Fundamentals of business ethics. Ethics of business relations: principles, directions General ethical principles of business relations in an organization

Currently, much attention is paid to the study of the ethics of business relations in order to increase the level of culture of these relations, since in many respects their success is due to the nature of the relationship itself.

Ethics studies the moral significance of actions, motives, characters. Ethics, while remaining a serious philosophical science, becomes at the same time the life position of both society as a whole and its individual members.

Ethical norms are used directly in the practice of educational activities and in the practice of everyday human behavior, when elements of the worldview become motives for actions. However, the educational value of ethics cannot be thought of as a self-evident application to the education of a person: the more educated, the more educated. This, unfortunately, is by no means the case. Aren't there good specialists, but far from exemplary citizens, morally immature people?

There is a complex of reasons that caused the emergence of interest in business ethics. Chief among them is the total harm of unethical, dishonest business behavior, felt not only by consumers, but also by producers, society as a whole, the excess of this social harm over individual or group benefits.

Ultimately, in a civilized society, the reaction to this was expressed in the decline in the prestige of many corporations and businessmen, which, in turn, called into question the quality of their goods and services, and thereby jeopardized their profits.

Criticism of businesses for unethical behavior is on the rise. The media regularly report on the low standards of behavior in the business world. The focus is on the practice of bribery and bribery used by companies, discrimination in employment, dishonest advertising, environmental pollution, and the threat to people's health posed by business. According to public opinion polls, the majority of respondents question the honesty and decency of entrepreneurs.

So what is ethics?

Ethics(Greek ethika, from Greek ethos - habit, disposition) - a philosophical science, the object of study of which is morality, which regulates human behavior in all spheres of public life - in work, in everyday life, in science, in family, personal, international relations .

Ethics are principles that separate right behavior from wrong.

Ethics- a system of common values ​​and rules of ethics, the observance of which the organization requires from its employees.

The requirements of morality (morality) are formed in the process of communication and are a reflection of life-practical and historical experience directly in collective and individual ideas, feelings and will. Moral norms are reproduced daily by the force of mass habits, convictions and motives brought up in the individual.

Unlike legal codes, ethics are based on culture, public opinion, traditions and habits.

Moral norms are expressed in general fixed ideas (commandments, principles) about how one should act. You should know that in morality, what is due and what is actually accepted does not always and not completely coincide.

A person must himself be aware of the general principles, norms and concepts of good and evil, internally accept them and accordingly direct his actions in the future.

In relation to business, they consider ethically what should be done in a business relationship, so that you know about it and try to accept it internally and act accordingly. That is why in morality an enormous role is played by individual consciousness (personal beliefs, motives and self-assessments), which allow a person to control, internally motivate his actions, independently justify them, develop a line of behavior.

Ethics- one of the oldest theoretical disciplines that emerged as an integral part of philosophy.

To designate the doctrine of morality, the term "ethics" was introduced by Aristotle. In essence, solving practical, moral problems that arose before a person in life (how one should act, what should be considered good and evil, etc.), ethics has been considered “practical philosophy” since antiquity.

In recent years, there has been a turn in Western ethics towards applied ethics (bioethics, ethics of science, business, etc.). The course under consideration is, of course, applied ethics.

The basis of the subject of ethics is the doctrine of the role of morality in business relations, the laws of development of moral ideas that reflect the material conditions of people's lives. Ethics studies the nature of moral activity, including commercial.

Ethics is also engaged in a concrete sociological study of morality in various groups of society, shows the role of the moral factor in the social development of society, in the formation of the human personality.

Ethics of business relations deals with the analysis of the relationship of business partners from the standpoint of interpreting moral assessments of the reasons for success or failure in any activity, in particular in commercial activity.

Business relationship- this is one of the types of social relations as a relationship between partners, colleagues and even competitors that arises in the process of joint activities in the market and in a team.

At the level of business relations in business, employees should be focused on a partner, on a consumer, which increases interest in work. In order to successfully carry out any enterprise (for example, to conclude a deal), we should strive to understand the partner of business communication.

