A Comprehensive Review of Corporate Ethics in Business Environment

This essay provides a comprehensive literature review of corporate ethics, emphasizing its importance in modern business practices. It explores the relationship between corporate ethics and individual ethics, highlighting how organizational ethics influence employee behavior and intentions. The essay discusses the role of corporate culture in shaping ethical behavior and addresses the need for corporate ethics to prevent malpractices, protect consumer rights, and foster healthy competition. It concludes that adherence to corporate ethics is essential for businesses to gain a competitive advantage and maintain legal compliance. Desklib provides this essay along with a wealth of other resources like past papers and solved assignments to aid students in their studies.

Running head: CORPORATE ETHICS
Corporate Ethics
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author note

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Table of Contents
Introduction................................................................................................................................2
Literature Review.......................................................................................................................2
Overview of Corporate Ethics................................................................................................2
Importance of Corporate Ethics.............................................................................................2
Relationship Between Corporate Ethics and Individual Ethics.............................................2
Need for Business or Corporate Ethics..................................................................................3
Conclusion..................................................................................................................................4
References..................................................................................................................................5

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Introduction
The main aim of the paper is to analyse the importance of the corporate ethics and it
has been seen that in the recent years the corporate ethics literature has exploded in terms of
importance and volume as well. The present paper helps in reviewing the literature on
corporate ethics with the entire focus in the marketing ethics.
Literature Review
Overview of Corporate Ethics
According to Athanasopoulou & Selsky (2015), the ethics is the complex kind of
construct and this has been seen that ethics play an essential role in both leadership and
business. The current literature helps in offering the different kinds of definitions of the
corporate ethics which is required to be explored as well as different kinds of ethics and their
integrations with the policies and organizational management.
Importance of Corporate Ethics
As hypothesised by Boatright, (2017), the corporate ethics is the ethical kind of
behaviour which is analysed by the corporate kind of culture. Athanasopoulou & Selsky
(2015), has defined that the corporate culture is the assumptions which are being made on the
different goals, beliefs along with the knowledge that are being shared by the organizational
members. On the other hand, Crane & Matten, (2016) has commented that the culture of the
organization helps in analysing the different kinds of patterns of the behaviour of the different
employees in the organization. The author has profoundly helped in analysing the influence
the different actions along with the different choices in the particular kind of situation.
Relationship Between Corporate Ethics and Individual Ethics
The entire research is being focused on the studying of the effective kind of
relationship between the corporate ethical values along with the personal ethical values of the

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different individuals. Boatright, (2017) has opined that the employees in the different
organizations will have larger ethical intentions if they have the right to perceive the high
level of organizational ethics. The findings which has been conducted by Athanasopoulou &
Selsky, (2015), has tried to indicate that there is significant kind of relationship between the
individual ethical intentions and the organizational ethical intentions and with the help of this
process, the organizations can build ethical business mainly on focusing on ethical businesses
and creating positive ethical culture as well.
Boatright, (2017) has commented that the business ethics also termed as corporate
ethics is the form of the applied kind of ethics or the professional kind of ethics which helps
in examining the ethical kind of principles and ethical problems which arises in the business
environment. The corporate ethics is applied in all kinds of business situations and this helps
in analysing and understanding the importance of the same in the different kinds of business
issues. Furthermore Athanasopoulou & Selsky, (2015) has commented that the corporates are
being run by the different individuals and thus their emotions and feelings are need to be
cared about and the people are being sensitive in nature about the culture and traditions.
Need for Business or Corporate Ethics
In addition, Crane & Matten, (2016) has argued that the social environment is bound
to become very much turbulent in nature and disorderly in nature while the corporate ethics
are not being applied by the organizations in an effective manner. Jamali & Karam, (2018)
has commented and hypothesised that the corporate or the business ethics help in analysing
the code of conduct along with provide protection on social groups as well.
Additionally, Schwartz, (2017) has opined that there is huge need for the corporate
ethics in the different areas of the work force which includes that this helps in checking the
malpractices which are occurring in the business along with improving the confidence among

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the different consumers as well. The consumer rights are practiced and protected by the
corporate ethics implementation by the different business and this helps in creating a good
image for the business as well.
Quarshie, Salmi & Leuschner (2016) has hypothesised that the business ethics is
essential in nature in order to avoid the different kinds of exploitation which are being caused
to the customers. Furthermore, on the other hand, this has been seen that the business ethics
help in encouraging the different healthy competition in the market which is against the
different kinds of competitors in the market and this avoids the payment of the bribe and the
other improper malpractices which occur in the business environment.
Conclusion
Therefore, this can be concluded that the corporate ethics is essential in the business
environment as this helps the businesses to avoid the different kinds of malpractices and
solve the issues in an efficient manner without much difficulties. Lastly, the companies need
to follow the corporate ethics as to gain more competitive advantage by being proper in terms
of maintaining the laws.

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References
Athanasopoulou, A., & Selsky, J. W. (2015). The social context of corporate social
responsibility: Enriching research with multiple perspectives and multiple
levels. Business & Society, 54(3), 322-364.
Boatright, J. R. (2017). Ethics and corporate governance: Justifying the role of
shareholder. The Blackwell Guide to Business Ethics, 38-60.
Crane, A., & Matten, D. (2016). Business ethics: Managing corporate citizenship and
sustainability in the age of globalization. Oxford University Press.
Jamali, D., & Karam, C. (2018). Corporate social responsibility in developing countries as an
emerging field of study. International Journal of Management Reviews, 20(1), 32-61.
Quarshie, A. M., Salmi, A., & Leuschner, R. (2016). Sustainability and corporate social
responsibility in supply chains: The state of research in supply chain management and
business ethics journals. Journal of Purchasing and Supply Management, 22(2), 82-
97.
Schwartz, M. S. (2017). Corporate social responsibility. Routledge.