Morals versus ethics has been a question that many people have asked throughout the ages. Company and corporate owners have answers that they pass down to their managers. The managers pass their knowledge down to the employees.
Everyone thinks they have a clear picture of what ethics are. Moral definitions are clear as a bell. Or are they?
Ethics are rules that are set by an outside source. In other words, ethics are the set rules or policies instituted by the company or organization that the person works for. The reason that the ethics of people can be so confusing is because it is not a set of common sense rules.
It should be a set of standards that companies follow, such as making rules to help the environment and to be honest and transparent to its employees and shareholders.
Morals are knowing the difference between right and wrong and are set by each and every person. This includes each grey area in between right and wrong. Society in a whole has a set standards of right and wrong, as does the law and religion (if you have one).
In essence morals range drastically. In every society there are different levels of good versus evil which are accepted in various levels.
With clarity in definition goes confusion in understanding. Ethics when it comes to a workplace is a set of rules that has to be followed. Most companies also expect you to follow those guidelines while away from the job because you represent their company on and off shift.
Morals are standards that represent your own personal feelings and thoughts. I have very strong moral beliefs, which you can read in one of my other posts, as I am sure you do as well.
I also have very strong ethical beliefs when it comes to the company I work for, my home based business, and my friend’s companies that I help with.
Bottom line is this. Ethics and morals are extremely different aspects of life and business, but they are combined together like two hands clasped together.
Everyone within the same company should have the same set of ethics. If you are in the same type of business, but different companies, your ethics may be different. People all over the world may, and probably will, have different morals.
The difference, and the complete lack of morals in the world today, is the major downfall of companies throughout the world. It is also the cause of most of the tension and drama found on a daily basis across the globe.