domestic ethical standards is not as clear-cut as you might think. What do you think? Is it always ethical for companies to demand compliance with the standards of their own countries? What about countries in which child labour is an accepted part of the society and families depend on the children’s salaries for survival? What about foreign companies doing business in Canada – should these companies comply with Canadian ethical standards? What about multinational corporations?
+ International Ethics and Social Responsibility The International Standards Organization (ISO) developed a new standard on social responsibility that includes guidelines on product manufacturing, fair pay rates, appropriate employee treatment, and hiring practices. These standards are advisory only and will not be used for certification purposes.
+ What do you think should be done to ensure that companies are social responsible? What do you think should be included in an International Ethics set of rules?
+ International Ethics and Social Responsibility The formation of a single set of international rules governing multinational corporations is unlikely in the near future. In many places, “Fight corruption” remains just a slogan, but even a slogan is a start.
+ Progress Assessment 1. Explain why legality is only the first step in behaving ethically and ask the three questions one should answer when faced with the potentially unethical action. 2. Describe management’s role in setting ethical standards and distinguish between compliance-based and integrity-based ethics codes. 3. Define corporate social responsibility and examine corporate responsibility to various stakeholders. 4. Discuss the responsibility that business has to customers, investors, employees, society, and the environment.
+ 1. What is corporate social responsibility, and how does it relate to each of a business’s major stakeholders? 2. How does the compliance approach differ from the integrity approach?