Morality and Ethics (Essay Sample)

Morality and Ethics Student’s Name Institutional Affiliation Professor Course Date Morality and Ethics Individuals across the business argue that the company's main objective is to maximize profits and that the concentration of any other factor violates their fiduciary responsibility. But because industries are highly competitive in modern days, it does not mean that they have to be moral. Organizations can still make a general income while adhering to an ethical code of business operations that defines their morality. Based on Feldman dialogue on BrainyQuote (2021), companies in the past respected their mission statement, ethical behaviors, and responsibility to serve multiple stakeholders, employees, suppliers, community, and customers in regions they operated. However, this perspective has changed with time, where businesses use a single-minded responsibility to help only their stakeholders by concentrating entirely on profitability. Whitehead's statement on morality further proves that companies will act morally on what they believe is beneficial for them and act immorally on what they believe is not suitable for them (Feldman, 2012). They think of working exclusively on profitability since it works best for them. Despite the recent concentration of companies on profitability and acting without morality in their actions, the chances of success are diminished. They should opt to turn back to earlier days when morality was their primary concentration. Using the two perspectives of Feldman and Whitehead, I support that businesses can have ethical standards and that they are moral agents. One element of the transformation to a concern with social obligation and accountability has always been the acknowledgement of the significance of ethical standards in business activity and conducts. Ethics has, however, been problematic since there is no complete understanding as to what set up ethical conduct within organizations. There is a necessity to consider their moral stance as a significant point for every person since it affects their perception of ethical conduct. The position provided by various philosophical principles, including deontological ethics, teleological ethics, relativism, and objectivism, provides a basic understanding for ethics consideration within organizations (Forrester, 2019). Based on deontological ethics, particular actions within business organizations might be right or wrong in themselves and requires complete ethical principles to be maintained (Forrester, 2019). However, this perspective challenges how individuals understand which acts are unfair and differentiate right and immoral acts. Philosophers argue that an underlying view of right exists that constrains people's actions, even though it might be overridden in particular circumstances. This philosophy concentrates on the association between responsibility and the standards of an individual's or organization’s actions. It emphasizes on reasoning and ethics, and no effort is however made to clarify certain ethical responsibilities. The teleological ethics of philosophy differentiates what is right and good, making actions that maximize 'the good" (Forrester, 2019). This theory holds that the concerns of one's behaviors or the organization are the decisive cause for any conclusion about the relevance of that behavior. The process of philosophy focuses on the fact that being human is vibrant and that the dynamic nature of individuals should be the significant concentration of any widespread ethical justification of certainty and our place in it. Based on the relativism perspective, there exist no universally valid moral principles. This philosophy is divided into subjectivism and conventionalism (Forrester, 2019). Subjectivism sees people's choices as the factor that defines the strength of moral principles. Conventionalism argues that provided principles or ethical values are only correct in a specified culture at a certain time. Based on conventional ethical relativism, the standards of society and the values define moral conducts and ethical standards but are based on the given community at a given time. With this view, if organizations obey the criteria of society, then they are behaving ethically. This view conforms to Whitehead's perspective on morality (Feldman, 2012). This view has witnessed challenges in that it does not consider the standards of society at larger. For instance, measures of people's chosen profession and that of the peer group are much different. Those of the community at large are enshrined with laws of the society, but individuals fail to abide by the traffic laws of the nations. This view provides that different groups within the community have varying moral standards of approval conduct and tend to act in a different way at other times and when they are with altered groups. Moral objectivism argues against ethical relativism, suggesting that even though ethical values may vary among cultures, some ethical values have universal validity despite being or not recognized universally (Forrester, 2019). This philosophy asserts that particular acts are right or wrong irrespective of other situations, such as their concerns or objectives behind them. Objectivism concludes that specific actions are objectively right or wrong despite the opinions of different persons or organizations. Before the 1960s, social upheavals, codes of conduct in business and social responsibility were not the primary concern in the company. This shows that the discipline is new and flow from a golden rule of "treat others the way you treat yourself." Because money is involved in business, companies do not have to ignore basic moral principles. Businesses that factor in morality ensures that all parties are treated equally and mutually benefit from business operations face fewer challenges in their daily operations (Orts & Smith, 2017). Individuals within a business should be ethical as it helps them performance with the judgement of standards as they come into effect. When individuals develop ethical principles within the public, their conducts become valuable, and this element has to correspond to the standards. The utilitarian perspective suggests that action should be the most significant potential balance of choice over pain or the utmost pleasure of the most important number. This view supports that businesses have to balance their objectives and goals and the service of their clients as significant elements that lead to a good return. Companies have a definite purpose of making money, as explained by Feldman (2012). Still, other less physical objectives that are intrinsic exist and are of good to the general performance of the business. Organizations that have a good relationship with their workers provide rewards for them as a sign of indulgence for their hard work. In a business organi...