61

Ethics

UNIT 1

UNIT II
62
Business Environment and Ethics
 63
LESSON Ethics

6
ETHICS

CONTENTS
6.0 Aims and Objectives
6.1 Introduction
6.2 Ethical Theories
6.3 Characteristics of Ethics
6.4 Modern Decision-making and Ethics
6.5 Ethical Decision-making Dilemma
6.6 Sources of Ethics
6.7 Ethics and Profit
6.8 Let us Sum up
6.9 Lesson End Activities
6.10 Keywords
6.11 Questions for Discussion
6.12 Suggested Readings

6.0 AIMS AND OBJECTIVES

After studying this lesson, you should be able to:
z Understand the concept and origin of ethics
z Understand the role of ethics in business decision
z Know the relationship between ethics and business decisions

6.1 INTRODUCTION
The word ‘Ethics’ has been originated from the word ‘ethos’, meaning character or
manners. Ethics is thus said to be the science of morals; a treatise on this: moral
principle; recognized rules of conduct. Ethics involves judgment as to good and bad,
right and wrong, and what ought to be. Ethics deals with things to be sought and
things to be avoided by ways of life. An ethical dilemma exists where two or more
values are in conflict, and we seek from ethics a resolution to this conflict. Business
ethics refers to the measurement of business behavior on standards of right and wrong,
rather than relying entirely on principles of accounting and management. Ethics is not
only desirable but is essential for the smooth functioning of business. If business does
not follow ethics then there will be an utter chaos and there will be no trust and in this
situation there is no scope of business. Ethics plays a role whether it is a buyer and
seller relationship or it is a competitor relationship. The objectives of Ethics are:
1. Studying human behavior and makes evaluative assessment about them as moral
or immoral (diagnostic goal).
64 2. Established moral standards and norms of behaviour.
Business Environment and Ethics
3. Makes judgment upon human behavior based on these standards and norms.
4. Prescribe moral behavior and makes recommendation about how to or how not to
behave (therapeutic goal)
5. Express an opinion or attitude about human conduct in general.
6. TISCO never faced any lock out or labor problem only because of ethical
standards followed by TATA. TATA is one of the most trusted brands of India
only because of its ethical standards.
Matsushita Electric Co. follows the following value system
The seven ‘Spiritual’ Values
1. National Service through Industry
2. Fairness
3. Harmony and Cooperation
4. Struggle and Betterment
5. Courtesy and Humility
6. Adjustment and Assimilation
7. Gratitude
Prof. S.K. Chakraborty in his book “The Management and Ethics Omnibus” cited
following values which are deep rooted in Indian Culture and Society:
1. The Individual Must be Respected
2. Cooperation and Trust
3. Jealousy is Harmful for Health
4. ‘Chitta-Shuddhi’ or Purification of the Mind
5. Top Quality Product/ Service
6. Work is Worship
7. Containment of Greed
8. Ethico-moral Soundness
9. Self-discipline and Self-restraint
10. Customer Satisfaction
11. Creativity
12. The Inspiration to Give
13. Renunciation and Detachment

