What is the relationship between ethics and culture?

Answer 1

Both ethics and culture have been studied in conjunction, their relationship has been elusive. Both ethics and culture deal with the values of right and wrong, good and bad. An ethical analysis discerns what is right by applying logic to relate the situation under questions to one or more principles. In contrast, a culture analysis discerns what is right by appealing to the underlying values, as manifest through the culture's heroes and symbols. Classic ethicists believe that what is right and wrong is static, that is, it does not change, throughout time or place. For example, if slavery is wrong, it was always wrong and it is wrong everywhere. This is because the principle on which this determination is made does not depend on time or place. (However, ethicists do believe that our collective human capacity to understand right and wrong develops over time and study). In contrast, a culture's determination of its values, including right and wrong, is dynamic.

Corporate culture and ethics are interrelated in many business because the former often drives the letter. A company's corporate culture is the ideas, beliefs and values that it strives to creat in its working environment and employees. Ethics typically are a large part of a company culture. Ethics can be a difficult concept to define in business. In many ways, they will have a different definition to different individuals. For example, adding morals to an ethical code of conduct is possible under certain scenarios. A significant reason to link corporate culture and ethics is to ensure the same definition and understanding of ethics among a group of people.

There is a direct relationship between organizational culture and ethics. Organizational culture affects the way employees respond and react when placed in ethical dilemmas. The study of an organization,s culture can reveal the unwritten ethical standards that guid employees in their decision-making. Using this information, business can avert risky ethical behavior by changing their organizational culture. Organizational culture is the study of the attitudes, beliefs and psychology within an organization. It not only encompasses how employees interact with each other, but also how they communicate with others outside of the organization. Ethical standards are the code of conduct required by the organization for employees to follow. The relationship between organizational culture and ethics is that the organizational culture guides employees when faced with ethical dilemmas. If the organizational culture counters what they are required to do ethically, employees may put the organization in risk by not acting ethically.when an employee is faced with a decision that others within the organization deem as appropriate, though it is unethical, the employee may follow what is acceptable as per the culture. For instance, if the organization rewards employees for gaining the most contracts at any cost, an employee may start bribing potential clients in order to gain more deals. If the corporate culture is to gain the most contracts but through normal techniques, an employee may not be as easily persuaded to do something unethical. It is this relationship between organizational culture and ethics that can get business into significant trouble in the long term. An organizational culture that supports risky decisions and unethical behavior will need to change its culture. Changing a business organizational culture is difficult but necessary when a business is having trouble with employees making ethical decision. Organizational culture and ethics are both trouble with employees making ethical decisions. Organizational culture and ethics are both psychologically linked, so employees must change their ways of thinking in order to accept a new direction. This is often difficult to do when employees have worked with the organization for a long time or are not provided with acceptable methods of doing business ethically.

For instance,if the business wants employees to stop bribing foreign officials in order to gain contracts, it should provide employees with other effective methods that will work to gain the same results. If there are no other ways to gain the same results, the company needs to make sure it does not punish employees for not being able to sustain the old same results. Since organizational culture and ethics are linked, the business must change its culture in order to see results in its employees ethical decision making.