Business Ethics Come From the Boss. Leadership sets the tone, in every area of a business. Ethics are either central to the way a company functions, are they are not. The executives and managers either lead the way, or they communicate that cutting corners, deception and disrespect is acceptable. Line staff will always rise, or sink, to the level of performance they see modeled above them.
Business ethics starts at the top.
Ethics is about the quality of our lives, the quality of our service, and ultimately, about the bottom line. An unhappy customer complains to an average of 16 people. Treating employees, customers, vendors and the public in an ethical, fair and open way is not only the right thing, in the long run, it s the only way to stay in business. Dr. Phillip E. Humbert is a psychologist and professional coach. He lives in Eugene, Oregon.