6.2 ETHICAL THEORIES

Ethical theories can be divide into two categories: Teleological and Deontological.
The teleological determine the ethics of an act by looking the consequences of the
decision (the ends), while deontological theories determine the ethics of an act by
looking to the process of the decision. (Means)
1. Teleological (Utilitarianism) Ethical System: The teleological morality of a 65
Ethics
decision is determined by measuring the probable outcome. The theory most
representative of this approach is utilitarianism, which seeks end the greatest
“good” (or Utility) for the greatest number. The most basic form of utilitarian
analysis is cost – benefit analysis, where one tallies the costs and benefit of a
given decision and follows the decision that provides for the greatest overall gain.
Utilitarianism hold that actions are right in proportion as they tend to promote
happiness, wrong as they tend to produce the reverse of happiness.
2. Deontological Ethical System: A deontological system is based on rules or
principles that governs decisions. In this system ethics are measured by the
rightness of an act depends little on the results of the act. According to it moral
persons is one of goodwill, and that person renders ethical decisions based on
what is right, regardless of the consequences of decision. Thus the student who
refuses to cheat on exam is morally worthy if her or his decision springs from
duty. But morally unworthy if the decision is merely one born of self interest,
such as fear of being caught.
3. Hybrid Theory: Robert Nozick holds that justice and fairness, right and wrong are
measured not by equality of results for all, but from ensuring equal opportunity
for all to engage in informed choices about their own welfare.
Enlightened ethical egoism says that it is important to the individual that the
world is a “good” world; therefore the individual may have a self interest in
curbing pollution or in community projects, even though she or he may not
individually and personally benefit from the decision.
4. Distributive Justice and Social Contract: Prof. Rawls of Harvard University
propounded this theory. Who says that when people get together, they form
societies and cooperation, and when they come together their arises conflict
because people do not receive a just distribution of the benefits yielded through
their activities. Rawls believe that the base of all distribution systems should be
just and the primacy of justice in the basic structure of our system of society
requires greater equality.
5. Individual Freedom: According to this theory all individuals must be allowed to
make informed choice by all in society. Though choice must be within the law
and the same freedom enjoyed by one individual in the society, must be extended
to all within the society.
Check Your Progress 1
1. Define ethics.
……………………………………………………………………………….
……………………………………………………………………………….
2. Describe, in brief, the ethical theories.
……………………………………………………………………………….
……………………………………………………………………………….

6.3 CHARACTERISTICS OF ETHICS

1. Ethical decision differs with the individual perspective of different persons. Each
person has its own perception and believes regarding ethics. Hence ethical
decision of not have unique solutions, but have a multitude of alternatives.
66 2. Ethical decisions are not limited only to themselves, but affects a wide range of
Business Environment and Ethics
other situations as well. Similarly, unethical decision do not end in themselves,
but have widespread ramification.
3. Most ethical decision involves a trade off between costs incurred and benefits
received.
4. Many times consequences of ethical decision are not clear. They are ambiguous in
nature. Similarly it is not clear what the consequences will be of an unethical
decision, either of an individual or of on organization.
5. Ethical decisions have long term impact. Ethical decision may give bitter results
in short term as lost of sales but in long term it reaps not only good results but
results will also of persist for long. As high quality management may effect
bottom line in short turn but it in long term it position the product in the mind of
prospective customer, which gives lasting impression.
6. Every person is individually responsible of the ethical or unethical decision and
action that he or she takes but the consequences of decision have to be faced by
whole organization.
7. Ethical decisions are voluntary human actions. A person can not escape his
personal liability by quoting that he committed because of seniors pressure.

6.4 MODERN DECISION-MAKING AND ETHICS

The economic activity and competition are no longer considered to be bedfellows
altogether incompatible with ethics and morals. This is correct because man is always
much more than mere commerce and competition. He has the ineffable of ethics and
morals also to manage – whether in business or politics.
Two academics, Victor and Cullen, conclude a research study by pointing out;
It is our belief that organization theory needs to attend more explicitly to the ethical
content in organizational processes. Ethical issues in organizations increasingly
preoccupy theoreticians and practitioners. Firms are attempting to control the ethical
decision-making of individuals, and society is attempting to influence directly the
ethical decisions making of firms.
Business decision based on moral reasoning can be too absolute and decision based on
only realities and logic can be too harsh and inhuman. To avoid these two extremes
one can resort to traditional stakeholder model of decision-making. Stake holder
theory suggests that in reaching ethical decision, we respond to the following
inquiries:
1. What is the moral dimension?
2. What is ethical issue?
3. Who are the interested parties?
4. What values are involved?
5. What alternative do you have in your decision?
6. What is the weight of the benefits and the burdens of each alternatives on each
impacted party?
7. Are there any analogous cases?
8. Can I discuss the case with relevant others?
9. Can I gather additional opinion or perspectives?
10. Is the decision in line with legal and organizational rules?
11. Am I comfortable with the decision? Can I live with it?
Philosopher Laura Nash suggest asking oneself 12 question prior to reaching a 67
Ethics
decision in an ethical dilemma (Laura Nash “Ethics without the sermon”, Harward
Business Review 56, no.6 (1981) pp. 80-81)
1. Have you defined problem accurately?
2. How would you define the problem if you stood on the other side of the fence?
3. How did the situation occur in the first place?
4. Who was involved in the situation in the first place?
5. What is your intention in making this decision?
6. How does this intention compare with likely results?
7. Who could your decision or action injure?
8. Can you engage the affected parties in a discussion of the problem before you
made your decision?
9. Are you confident that your decision be as valid over a long period as it seems
now?
10. Could you disclose without qualms your decision or action to your boss, your
CEO, the board of directors, your family, or society as a whole?
11. What is the symbolic potential of your action if understood?
12. Under what condition would you allow exceptions to your stand?
In evaluating decision two elements should be considered: Integrity and
Accountability. Integrity, means consistency in values, would require that the decision
maker define her or his values, as well as create a prioritization of those values.
Accountability means no matter which direction is taken, the decision maker must be
accountable to all stakeholders who are impacted by this decision.

