Ethics and Values between For-Profit and Not-for-Profit Organizations

Ethics and Values between For-Profit and Not-for-Profit Organizations

Introduction

The purpose of this study is to expand the boundaries of our knowledge by exploring some relevant facts and figures related to the case study analysis of personal and organizational ethics and values between For-Profit and Not-for-Profit organizations. In this paper, the author will act as an ethnographic researcher, writing a case study for a popular organizational behavior research journal. The purpose of this paper is to identify key problems related to business ethics in a Not-for-Profit and For- Profit organization. The personal perspective of the researcher is clearly discussed in the research focus. Hence, this analysis will compare three ethical perspectives: author's ethical perspective, one Not-for-Profit ethical perspective, and one For-Profit ethical perspective and draw comparisons across an array of social conditions. This objective of this case study is to evaluate differences and similarities in ethical perspectives between the three entities.

Business ethics is a discipline dealing with moral issues (beliefs, norms, values, etc.) found in the business. It should be noted that business ethics is a term having quite a multifaceted meaning. A variety of content that is attributed to business ethics depends on the context of its occurrence. Each approach, however, boils down to the general and the basic conclusion that the economy should serve people, not vice versa. Ethics, as having theoretical knowledge fundamental to our business, is a rational and reasoned knowledge of the values and duties of human action, arising from the fact of being human. Business ethics is to know the limits to human activities. Business ethics is both part of ethics prescriptive (normative) establishing standards of conduct, recommending certain behaviors, as well as descriptive ethics describing the moral attitudes and behavior of human interest. In principle, the practical purpose of business ethics is to solve problems related to how to proceed in the wider business. As the tools of business ethics, business use primarily ethical codes, and the implementation of various concepts and ethics programs, such as CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) (Treviño, 2010).

Business ethics as a field of knowledge, developed in the second half of the nineteenth century. There are several events that can be regarded as its birth. Some people believe that business ethics was initiated in 1745, when Pope Benedict XIV issued an encyclical Vix pervenit, moving the issue of usury (Treviño, 2010). In the next section, the author will analyze the issue of business ethics from the perspective of Not-for-Profit and For-Profit organization.

Discussion & Analysis

Personal Perspective on Business Ethics

Business ethics is a specific variant of general ethics. Ethics in business deals with the evaluation and establishment of moral standards to the needs of the economy. The scientific ethics and morality are the norms and rules of conduct in the community. Business ethics is applied ethics in the business environment. To act morally, we should respect other people. Good ethics of staff helps them to offer impeccable services that result in a good reputation and the opinion of ...