People may exhibit a high degree of moral and ethical behavior on the job , but, in their personal lives, behave in exactly the opposite manner. But that s another matter. In this column we will focus strictly on the business aspects of ethics and morality. Apparently, it s a significant issue, particularly as it applies to employee relations. And, of course, all such forms of anti-social behavior, we contend, fall under the general purview of immoral and unethical behavior on the job.
Different values prevail, they say.
Without question, to succeed in business today, and arguably, at any other time in business history, certainly one has to be shrewd, aggressive and persistent. That does not mean, however, that one has to ignore moral and ethical norms. Of course, we ve all heard or read the stories about those people who continually exhibit incredibly immoral or unethical behavior and still gravitate to the highest ranks of business, sometimes even aspiring to the top slot in an organization. Without question, it seems to be a mixed one. It almost appears that commonly accepted standards of moral and ethical behavior apply in every facet of life except in business.