6.5 ETHICAL DECISION-MAKING DILEMMA

Managers experiences the dilemma of ethical decision making during performing their
duties as:
1. I have to satisfy inspector from the electricity board to maintain adequate power
supplies in times of recurrent shortages.
2. I have to oblige, entertain, and enrich an important customer to keep him from
switching over to competitor.
3. I have to do manipulation in accounts statement to show high profit figure.
4. To increase profits I have to sell same product in three different packing at
different price.
5. Without having any improvement in product I have to advertise New and
Improved.
6. I have to sign a transfer orders of an officer to satisfy the prejudice of a higher
level officer.
7. I have to oblige bank officer to get loan for the project.
American Accounting Association (AAA) published in 1988 a report on Ethics in the
Accounting Curriculum which included a “decision model” for analyzing ethical
dilemmas. Its steps are shown in Figure 6.1.
68
Business Environment and Ethics
Make your Decision

Assess the consequences

Compare values and alternatives

for a clear decision

Specify the alternatives

Identify major principles, rules

and values

Define the Ethical Issue

Determine the Facts

Figure 6.1: Decision Model for Analyzing Dilemmas

Modern theories of ethics may prove useful in understanding and encouraging ethical
behavior in business. Imagine a lawless system where every human action is
influenced by market forces. Does in this situation organization can remain ethical?
Does business can exist if every firm took decision on the basis of self interest at any
cost? Does lawless market forces ensure justice and fair business. Of course not.
Economist Dwight Lee and Richard Mckenzie support this contention. They explain
that a businessperson may act honestly because of the high cost of dishonesty.
An economy in which people deal with each other honestly produces more wealth
than one in which people are chronically dishonest because more exchanges occur
directing resources into their most productive employments.
[Dwight Lee and Richard Mckenzie, “How the Marketplace Fosters Business
Honesty”, Business and Society Review (Winter 1995) pp. 5-9]