Participants in the interaction get the opportunity to influence the knowledge, skills, relationships, feelings of each other. In the studies of Professor B. F. Lomov, who paid quite a lot of attention to aspects of the socio-psychological phenomenon of communication, the idea that has become a textbook truth today is clearly presented: when we study the lifestyle of a particular individual, we cannot limit ourselves to analyzing only what and how he does, we must also investigate with whom and how he communicates. This knowledge of the communication partner in professional life is no less significant than in everyday life. That is, the sphere of business relations can reveal to us the essence of our partner, as well as a business competitor.

Tasks of business ethics:

• 1. Study of historical experience in the field of business ethics.
• 2. Consideration of modern business ethics.
• 3. Integration with international business culture, with its moral and psychological standards.
• 4. Studying the forms and rules of conducting business relations.
• 5. Moral education of modern businessmen.

Among professionals involved in business ethics, there are several different approaches to the problem under study.

1. According to the American scientist Peter Kostenbaum, ethics fills entrepreneurship with meaning under all circumstances, in any area of ​​the economy, in any culture, it is ethics that opens the way to profit. He also believes that ethics teaches to be useful, that is, to be able to take the point of view of another person, to learn to put oneself in the place of another and show a desire for this, to find meaning and value in interest in another person and in caring for him.

Various companies are looking for ways to encourage employees to search for meaning. Some emphasize:

• spotless honesty;
• loyalty to high quality;
• focus on the consumer;
• The pursuit of excellence.

Others are limited to collective leisure activities.

P. Kostenbaum considers care, love, devotion, fidelity to be the second ethical component.

Indeed, while recognizing the importance of love, the need for spiritual growth, and mental health, many reject the idea that there is a place for it in business. Meanwhile, says P. Kostenbaum, love demonstrates that you really care about people, no matter who you are. In love, a special interpersonal field is created in which a spiritual connection, emotional bonds arise.

Even in business, people feel the need to be heard and understood. We all need emotional security. No wonder people appreciate the support of like-minded people so much.

2. Another author, Minton Friedman, approached the relationship between ethics and business from a different perspective. His main idea is that society has given entrepreneurship the role of “getting as much money as possible”. True, the author stipulates that the methods of obtaining money do not mean permissiveness. Gangsters also strive for this goal, but their actions go beyond the "rules of the game", while these rules completely exclude deceit, coercion and deception.

Entrepreneurs must compete openly and freely without fraud or deceit.

Many ethicists believe that the way out should be sought in the education of company personnel. In particular, in large corporations and concerns, it is necessary to develop their own code of conduct and ethical standards, discuss ethical problems with employees, etc., which many companies have recently begun to do.

As a rule, in civilized countries, ethics in business is interpreted as honesty, adherence to moral principles.

Honesty is also manifested in a commitment to openness, truthfulness - to everything that generates trust. An open life is a life without lies. And although it is not easy to be frank at times, on the whole this way of life is the most serene, for in it human ties develop in an atmosphere of warmth. To be human means to feel the need for attachments, intimacy, contacts.

Finally, to be honest means to value and protect freedom. Civilization is moving towards individualism, towards the true emancipation of the human personality. Therefore, respect for freedom should be regarded as the highest virtue. Business, like other social institutions, must take this situation into account. Happy people are those who manage their lives in their own way. They think for themselves and take care of themselves.

A feeling of compassion, conscience, dissatisfaction with oneself after a bad deed, the ability to mentally put oneself in the place of another person, restraint in words and deeds - all these positive qualities of a person are brought up, and it is ethical education that provides many opportunities for this.

A civilized modern manager must himself show examples of morally impeccable behavior and nurture the same qualities in his subordinates and partner. In the end, it depends on us what language people speak to us.

