There is a very thin line between law and ethics. Ethics focuses on acceptable principles that guide human actions and behaviors. On the other hand, “law” refers to a set of regulations that govern human actions. The government implements different laws in order to ensure every citizen behaves in a particular manner. Ethics is the foundation of many communities and societies. The law produces useful ethical principles.
Every law enforcer should be ready to act in an ethical manner. Failure to engage in ethical practices will violate different human liberties. The relationship between law and ethics affects business activities differently. For instance, businesses that act in an unethical manner should face numerous legal sanctions. Ethical practices are therefore mandatory for different business organizations. However, the law encourages every citizen to promote acceptable or moral activities.
Human beings can use different ethical theories to analyze the strengths and weaknesses of capitalism. To begin with, capitalism is ethically acceptable because it supports the concept of property ownership. Human beings possess a natural right to own property. Societies must embrace this natural right because it promotes human welfare. Although it would be wrong to own a lot of wealth, different ethical principles supports the decision to share natural resources. An “invisible hand” plays a powerful role towards producing free markets. This “invisible hand” also avails the required resources to every society.
Capitalism has also resulted in new ethical practices such as Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). Such actions explain why people should praise and embrace capitalism. Some ethicists strongly believe that capitalism promotes discrimination and inequality. Disparities in human lifestyles and incomes have resulted in new social challenges. Capitalism affects the natural rights of many people in the world. This market system also favors the rich in the community. Powerful corporations also benefit significantly from capitalism. It is unethical to exploit different individuals. These negativities explain why a large number of ethical theorists vilify capitalism.
Some unique differences exist between selfishness and self-interest. Selfishness is usually associated with an individual’s egocentrism and self-orientation. Selfish individuals will always focus on their gains, demands, and expectations in life. On the other hand, “self-interest” refers to the positive aspects and characteristics of an individual. The person will eventually focus on new actions that might benefit others by creating wealth.
Self-interest encourages individuals to focus on actions that have the potential to support their societies. Selfishness will result in negative ethical decisions that can affect other people. The practice tends to maximize the gains of those in power. Self-interest outlines new practices that can present better ideas for better business performance. Self-interest empowers individuals to formulate appropriate strategies that can support the expectations of the greatest majority.
Human beings encounter several intrinsic forces that dictate their actions. Egoism theory supports such intrinsic forces towards motivating various actions. Egoism can take various forms. Psychological egoism explains how people’s interests and expectations can motivate their actions. For example, an individual can support the needs of other people in an attempt to become happy. Ethical egoism stipulates that moral agents or human beings should engage in actions that support their personal interests. Subjective egoism is an agent-focused approach whereby individuals understand the consequences of their actions. Classical egoism is a powerful concept dictating the actions of individuals based on different social norms. Classical egoism also focuses on specific actions that maximize people’s interests.
There are numerous ethical issues surrounding employment. To begin with, employers should act ethically by safeguarding their workers’ personal data and information. Employers must offer adequate remunerations and allowances depending on the jobs completed by their workers. Corporations and agencies must ensure their employees have the best working environments. It is wrong to sack or promote employees without using the relevant procedures.
Workers should also sign their Employment Contracts. Such documents govern the actions of different employees. Workers should observe the best ethical principles. New concepts such as Employee Protection (EP) and Empowerment of Disabled Persons (EDP) have become relevant today. Inequalities and discriminations in different working conditions have resulted in various Affirmative Action programs. These ethical developments are critical towards redefining every employee-manager relationship.
The advertising industry must deal with different laws and regulations in order to engage in ethical practices. Advertisers should always embrace the best ethical practices. For instance, every advertiser should ensure his or her message is acceptable to the targeted customer. They should also avoid the use of inappropriate psychological tactics. This practice will be useful towards attracting more consumers. Every marketer and advertiser should ensure the message is true.
Advertisers must not display unethical or immoral messages to different children. It is unethical to advertise harmful products. Advertising strategies should be ethical and acceptable. Psychological influences are unnecessary because they might deceive the less-informed members of the community. Marketers should not use propaganda whenever advertising their services and products. These ethical considerations are relevant towards ensuring every consumer gets quality products. Consumers should therefore reexamine the relevance and effectiveness of different ads before purchasing various products.
Affirmative Action is a powerful practice or strategy aimed at supporting the needs of every unfortunate citizen. A large number of disadvantaged individuals exist in every society. Affirmative Action has become a powerful approach towards dealing with various challenges such as inequality and discrimination. The targeted individuals encounter numerous challenges in their lives. This malpractice makes it impossible for many citizens to achieve their potentials.
Most of the Affirmative Action programs identified by the author can be relevant towards increasing the representation of children and women. Every Affirmative Action program should outline the most appropriate goals. This strategy will be relevant towards addressing the issues affecting every disadvantaged person in the society. This practice will ensure more women participate in different areas such as health, medicine, and education. Such programs will support the changing roles of different individuals in the society.
Ethical responsibilities can be social or professional. Business managers should focus on the best ethical practices in order to support their employees and stakeholders. Some professional responsibilities of business leaders include supporting every moral obligation. Managers must promote the best practices such as equality, fairness, and transparency. Such leaders should support their employees and stakeholders.
They must also produce quality services that can fulfill the needs of their consumers. They should also use ethical advertising strategies to attract more consumers. Their social responsibilities are voluntary and necessary. For instance, leaders can engage in various Corporate Social Responsibilities (CSRs) in order to support the needs of their stakeholders. Business leaders can use the concept of Affirmative Action to support more individuals in every community. They can also collaborate with other leaders in order to improve the living conditions of their consumers.
Sweatshop labor has remained a major problem within the last six decades. The ethical issues surrounding “sweatshops” are very complicated. Sweatshop labor results in numerous concerns because it violates certain ethical principles and laws. For example, it is agreeable that many sweatshops use child labor. Most of the children and individuals working in such companies encounter pathetic working conditions. They also encounter numerous occupational challenges.
The individuals also work overtime without getting the relevant remunerations. This malpractice makes it impossible for such individuals to realize their potentials. The individuals working in such environments cannot exercise their rights. Governments must deal with the issues associated with these sweatshops and promote acceptable working conditions. Consumers should not purchase any product associated with sweatshop labor.
The “gender wage gap” refers to the difference existing between female and male incomes. According to this gap, men tend to earn better salaries compared to female workers. Discrimination, inequality, and prejudice are some of the leading causes of “gender wage gap”. According to different ethicists, societies must deal with such wage differences in order to support more women. Affirmative Action seeks to reduce this gap by empowering more women.
The strategy also encourages more women to join different working environments. According to some scholars, women’s decisions and choices play a critical role towards supporting this wage gap. However, the agreeable fact is that this wage gap results from gender inequality and discrimination. The society should address this gap because it is unethical.