Business Ethics

Ethics. What are they? How do they relate to Business? I have been thinking a lot about these questions due to the fact that it is "Business Ethics" week at my school, San Francisco State University.

After reviewing several sites, I discovered that there are different definitions of ethics. There is "ethics" and then there is "business ethics". “Ethics can be defined as the critical, structured examination of how we should behave- in particular, how we should constrain the pursuit of self-interest when our actions affect others" (Business Ethics Blog). “Business Ethics can be defined as the critical, structured examination of how people & institutions should behave in the world of commerce. In particular, it involves examining appropriate constraints on the pursuit of self-interest, or (for firms) profits, when the actions of individuals or firms affects others" (Business Ethics Blog). However, both definitions agree that ethical choices are well thought out choices made after considering how they will effect others.

In the world of Business it would appear that ethics can sometimes be difficult to judge. What is ethical in one country may not be ethical in another. Different cultures place different importance on certain aspects of business. For example, in the US, it is unethical to work children under a certain age; however, in certain Asian cultures this type of practice would not be considered unethical due to cultural beliefs, practices, and laws. Neither culture is wrong. Every country has its own way of conducting business. As a result, when dealing with different countries and cultures it is important to know what is considered right and wrong so that you do not offend anyone and therefore make appropriate ethical choices.

In business, there are a number of ethical topics that are constantly under scrutiny. EthicsWeb, is an ethics website that lists many different topics concerning ethics. Here readers can choose from a number of ethical topics that they are curious about. While reviewing "Complete Guide to Ethics Management: An Ethics Toolkit for Managers" on EthicsWeb, I discovered a list of Business Ethics Myths that I found to be very interesting. The 10 most common myths that helped me to better my understand about business ethics, is listed here on Management Help:
      
                     1) Business ethics is more a matter of religion than management.
                     2) Our employees are ethical so we don't need attention to business ethics.
                     3) Business ethics is a discipline best led by philosophers, academics and 
                         theologians.
                     4) Business ethics is superfluous -- it only asserts the obvious: "do good!"
                     5) Business ethics is a matter of the good guys preaching to the bad guys.
                     6) Business ethics in the new policeperson on the block.
                     7) Ethics can't be managed.
                     8) Business ethics and social responsibility are the same thing.
                     9) Our organization is not in trouble with the law, so we're ethical.
                   10) Managing ethics in the workplace has little practical relevance.

What really stood out about these common myths is that I previously believed that many of them were true. For example, myth #9 states that "One can often be unethical, yet operate within the limits of the law" (Management Help). If I had not discovered that this was untrue, I would never have known that an organization could be unethical without breaking the law. However, what really made me see that this myth was in fact a myth, was when the author stated that "breaking the law often starts with unethical behavior that has gone unnoticed" (Management Help). This makes sense, in my opinion. There are many instances within business organizations when the company is unaware that they are being unethical in certain situations or ignore unethical behavior until it is too late.

So how can this ethical dilemma be corrected? Management Help, has a list of 8 guidelines to follow that can help businesses to manage ethics within their companies. The full list can be seen on the site above, under the heading "8 Guidelines for Managing Ethics in the Workplace". One topic however, that I feel is worth mentioning, is to handle ethical dilemmas to avoid them. If unethical problems can be dealt with either before they occur or before they become a huge problem for an organization then this is the best solution to strive for. If a person is unsure whether something is unethical, the best way to make that determination is to trust your body. This may sound ridiculous, but if a person is feeling stressed about something; guilty, uncomfortable with a decision, embarrassed, or fearful of being caught- then chances are something unethical is occurring. Remember, an ethical decision should be one that makes a person feel that they have truly done the right thing. Santa Clara University has a great site that lists many different ways to make ethical decisions. If you are unsure of a decision- whether in business or life, checking out this site may be a great resource in decision- making.

How To Become A Business Manager

Business Management as a major is a very broad topic. The list of classes that a person must take in order to successfully complete school ranges from accounting to business calculus all the way to business and management classes. As a business management major, I have found that there are many different careers I could pursue based on the knowledge that I have aquired thus far.

Choosing a school is the first step when pursuing a job in business management because it gives a person all of the tools that they need in order to be successful. If transferring is the best option then a great site to go to in order to see if you are on the right path for a business management major is assist.org. Here you can select your current school, the school you wish to transfer to, as well as your major. (My Assist.org Transfer Requirements) The site lists the classes that are needed in order for you to transfer. Once transferred, the next step would be to review your school's personal requirements. For SFSU, this site lists not only the general education requirements but also the major concentration requirements -----> (SFSU). A very important thing to remember while attending school is to network. A huge part of Business is based around who you know. People that are in your classes may one day be the CEO of a very successful company that you are trying to land a deal with. Therefore, it is a great idea to meet people before you try to do business with them so that you have established a good rapport. Once finished with school, the next step is to find a job.

When choosing a career I think the best thing to do is to decide what type of manager you wish to be. There are three levels of management: top, middle, and low-level management. Top-level management involves delegating, executive coaching, and empowerment of lower-level employees. A middle manager solves problems delegated by top management, help development talent, and oversees employee performance. Low- level management is in charge of coaching performance and generally deals with all of the lower level employees personally. This site lists more information about each type of manager --> (Management) A fun task to do when choosing is to take quizzes to test your level or leadership and management skills. Some fun types quizzes are: Leadership, Personality, Management Type, and Management Skills. After deciding which type of manager is best for you, the next step would be to choose a position that sounds interesting to you based on education, skills, and prior job knowledge.

Some of the positions that a business management major would be able to choose from are: "sales managers, marketing managers, purchasing managers, production managers, finance managers, cost accountants, IT managers, human resource managers, product development managers, and personnel managers" (Pierre). This is only a small fraction of jobs available to business managers. Selecting a career is ultimately based on all of the knowledge that you have aquired up until this point. Education, skills, knowledge, and personal networks can ultimately play a crucial part in your success.

Some extra things to consider when pursuing a career in business management are to have resume, cover letter, and even portfolio ready. This way everything that you could possibly need in order to get the job and be successful is readily available at your fingertips.