Introduction
You have made a poor decision. You begin to wonder what the consequences
could be. Was the decision illegal, was it unethical, or did it go against
your morals? Depending on what category your decision falls in will
determine the consequence. Illegal decision could mean jail time, unethical
decision could lead to you being fired from a job, immoral decision could
hurt your reputation. In the business world, one must know the difference
between the three. You must also know what each one entails.
Many people are confused about the differences between law, ethics, and
morals. There is a relationship between the three and each one may
influence the other. There is a closer relationship between morals and
ethics and ethics and law. Morals define one’s personal character, while
ethics stress how those morals are applied in a social system. Basically,
ethics are standards or codes of behavior expected by a group to which an
individual belongs. There is a fine line between ethics and law. Many
things may fall under the legal category but at the same time be unethical.
Cheating or breaking a promise excluding a contract may be unethical but not
punishable by the justice department.
In this assignment, you will get in groups of three. Between the three
members one person will assume the role of Immediate Supervisor, one will be
Human Resource Manager, and another one will be Department Manager. Within
your group you will have to make a tough business decision. Your morals,
social ethics, and the parameters of the law will play heavily in your
decision.