BUSINESS ETHICS IN A GLOBAL ECONOMY

DEFINITION OF BUSINESS ETHICS

 The study of the general nature of morals and of specific moral choices; moral
philosophy; and the rules or standards governing the conduct of the members of a
profession (The American Heritage Dictionary)
 Etika = ilmu tentang apa yang baik dan apa yang buruk dan tentang hak dan kewajiban
moral (akhlak) (KBBI)
 Moral = (ajaran tentang) baik buruk yang diterima umum mengenai perbuatan, sikap,
kewajiban, dan sebagainya; akhlak; budi pekerti; susila (KBBI)
WHY STUDY BUSINESS ETHICS

 There are many crisis in business ethics

 Business ethics is not merely an extension of an individual’s own personal
ethics
 Professional in any field, must deal with individual’s personal moral dilemmas
 A business doesn’t establish rules or policies on personal issues
 A person’s experiences and decisions at home, in school, and in the
community may be quite different from his/her experiences and decision at
work
 Studying business ethics will help you begin to identify ethical issues when they
arise and recognize the approaches available for resolving them
 Global Trust in
Industry Sectors

Source: Edelman Global Deck: 2013 Trust Barometer, http://www.edelman.com/trust-downloads/global-results-2/ (accessed January
30, 2013).

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 Timeline of Ethical and
Socially Responsible Concerns
1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s 2000s
Environmental Employee militancy Bribes and illegal Sweatshops and unsafe Cybercrime
issues contracting working conditions in
practices third-world countries
Civil rights issues Human rights Influence peddling Rising corporate Financial
issues liability for personal misconduct
damages (cigarette
companies)
Increased Covering up Deceptive Financial mismanagement Global issues,
employee- rather than advertising and fraud Chinese product
employer correcting issues safety
tension
Changing Disadvantaged Financial fraud Organizational ethical Sustainability
work ethic consumers (savings and loan misconduct
scandal)
Rising drug use Transparency Intellectual
issues property theft

Source: Adapted from “Business Ethics Timeline,” Ethics Resource Center , http://www.ethics.org/resource/business-ethics-timeline
(accessed June 13, 2013). Copyright © 2006, Ethics Resource Center (ERC). Used with permission of the ERC, 1747 Pennsylvania
Ave. N.W., Suite 400, Washington, DC, 2006, www.ethics.org.

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 ORGANIZATIONAL
ETHICAL CULTURE

ETHICAL CULTURE: ACCEPTABLE BEHAVIOR AS

DEFINED BY THE COMPANY AND INDUSTRY
 CREATES SHARED VALUES AND SUPPORT FOR ETHICAL
DECISIONS – DRIVEN BY TOP MANAGEMENT

GOAL:
 Minimize need for enforced compliance
 Maximize utilization of principles/ethical reasoning in
difficult or new situations

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Role of Organizational
Ethics in Performance

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ETHICS CONTRIBUTES TO
EMPLOYEE COMMITMENT

COMMITMENT COMES FROM EMPLOYEES

WHO ARE INVESTED IN THE ORGANIZATION
AND WILLING TO MAKE PERSONAL
SACRIFICES FOR THE ORGANIZATION
 The more company dedication to ethics, the greater the
employee dedication
 Concerns include a safe work environment, competitive
salaries and benefits packages, and fulfillment of
contractual obligations

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ETHICS CONTRIBUTES TO
INVESTOR LOYALTY

 INVESTORS ARE INCREASINGLY INTERESTED IN A

COMPANY’S REPUTATION AND RECOGNIZE
HOW:
 ethical culture provides a foundation for efficiency,
productivity, and profitability
 negative publicity, lawsuits, and fines threaten a company’s
long-term viability
 GAINING INVESTORS’ TRUST AND CONFIDENCE
IS VITAL TO SUSTAINING FINANCIAL STABILITY

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 ETHICS CONTRIBUTES TO
CUSTOMER SATISFACTION
 CUSTOMER SATISFACTION IS AN
IMPORTANT FACTOR IN A SUCCESSFUL
BUSINESS STRATEGY
 Companies seen to be socially responsible increase customer trust and satisfaction
 Trust is essential for long-term customer relationships
 A strong organizational ethical climate places customers’ interests first

 ETHICAL CONDUCT TOWARD

CUSTOMERS BUILDS A STRONG
COMPETITIVE POSITION SHOWN TO
POSITIVELY AFFECT PERFORMANCE AND
INNOVATION
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 ETHICS CONTRIBUTES TO
PROFITS
 COMPANIES NEED PROFITS IN ORDER TO
MEET THEIR RESPONSIBILITIES
 CORPORATE CONCERN FOR ETHICAL
CONDUCT IS BEING INTEGRATED WITH
STRATEGIC PLANNING
 Maximizing profitability

 ETHICS HAS MOVED FROM BEING A

COMPLIANCE STANDARD TO BECOMING
AN INTEGRAL PART OF ACHIEVING A
COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE
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EXCEPT FOR USE AS PERMITTED IN A LICENSE DISTRIBUTED WITH A CERTAIN PRODUCT OR SERVICE OR OTHERWISE ON A PASSWORD-PROTECTED WEBSITE FOR CLASSROOM USE. 11