Ethics is defined by several scholars. John Rawls defines ethics as how we decide to behave when we belong together and how our behavior affects others. Professor John Chaffee states ethics refers to the principles that govern our relationships and how we ought to behave. Ethics also involves having the ability to understand moral law and follow it because it is recognized as a moral imperative. Business ethics examines moral issues relating to social responsibilities of business practices and treatment of customers and employees.

1. Ethics
By: Wylie J. D. Tidwell, III
Created 11/17/10
Modified 5/19/11
© 2011
WYLIE JASON DONTE TIDWELL, III
All Rights Reserved

2. So what is ethics?
 According to John Rawls . . . ethics is how we
decide to behave when we decide we belong
together, the study of ethics has to do with
developing standards for judging the conduct of one
party whose behavior affects another (Gini, 2010, p.
347).
Gini, A. (2010). Moral Leadership and Business Ethics (2nd ed.) (G. R. Hickman, Ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
© 2011
WYLIE JASON DONTE TIDWELL, III
All Rights Reserved

3. Definition of Ethics
 Professor John Chaffee states,
 ethics and morals are terms that refer to the principles that
govern our relationships with other people: the ways we ought
to behave . . . standards that we should employ in the
decisions we make (Chaffee, 2009, p.307)
Chaffee, J. (2009). Thinking Critically (9th ed.). Boston: Cengage Learning.
© 2011
WYLIE JASON DONTE TIDWELL, III
All Rights Reserved

4. Ethics
 is the ability to qualify for moral consideration; you must be able to use
the power of reason to derive and understand the moral law, and you
must follow the law because you recognize it as moral
imperative (Waller, 2008, p. 140).
Waller, B. (2008). Consider Ethics: Theory, Readings, and Contemporary Issues (2nd ed.). New York: Pearson Longman.
© 2011
WYLIE JASON DONTE TIDWELL, III
All Rights Reserved

5. Business Ethics
 business ethics examines moral controversies relating
to the social responsibilities of capitalist business
practices, the moral status of corporate entities,
deceptive advertising, insider trading, basic employee
rights, job discrimination, affirmative action, drug
testing, and whistle blowing (Fieser, 2003)
Fieser, J. (2003). Ethics. In Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Retrieved September 4, 2010, from http:/ /
www.iep.utm.edu/ ethics/
© 2011
WYLIE JASON DONTE TIDWELL, III
All Rights Reserved

6. Business Ethics
 Ethics is:
 how we treat each other, every day, person to
person. If you want to know about a company
ethics, look at how it treats people ---- customers,
suppliers, and employees (Gini, 2010, p. 349).
 Business is about people . . . Ethics is about how
customers and employees' are treated (Gini, 2010,
p. 349).
Gini, A. (2010). Moral Leadership and Business Ethics (2nd ed.) (G. R. Hickman, Ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA:
Sage.
© 2011
WYLIE JASON DONTE TIDWELL, III
All Rights Reserved

7. Feedback . . .
http://www.polleverywhere.com/free_text_polls/
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8. Ethical Issue
 Terry Cooper
 describes an ethical issues as, when competing or
conflicting ethical principles or values are
embedded in a practical problem (Cooper, 2006)
Cooper, T. (2006). The Responsible Administrator. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
© 2011
WYLIE JASON DONTE TIDWELL, III
All Rights Reserved

9. Cooper's Ethical Decision-
making model
 consists of four steps
1. identifying an ethical problem
2. identifying possible courses of action
3. projecting the probable consequences
4. select the best fit
(Cooper, 2006, pp.29-30)
Cooper, T. (2006). The Responsible Administrator. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
© 2011
WYLIE JASON DONTE TIDWELL, III
All Rights Reserved

10. Equity
 demands remedies to redress historic injustices that have
prevented or diminished access in the first place . . . there
can be no fairness without equality . . . (Kranich, 2005)
Kranich, N. (2007). Equality and equity of access: What s the difference? Retrieved on
October 18, 2010 from the American Library Association Web site:
http://www.ala.org/ala/aboutala/offices/oif/iftoolkits/toolkitrelatedlinks/
equalityequity.cfm. doi: 388396
© 2011
WYLIE JASON DONTE TIDWELL, III
All Rights Reserved

11. Justice and Social Equity
 Equity is defined
 to include not just race and gender but ethnicity, sexual
preference, certain mental and physical conditions, language,
and variations in economic circumstances . . . [therefore]
multiculturalism and diversity . . . suggest this broader
definition of social equity (Frederickson, 2005, p. 33).
Frederickson, G. (2005). The state of social equity in American public administration. National Civic Review, 94(4), 31-38.
© 2011
WYLIE JASON DONTE TIDWELL, III
All Rights Reserved

12. Bentham’s Utilitarian Theory
 government must ensure the happiness of some [but] must be
[willing] to sacrifice for the happiness of others; in other
words, government must seek the greatest happiness of the
greatest number (Postema, 2006, p.113).
Postema, G. (2006). Interests, Universal and Particular: Bentham's Utilitarian Theory of Value. Utilitas, 18(2), 109-133.
© 2011
WYLIE JASON DONTE TIDWELL, III
All Rights Reserved

13. Conclusion
 Ethics, then, tries to find a way to protect one
persons individual rights and needs against and
alongside the rights and needs of others (Gini, 2010,
p. 347).
Gini, A. (2010). Moral Leadership and Business Ethics (2nd ed.) (G. R. Hickman, Ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
© 2011
WYLIE JASON DONTE TIDWELL, III
All Rights Reserved