Introduction

Ethical Business Relationship Issues

Communicative culture in business communication

Conclusion

Bibliography

Introduction

In most countries with a rich experience in business communication, there are a number of strict rules of etiquette, the violation of which can damage the image of a business person. Now, when a market economy is becoming more and more established in the country, some serious businessmen are forced to turn to foreign business communication experience in order not to look ridiculous in the world market when offering their goods and services.

S.L. Rubinshtein wrote: “In everyday life, communicating with people, we are guided by their behavior, since we, as it were, “read” it, i.e. we decipher the meaning of its external data and reveal the meaning of the text thus obtained in a context that has its own internal psychological plan. This 'reading' is fleeting, because in the process of communicating with the people around us, a certain, more or less automatically functioning subtext to their behavior is developed.

Studies of mass psychology provide a lot to understand psychology of interpersonal communication in the appropriate setting. Living in a society, a person encounters the activities of these mass gatherings, experiences their influence, becomes a participant in them. All this has a psychological impact on him, including as a subject of activity and communication with other people.

Man is born to think.

Pascal

The essence of business ethics

Ethics in a broad sense is understood as a system of universal and specific moral requirements and norms of behavior implemented in the process of social life. Accordingly, the ethics of business relations singles out one of the areas of public life. Based on universal human norms and rules of conduct, the ethical norms of service relations have some distinctive features.

Ethics of business relations has recently received more and more attention. This is expressed in an increase in the volume of training programs in the system of university and postgraduate training in the relevant disciplines (for example, "ethics and business etiquette", "business ethics", "ethics and etiquette of business relations", etc.). Courses for studying the basics of the general ethics of behavior are also introduced into some school curricula, into the system of secondary specialized education, and over time, the coverage of educational institutions with such courses increases.

Employers pay more and more attention to the issues of ethics of business and personal relationships in the selection and hiring of personnel, as well as in the process of direct performance by employees of their professional role. At the same time, it should be emphasized that the concept of "professional role" includes not only the ability to perform job duties, but also the skills of relationships with the external environment (colleagues, management, subordinates, clients, partners, etc.) in the process of implementing the goals fixed for a particular position. professional tasks or functions. Compliance with the ethics of business relations is one of the main criteria for assessing the professionalism of both an individual employee and the organization as a whole.

Compliance with the norms and rules of business ethics by the employees of an organization becomes its “calling card” and determines in many cases whether an external partner or client will deal with this organization in the future and how effectively their relationship will be built.

The use of norms and rules of business ethics is perceived favorably by others in any case, even if a person does not have sufficiently developed skills in applying the rules of ethics. The effect of perception is amplified many times over if ethical behavior becomes natural and unintentional. This happens when the rules of ethics are an internal psychological need of a person, and are also worked out in the process of systematic training. Moreover, this training involves the use of both special training practical exercises within the framework of a particular educational program, and any situation that develops in the course of professional activity, to develop the skills of ethical relationships. For example, having studied the rules for conducting a business conversation or telephone conversations, you can use any conversation as a training.

It is necessary to take revenge that this approach should be extended not only to the sphere of official relations, but also to use appropriate life situations in relations with friends, relatives, random interlocutors.

Once again, it should be emphasized that ethics includes a system of universal and specific (for example, for any professional activity) moral requirements and norms of behavior, i.e. ethics of business relations is based on the general rules of conduct developed by people in the process of joint life. Naturally, many norms of relationships in a business environment are valid for everyday life, and vice versa, almost all the rules of interpersonal relationships are reflected in work ethics.

It is hardly possible to consider such a situation correct when the same person behaves fundamentally differently in business and at home. Correct in relationships, attentive and polite with people must be always and everywhere. The foregoing does not exclude, for example, a certain firmness and organizational skills in relationships with loved ones, as well as a sensitive attitude to the personal problems of colleagues at work.

There is an ancient wisdom: "Treat others the way you want to be treated." Further description of the norms and rules of business ethics reveals the essence of the above statement, i.e., in other words, answers the question: what kind of attitude do we want to ourselves?

