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Ethical Standards in The Workplace

This document discusses ethical standards in the workplace. It defines ethical standards as principles that promote values like trust, good behavior, fairness and kindness. Ethical standards are not the same as common practices and differ from legal standards in that they are largely unwritten and may be codified in a code of ethics. Ethical standards are based on either utility, evaluating policies based on their social costs and benefits, or moral rights, which are entitlements and prohibitions that enable individuals to pursue their interests. Moral rights differ from legal rights in that they are universal and imply moral duties.

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Becca Domingo
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461 views15 pages

Ethical Standards in The Workplace

This document discusses ethical standards in the workplace. It defines ethical standards as principles that promote values like trust, good behavior, fairness and kindness. Ethical standards are not the same as common practices and differ from legal standards in that they are largely unwritten and may be codified in a code of ethics. Ethical standards are based on either utility, evaluating policies based on their social costs and benefits, or moral rights, which are entitlements and prohibitions that enable individuals to pursue their interests. Moral rights differ from legal rights in that they are universal and imply moral duties.

Uploaded by

Becca Domingo
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Ethical

Standards
in the
Workplace
The Nature of Ethical Standards
Ethical standard is not necessarily the same as the common practices
or tacit rules of conduct observed by an organization.
Principles that when followed, promote values such as trust, good
behavior, fairness, and/or kindness.

Read more: http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/ethical-


standards.html
Ethical and Legal Standards
Both standards deal with serious human injuries and benefits.
Ethical standard sets what actions are ethical and unethical.
Legal standard sets what actions are legal and illegal.
Unlike legal rules which are generally written, clear and definite, ethical
standards are largely unwritten; Ethical standards may be codified in a
single text termed Code of Ethics.
Ethical and Legal Standards
Comparing Ethical standards with other standards, we may observe the
following differences:
1. Ethical standards are not laid down by authoritative bodies
2. Ethical standards override self-interests
3. Ethical standards are usually associated with emotions like guilt and
shame.
In addition, ethical or moral standards also serve two social functions:
1. They establish a mutually beneficial system of conduct
2. They provide acceptable justifications for actions and policies
Ethical Standards Based on Utility
Ethical standards based on utility evaluate policies, institutions and
behaviors in terms of the net social benefits and costs they produce.
This ethical standard proceeds from the Principles of Utility, which
states that an act is good if it promotes the greatest amount of
happiness to the greatest number of people.
Ethical Standards Based on Moral
Rights
The Meaning of Rights
Rights are entitlements to something.
The term right also indicates the existence of prohibitions or
requirements on others which enable an individual to pursue his
interests.
Types of Rights
• Positive Rights and Negative Rights
• Legal Rights and Moral Rights
Positive Rights and Negative Rights
• Positive Rights are defined in terms of the duties of other to provide
the person who holds such rights whatever the person needs to freely
pursue his or her activities.
• Negative Rights are defined in terms of the duties of others not to
interfere in certain activities of the person who holds such rights.
Legal Rights and Moral Rights
• Legal Rights are rights which are limited to the particular jurisdiction
of a legal system from which such rights are derived.
• Moral Rights are rights possessed by all human beings by virtue of
their being human. It is also known as human rights.
Classes of Rights
• Moral-Natural Rights
• Constitutional Rights
• Statutory Rights
Moral-Natural Rights
They are rights of all human beings by virtue of their being human.
• Moral Rights are universal
• Comparable rights of others limit moral rights
• Moral rights imply moral duties
• Moral rights impose limitations to the overwhelming power of the
state.
Constitutional Rights
They are rights which are conferred and protected by the constitution,
the fundamental law of the land. Constitutional rights are rights
derived from legislation directly from the people.
Statutory Rights
• They are rights derived from legislation from the people’s
representatives. The law giving body of the State confers statutory
rights. The same body may, by law, abolish them.
Rights and Duties
One of the basic principles that govern the relationship of rights and
duties is the Principle of Reciprocity – our right to be treated

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