6.6 SOURCES OF ETHICS

Sources of ethics are as follows:
1. Genetic Inheritance: There are persuasive evidence and arguments suggesting
that the evolutionary forces of natural selection influences the development of
traits such as cooperation and altruism that lie at the core of ethical system. The
very first school of ethics is the home. More ethical the parents will be higher the
chances that children will be following the same ethics. Ethics are passed on
generation from one generation to second generation and process goes on.
2. Religion: Religion plays a critical role in deciding ethics. Before effective law
system it is the religion that has played a role of restriction on unsocial activities.
Today also a common man tries to abide by the ethics describe by the religion. As
the Brihadarayaka Upnishad states, the Karmavada states:
 Yathakari, Yathachari tatha bhavati 69
Ethics
Sadhukari sadhur-bhavati, papakari papi bhavati;
Punyah punyena karmaan bhavati, papah papena.
[As it does, and as it acts, so it becomes: the doer of good becomes good, and
the doer of evil becomes evil ; he become virtuous through a virtuous act and
vicious through a vicious act.]
All religion preach humanity, all religion preach peace all religion preach
development of whole society. Ethics has its roots in religion. Sacred Geeta
preaches about Niskam Karma that is work with out sake of result.
Following verse of Isha Upanishad talks about enjoyment in detachment:
Isha vasyanidam sarvah,
Yatkincha Jagatyam jagat
Tena tyaktena bhunjitah
Ma gridha kasyaswiddhanam
(All this whatsoever moves on earth should be understood as covered by the lord.
So let your enjoyment be done with detachment. Do not covet the wealth of
others.)
3. Culture: Culture also begets ethical standards. Culture refers to rules, customs
and standards transmitted through generation to generation. Though culture
changes with region but their ethical standards remain same. Different places may
have different cultures regarding dress sense but no culture believes in dishonesty,
or in the deceiving others in the name of others. There are three aspect of culture:
(a) Universal, trans-cultural human values and ideas: These are universal ideals.
Which is expected from sages, saints etc. As in its ideal form it is culture to
spend a part of life in vanprastha, that is in forest after fulfilling worldly
duties, or to chant sacred mantras in the morning or to meditate in tapovans.
(b) Culture specific, operative human values that translate the ideals into
actionable conduct in a given culture: It is the cultural values expected from
common man it is all about day to day operations and believes. As in India
‘mother’ image being most dominant in relation to woman in India, we have
the operational value that even a father cannot touch his daughter’s body once
she attains puberty.
(c) Culture Specific, operative human values that derive for certain altogether
different human ideals: This predisposition contributes to purity of mind and
is check against permissive and incest. In India it is translated into practical
conduct through the tradition of a son or a daughter bowing down and
touching the feet of his/her parents or by a student doing the same to a
teacher.
4. Philosophical System: Philosophical system also influences the ethics. Aristotle,
Pluto, Shri Aurbindo, Vivekanand, Subhash Chandra Bose, Swami Dayanand,
Mahatma Gandhi have left lasting impact on the ethics with their philosophies.
There are difference of opinion to. On the one hand there is a philosophy of Karl
Marx according to him it is unethical to do business to accumulate wealth etc on
the other hand Mahatma Gandhi believes in business and preached trusteeship
according to which business man should look after the welfare of its employee.
Jamna Lal Bajaj, JRD TATA, G.D.Birla who were influenced by M. Gandhi
adopted this philosophy and invested heavily on the welfare of employees. On the
70 other hand countries like China erstwhile USSR etc were influenced by the
Business Environment and Ethics
philosophy of Karl Marx and they declared business as unethical in their
respective countries. Vivekananda has given great importance to means of
achieving results:
“with means aright end must come …..if we take care of the cause the effect will
take care of itself. The realization of the ideal is the effect. The means are the
cause: attention to the means, is therefore is the great secret of life.”
5. Legal System: In society take the activities as hoarding the stock, black
marketing, cheating, giving wrong information etc as unethical and there is law to
restrain all these activities. There even laws against exploitation of labour, sexual
harassment etc and all this activities are considered as unethical.
6. Code of Conduct: Steiners and Steiner identify three primary categories of such
codes. First Company codes, ordinarily belief and highly generalized. Second
company operating policies often contain an ethical dimension. As policies
regarding, customer complaints, hiring and other decisions serve as a guide to
conduct and as a shield by which the employee can protect against unethical
advances fro m those outside the firm. Third many professional and industry
associations have developed codes of ethics, such as in India Association of
advertising agencies have develop a code of conduct for themselves. Council for
Fair Business Practices (CFBP) established in 1966 adopted following code of fair
business practices:
(a) To charge only fair and reasonable prices and take every possible step to
ensure that the prices to be charged to the consume are brought to his notice.
(b) To take every possible step to ensue that the agents or dealers….do not charge
prices higher than fixed.
(c) In times of scarcity, not to withhold or suppress stocks of goods with a view
to hoarding or profiteering.
(d) Not to produce or trade in spurious goods of standards lower than specified.
(e) Not to publish misleading advertisement.
(f) To invoice goods exported or imported at their correct prices.
(g) To maintain accuracy in weights and measures of good offered for sale.
(h) Not to deal knowingly in smuggled goods.
(i) Providing after sales service where necessary or possible.
(j) Honoring the fundamental rights of the consumer- right of safety, right to
choose, right to information and right to be heard.
(k) Discharging social responsibilities and the responsibilities to protect the
environment and nature’s infrastructure.
(l) Ensuring that the product warranty is offered in simple, unambiguous and
concise language, highlighting the rights of the consumer under it.
 71
Check Your Progress 2 Ethics