It is hardly doubted that the attitude of others to a particular person (and vice versa) in the process of professional activity is continuation of the relations that develop in public life as a whole. Desirable manifestations of the attitude of others towards ourselves in everyday life, we naturally transfer to the sphere of business relations. Accordingly, the people around us expect us to know the rules of conduct and the ability to put them into practice.

The relationship between ethics in the broad sense and business ethics can be traced to the logical sequence of individual problems of people's perception of each other. A favorable basis for acquaintance, for further relationships is largely laid in the first moments of the meeting. A significant role in this is played by the appearance of a person, his compliance with the situation, which demonstrates a respectful attitude towards another. An important role is played in this case by such a seemingly trifling detail as the ethics of greeting, shaking hands and introducing a person to a person. These initial nuances of relationships are important both in everyday life and in business life.

To establish a pleasant and useful business relationship, you must be able to interest a person with your clear and at the same time figurative statements, attention to the essence of the issue. These problems are solved during the development of rhetoric skills that are important in everyday life and especially in an office setting. These skills should be embodied in special rules for preparing and conducting a conversation, since we are faced with the need to use them everywhere. Achieving the result of the conversation, and in a respectful manner, is an important condition in both everyday and business situations.

A private variant of the conversation is a telephone conversation. General ethics rules (such as, for example, politeness, attentiveness to the interlocutor, the ability to direct the conversation, etc.) are supplemented in this case by some special ones, determined by the specifics of the telephone conversation. Using these rules will allow you to form a positive opinion about the interlocutor, regardless of what kind of conversation took place - personal or business.

Conducting any conversations leads to the need to express critical remarks or judgments to our interlocutors, since we are not always satisfied with the actions and statements of our environment. The general and business ethics of criticism of someone contains similar rules, which, in turn, are based on the main norms of ethical relationships.

So, almost all areas of business ethics have rules applicable to the ethics of conduct in a broad sense. In addition, without exception, all areas of business ethics are based on the fundamental norms of ethics. These include respect for the self-esteem and personal status of another person, understanding the interests and motives of the behavior of others, social responsibility for their psychological security, etc.

Basic principles of business ethics

business ethics image

Business Ethics Principles- a generalized expression of moral requirements developed in the moral consciousness of society, which indicate the necessary behavior of participants in business relations.

Modern business ethics, according to many scholars, should be based on three key principles:

1) the creation of material values ​​in all the variety of forms is considered as an initially important process;

2) profit and other incomes are considered as the result of achieving various socially significant goals;

3) priority in resolving problems that arise in the business world should be given to the interests of interpersonal relations, and not to production.

In the work of the American sociologist L. Hosmsra, modern ethical principles of business behavior are formulated, based on the axioms of world philosophical thought, which have been tested by theory and practice for centuries. There are ten such principles and, accordingly, axioms:

Never do something that is not in your or your company's long-term interests (the principle is based on the teachings of the ancient Greek philosophers, in particular Protagoras, about personal interests combined with the interests of other people, and the difference between long-term and short-term interests).

Never do something that cannot be said to be truly honest, open and true, which could be proudly announced to the whole country in the press and on television (the principle is based on the views of Aristotle and Plato on personal virtues - honesty , openness, moderation, etc.).

Never do something that is not good, that does not contribute to the formation of a sense of elbow, as we all work for one common goal (the principle is based on the commandments of world religions (St. Augustine), calling for goodness and compassion).

Any professional communication should proceed in accordance with professional ethical norms and standards, the mastery of which depends on a number of factors. They can be grouped into two groups:

first group - a complex of ethical ideas, norms, assessments that a person has from birth, an idea of ​​what is good and what is evil - i.e. own ethical code, with which a person lives and works, no matter what position he holds and no matter what work he performs;

second group - those norms and standards introduced from the outside: the internal regulations of the organization, the code of ethics of the company, oral instructions from the management, the professional code of ethics.

Principles- these are abstract, generalized ideas that enable those who rely on them to correctly form their behavior, their actions, their attitude to something.

