Ethics

Ethics is the discipline that deals with the good and the bad as well as with the moral duty and responsibility of an individual. It can also be defined as the study of the choices made by individuals as regards right and wrong (Marie, 2005). Ethics is mainly concerned with the philosophy that results in a particular behavior. Ethics are of different types, and they differ in terms of their application in different contexts. Ethics state the working of a particular social system. They point towards the utilization of morality. At birth, as indicated by Be The Dream (2009), everyone is practically a blank slate. The period of infancy is characterized by total emptiness. The only skill an infant is equipped with is crying in order to attract the attention of the other people. Infants are contented with just lying watching the world revolve around them until they need something. However, as life progresses, individuals develop values in accordance with what they have previously learned or gone through (Be The Dream, 2009). The main intent of developing ethics is to set up the capacity to come up with rational judgment and ethical decisions. The whole process of personal ethics development is continuous and goes on through out life (Marie, 2005). Personal ethics, morals and values go hand in hand. Values are beneficial aspects learned from childhood, either as a result of interaction with the environment or from parents. Morals are the inherent beliefs that develop from the values system of the way an individual should react in a particular situation (Fairleigh Dickinson University, 2010). Ethics, on the other hand, are characterized by an individuals reaction to difficult situations. Ethics play a major role of testing the morals of an individual. Personal ethics are instilled by the culture, environment as well as the background in which an individual is brought up (Fairleigh Dickinson University, 2010). Family values in addition to traditional values are very important in the upbringing of a child. These values play a major role in assisting an individual develop personal ethics at a very tender age. Various personal ethics include honesty, loyalty, punctuality, open-mindedness, self respect as well as respect for others and fairness (Marie, 2005). Hatcher (2007) states that the expression of ones ethics is not always comprehended in the global context at large, immediate surrounding, or even among the closest family members. This is mainly as a result of the difference in the development of personal ethics. Personal ethics develop early in life through interaction with family, church, school, and other members of the general community. All these people play part in helping one mold hisher beliefs (Hatcher, 2007). Personal ethics are established through unconscious observations as well as experiences of childhood. Personal ethics narrate values that help an individual make sense of hisher life. They enable one to make moral decisions that are not inclined towards the good of an individual but to all people. An ethical person undergoes extensive internal battles, trying to figure out whether his or her actions will negatively impact on others. Personal ethics enable individuals to make decisions that are meant for the benefit of all. They act as an innate factor that enable individuals make rational and morally correct decisions (Hatcher, 2007).

As a young child, there were several institutions and groups that had a major influence on my ethics. My parents as well as other family members were the first people, whom after interacting with for a long time greatly impacted on my ethics. Elementary school teachers, religious leaders and all other people who earned my respect as a child also had an influence on my ethics. My parents laid down the familys foundation stone for the determination between right and wrong. They acted as a role model, not only to me, but also to other family members. They demonstrated honesty, integrity, in addition to willingness to handle disputes with grace and courage even in the most challenging circumstances. My parents greatly encouraged me to challenge as well as to explore my world. They guided me on the things that I was supposed to do as a child and therefore, established a base for my ethics. They taught me the meaning of trust. I was also taught to take in to account others opinion by my parents. Elementary school instructors taught me the principle of honesty and hard work. Punctuality and responsibility were also instilled during elementary school. The principle of respect and love was instilled in me by religious leaders. Other people also influenced the development of my ethics. These are the people who earned my respect as a result of their hard work and encouraging words.

The ethics, which I have developed in the course of my life, have had far reaching effects on my general performance. They have enabled me to develop ethical leadership. Ethical leadership has greatly enabled me to make decisions concerning the right things and also assisted me to take the right action on those decisions. Ethics enable me to make the right decisions based on the fundamental principles laid down by the organization I work for. I have been able to balance my responsibilities to self with responsibilities to the organization as well as the community in which the organization is located. As such, I have been able to establish an organization that is in line with my personal ethics, and also I have been able to work through the organization to come up with decisions that are in line with those ethics.

Dogra (2010) makes it clear that ethics are a primary requirement for the smooth as well as the just running of an organization. An organization that fails to establish codes of ethics is an organization calling for doom. Organizations are made of people, who have weaknesses and strengths, and therefore call for a guideline of behavior as well as treatment that is just in addition to uplifting for the organization. For an organization to enjoy continuous success, it must lay down a set of ethics to be followed by the employees. Ethics are needed in an organization in order to ensure effective utilization of organizations resources. They make sure that organizations resources are not used for personal benefits of the employees. Ethics also create good will in the market (Dogra, 2010). An organization that is well known for setting up and following its ethics attracts and retains a lot of clients. Investors willingly put their money in such an organization because they are confident with the way it is run. Shareholders are also satisfied with the running of an organization that strictly follows the laid down code of ethics. Ethics therefore, help organizations establish long term relations with their clients and shareholders (Dogra, 2010). Clearly stated, ethics place greater value on employees than the organization itself and as a result, the employees remain loyal to the organization. The main goal of many organizations is to maximize on profits. Ethics greatly assist organizations in attaining their profit maximizing goal through creating goodwill for the organization in the market, increasing the loyalty to the organization among clients, attracting and retaining employees, in addition to maximizing the utilization of the organizations resources (Dogra, 2010).