State whether the following statements are true or false:

1. The word ‘Ethics’ has been originated from the word ‘ethos’.
2. The deontological system of a decision is determined by measuring the
probable outcome.
3. A teleological morality is based on rules or principles that governs
decisions.
4. Before effective law system it is the religion that has played a role of
restriction on unsocial activities.
5. TUFF shoes launched a advertisement featuring Milind Soman and Madhu
Sapre.
6. TATA launched a indigenously developed car Fiesta.

6.7 ETHICS AND PROFIT

The Business Roundtable had introduced a survey report on corporate ethics by US
business which included among others the following sentences:
One of the myths about business is that there is a contradiction between ethics and
profits. The myths are thoroughly debunked by the attitudes and action of top
managers in the companies that contributed to this report. There is a deep conviction
that a good reputation for fair an honest business is a prime corporate asset that all
employees should nurture with the greater care.
Ethics and profit both go together. It may be possible that in short run an organization
can get an edge or good profits because of unethical means but it is the ethics which
lasts. As an organization may get good initial sales by communicating false message
about product but he will not get repeat sales and he will earn bad name too. As in
India few years back TUFF shoes launched a advertisement featuring Milind Soman
and Madhu Sapre, in the advertisement both were node and covered there body with
Snake and were wearing only shoes. These advertisement gave them instant publicity
and soon TUFF shoes became household name in India, but all this publicity went in
vain as TUFF shoes does not get sales, in fact this advertisement earned a bad name
for TUFF shoes, and even after years they couldn’t manage sales for them. Take the
case of Reliance Infocom, it was launched in India with a big bang but increased sale
they adopted every sale gimmick, frequent changes in price and tariffs, frequent
changes in policy, even they frequently changed their policy regarding distribution
network which resulted in losses to thousand of Youth who became their distributor
all this gave them initial sales and finance but also rotten image and this influenced
their sale and profits.
By late 1990s Indian automobile market was totally dominated by MNC as Hundai,
Daewoo, and Suzuki, at that TATA launched a indigenously developed car INDICA,
and it got very good response from day one, even when critics didn’t appraise the car
it is only believe of Indians in the ethics of TATA that people always welcome any
product from TATA and never oppugn its quality. Which results in the low
expenditure in advertisement high initial and repeat sales of any new launch all this
means big profits for years not from only existing product portfolio but with every
new and prospective launch.
People want to do business with honest person that means with ethical companies
attract more supplier, and business contracts. As GM and FORD followed a policy of
having many supplier for the same product to increase their bargain power they also
72 used threat of backward integration to increase their bargain power, on the other hand
Business Environment and Ethics
TOYOTA take their supplier as their business partners it kept the number of supplier
as low as possible help them in R&D help them in their production system and all this
resulted in a good rapport among them. And instead of bargain power and threat they
achieved one of the lowest procurement cost in automobile industry in world through
cooperation.
Even the dishonest people love to work for those who believe in ethics. Ethical
companies attract more and good quality human resource, it has low executive
turnover, they less labour problem and lock out. All this decreases the cost and
increases the production, which results in high revenues and profits.
In totality we can say that ethics give sale, good relation with industry and better
human resource all this results in higher profits and long-term eminence.
We can conclude the chapter with the golden words of Mahatma Gandhi who gave a
Talisman to solve the dilemma of decision-making:
“I give you a talisman, when you are in doubt or when the self becomes too much
with you apply the formula test.
Recall the face of the poorest and the weakest man whom you may have seen and ask
yourself if the step you contemplate is going to be of any use to him, will he gain any
thing by it, will it restore him to a control over his ruined life and destiny? In other
word will it lead to Swaraj for the hungry and spiritually starving millions.
Then you will find your doubts melting away.”

