MGT301A - Ethics and Sustainability Individual Report Part B

This report, focusing on ethics and sustainability, delves into the application of ethical frameworks in the corporate world. The author reflects on insights gained from studying moral relativism and deontology, highlighting their relevance in navigating ethical dilemmas, especially within the hospitality industry. The report underscores the significance of ethical conduct, corporate governance, and leadership's role in shaping organizational culture and employee behavior. It emphasizes the importance of an ethical code of conduct in defining acceptable behaviors and addressing potential violations within a company. The author concludes that understanding ethical frameworks is crucial for navigating the complexities of the corporate environment and making informed decisions.

ETHICS AND SUSTAINABILITY - PART B

The study of the various aspects of ethics enabled me to gain useful insights about
working in the corporate world as one is faced by ethical dilemmas in the business decisions.
I was aware of the meaning of the term ethics, referring to be the framework that guides the
individuals to be aware of the conduct while considering the moral principles, generic
obligation as well as the legal rules. However, I was not aware of the various frameworks that
form the part of the ethics and guide in the application of ethics at workplace. The
understanding of the ethical framework would aid me in future as I plan to work in hospitality
industry in future where there are numerous stakeholders.
Some of the useful insights gained during the course of the study of the two chosen
ethical frameworks is elaborated as follows. The first framework that was chosen for the
analysis of the issues was the “Theory of Moral Relativism.” The theory states that there are
no universal or absolute set of moral principles that are readily applicable on every
individual. The theory is based on the belief that moral rights or wrongs find their roots in the
cultural backgrounds and the society one lives in (Harman, 2015). As I studied about the
ethical framework I felt that moral relativism means that every individual is free to define
their ethical standards, perspectives, experiences, and feelings. However, the closer study
enabled me to understand that there are shared common beliefs in terms of the corporate
world. I have learnt that some of the elements that are common in the corporate world are the
avoidance of the conflict of the interest, exercising due care and professional competence in
the discharge of the job functions, and ensure the possession of overall integrity and
objectivity while performing duties at workplace (Ghosh Ghosh and Zaher, 2011). In addition
to the above, I studied about the ethical framework of deontology. The “Theory of
Deontology” further enabled me to understand the significance of the performance of the
duties related to the job, as well as the abidance with the general responsibilities of moral
virtues. I have understood the significance of the fact that if one performs their duties to the
best of ethical standards; the outcomes would also be in the same lines.
I believe that good ethics sets the foundational principle of any profession and is
integral not only for the achievement of the individual goals but the professional goals as
well. I have realised that the good set of ethics are vital in professional life because the same
enables adherence to the corporate policies and achievements of business goals. I further
studied about the various corporate scandals where the absence of the professional ethics had
set the base for the weak internal controls and unsound corporate culture. I believe the

professional ethics are significant for the development of the personality that is crucial to
survive in the competitive corporate world.
I believe the ethical principles and the overall conduct of the senior management
plays a crucial role in the development of the same principles in the subordinates. The leaders
are in a position in a company where they not only motivate the employees but also enable to
accomplish reachable goals (Tseng & Fan, 2011). The study of the various ethical aspects in
the corporate culture enabled me to realise that employees tend to mimic the dedication and
the attitude of the leaders. Thus, if the leaders are serious about the performance of the ethical
duties, own the accountability for their job role and consider the interests of various
stakeholders, the employees are influenced to do the same.
In addition, the corporate governance has a crucial role to play in the framing of the
individual ethics. As known the corporate governance guides the conduct of an organisation
and is comprised of the ethical principles, applicable statutes and sustainability practices
(Tsalikis & Fritzsche, 2012). I believe the string set of corporate governance structure where
the entity is dedicated to the compliance of the laws and transparent, the employees are also
keen to follow the said culture and are considerate about the implementation of the same in
their departmental policies.
According to me, an organisational culture is created by those within the organisation.
Thus, the groups the relationships shared between the staff, managers and leaders, and the
varied groups lead to the definition of the organisational culture. A positive work culture is
essential for the managers be able to adopt behaviours that persuade employees for the
attainment of the organisational objectives and secure maximum productivity from the
employees while also securing their feedback make them feel the part of the organisation
(Vadastreanu, Maier & Maier, 2015).
I believe the ethical code of conduct is the most crucial policy document of an
enterprise as its sets out the framework for the conduct of members of an organisation. The
entity can elaborate the various areas of concerns in detail such as human rights, privacy and
security, discrimination, exploitation, corruption and others (Zgheib, 2014). Thus, the entity
can set out comprehensively the range of the acceptable conducts and activities together with
the unacceptable ones. In addition, the policy for the company to address the potential
violation must also be elaborated in detail. The code of conduct of an entity thus sets out the
overall framework of the ethical and professional culture in an entity.

Hence, I can conclude that the study of the various aspects of ethics enabled me to
develop my understanding of working in the dynamic corporate climate while paying
attention to the virtues and principles. The evaluation of the ethical frameworks widened my
knowledge of the applicable principles as I aspire to work in hospitality industry in future.

References
Ghosh, D, Ghosh, D. K., & Zaher, A. A. (2011). Business, ethics, and profit: Are they
compatible under corporate governance in our global economy? Global Finance
Journal, 22, 72-79.
Harman, G. (2015). Moral relativism is moral realism. Philosophical Studies, 172(4), 855-
863.
Tsalikis, J., & Fritzsche, D. J. (2012). Business Ethics: A Literature Review with a Focus on
Marketing Ethics. Citation Classics from the Journal of Business Ethics, 337–40.
Tseng, F. C. & Fan, Y. J. (2011). Exploring the influence of organizational ethical climate on
knowledge management. Journal of Business Ethics, 101(2), 325–342.
Vadastreanu, A. M., Maier, D., & Maier, A. (2015.) Is the success possible in compliance
with ethics and deontology in business?. Procedia Economics and Finance, 26, 1068-
1073.
Zgheib, P. W. ed., (2014). Business ethics and diversity in the modern workplace. United
States: IGI Global.