6.8 LET US SUM UP

Ethics deals with things to be sought and things to be avoided by ways of life.
Business ethics refers to the measurement of business behavior on standards of right
and wrong, rather than relying entirely on principles of accounting and management.
If business does not follow ethics then there will be an utter chaos and there will be no
trust and in this situation there is no scope of business. Ethics plays a role whether it is
a buyer and seller relationship or it is a competitor relationship. Ethical theories can be
divide into two categories: teleological and deontological. The teleological determine
the ethics of an act by looking the consequences of the decision (the ends), while
deontological theories determine the ethics of an act by looking to the process of the
decision. (Means)
Ethical decision differs with the individual perspective of different persons. Most
ethical decision involves a trade- off between costs incurred and benefits received.
Managers experiences the dilemma of ethical decision making during performing their
duties as:
Whether to satisfy inspector from the electricity board or to maintain adequate power
supplies in times of recurrent shortages, Whether to oblige, entertain, and enrich an
important customer to keep him from switching over to competitor.
Ethics are passed on generation from one generation to second generation and process
goes on. Religion plays a critical role in deciding ethics. Today also a common man
tries to abide by the ethics describe by the religion. Culture also begets ethical
standards. Philosophical system also influences the ethics. Laws represent a rough
approximation of society’s ethical standards. Company codes, company operating
policies often contain an ethical dimension. Third many professional and industry
associations have developed codes of ethics, such as in India Association of
advertising agencies have develop a code of conduct for themselves.
There is a close relationship between ethics and profit. Organizations who follows
ethics earn good profit in long run. As ethics not only increase there customer base but
it also reduces it cost. Ethics helps a lot in maintaining good relation with buyers,
suppliers and even with competitor. So following ethics may look a luxury in short
term but in long term it is milk giving cow.
 73
6.9 LESSON END ACTIVITIES Ethics
1. Prepare an assignment on the role of ethics in decision-making in Indian
corporate.
2. Prepare a report on the role of ethics in the functions of TATA.
3. Pick a company of your choice and find that how ethics it in making good
decision.

6.10 KEYWORDS
TISCO: Tata Iron and Steel Company.
AAA: American Accounting Association.
CFBP: Council for Fair Business Practices.

6.11 QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION

1. What is ethics? Discuss the various ethical theories.
2. What is the role of ethics in decision-making?
3. Discuss the various sources of ethics.
4. “Ethics and profit both go together”. Discuss the statement.

Check Your Progress: Model Answers

CYP 1
1. The word ‘Ethics’ has been originated from the word ‘ethos’, meaning
character or manners. Ethics is thus said to be the science of morals; a
treatise on this: moral principle; recognized rules of conduct. Ethics
involves judgment as to good and bad, right and wrong, and what ought to
be.
2. Ethical theories can be divide into two categories: Teleological and
Deontological. The teleological determine the ethics of an act by looking
the consequences of the decision (the ends), while deontological theories
determine the ethics of an act by looking to the process of the decision.
(Means)

CYP 2
1. True 2. False 3. False
4. True 5. True 6. True

6.12 SUGGESTED READINGS

Mittal Vivek (2007) Business Environment, Excel Books.
Bedi Suresh (2006) Business Environment, Excel Books.
Mishra, Puri (2006) Economic Environment of Business, Himalaya Publications
House.
Spiro George W. (1993) The Legal Environment of Business, Englewood Cliffs, NJ
Prentice Hall.
Starling, Grower (1996) The Changing Environment of Business, Cincinnati, OH,
South Western College Publishing.
Weidenbaum, Marray L. (1999) Business and Government in the Global Market
Place, Upper Saddle River, NJ Prentice Hall.