Generally accepted is the central position of the so-called gold standard: "Within the framework of your official position, never allow in relation to your subordinates, to management, to colleagues of your official level, to clients, etc. such actions that you would not want to see in relation to yourself."

Second principle: fairness is needed in providing employees with the resources necessary for their official activities.

Third principle requires mandatory correction of an ethical violation, regardless of when and by whom it was committed.

According to the fourth principle, called the principle of maximum progress, the official behavior and actions of an employee are recognized as ethical if they contribute to the development of the organization (or its divisions) from a moral point of view.

The logical continuation of the fourth principle is the fifth is the principle of minimum progress, according to which the actions of an employee or organization as a whole are ethical, if they at least do not violate ethical standards.

Essence sixth principle in the following: ethical is the tolerant attitude of the employees of the organization to the moral principles, traditions, etc. that take place in other organizations, regions, countries.

According to eighth principle individual and collective principles are equally recognized as the basis for the development and decision-making in business relations.

Ninth principle reminds you that you should not be afraid to have your own opinion when solving any official issues. However, nonconformism as a personality trait should be manifested within reasonable limits.

Tenth principle– no violence, i.e. "pressure" on subordinates, expressed in various forms, for example, in an orderly, command manner of conducting an official conversation.

Eleventh principle - the constancy of the impact, expressed in the fact that ethical standards can be introduced into the life of the organization not by a one-time order, but only with the help of ongoing efforts on the part of both the manager and ordinary employees.

Twelfth Principle- when exposed (on a team, on an individual employee, on a consumer, etc.), take into account the strength of possible counteraction. The fact is that, recognizing the value and necessity of ethical standards in theory, many employees, faced with them in practical daily work, for one reason or another, begin to oppose them.

Thirteenth Principle consists in the expediency of advancing with trust - to the employee's sense of responsibility, to his competence, to a sense of duty, etc.

Fourteenth Principle strongly recommends striving for non-conflict. Although conflict in the business sphere has not only dysfunctional, but also functional consequences, nevertheless, conflict is a fertile ground for ethical violations.

Fifteenth Principle- freedom that does not restrict the freedom of others; usually this principle, although in an implicit form, is due to job descriptions.

Sixteenth Principle can be called the principle of promotion: the employee must not only act ethically himself, but also contribute to the same behavior of his colleagues.

Seventeenth Principle says: do not criticize a competitor. This refers not only to a competing organization, but also to an "internal competitor" - a team of another department, a colleague in which one can "see" a competitor.

Business Etiquette

An important component of business relations is business etiquette.

The word "etiquette" means the established order of behavior in a particular social sphere: court, diplomatic, military, high society etiquette, church, sports, scientific communities; in the field of entrepreneurship and management - business etiquette. Etiquette is a system of detailed rules of courtesy, including forms of acquaintance, greetings and farewells, expressions of gratitude and sympathy, culture of speech and the ability to conduct a conversation, rules of conduct at the table, congratulations, gifts, etc. All situations in business etiquette are supplemented by the rules of conduct when applying for a job and changing jobs, the rules for treating the boss with his subordinates, the rules for talking on the office phone, business correspondence, office interior design, the relationship of men and women in the process of business communication.

The rules of business etiquette are generally accepted in international business communication, although they also have some national and corporate features.

Six basic commandments of business etiquette, formulated by the American researcher, sociologist, propagandist of the rules of courtesy in business communication, Jen Yager.

1. Do everything on time!

Being late not only interferes with work, but is also the first sign that a person cannot be relied upon.

2. Don't talk too much!

The point of this principle is that you must keep the secrets of a corporation, institution, or particular transaction as carefully as you would your personal secrets.

Never tell anyone what you have to hear from a co-worker, supervisor or subordinate about their personal life.

3. Be kind, friendly and welcoming!

Your clients, customers, buyers, colleagues or subordinates can find fault with you as much as they like, it doesn’t matter: all the same, you must behave with them politely, affably and kindly.

It has long been noticed that if we show a sincere interest in a person, in his spiritual world, then we develop our spiritual beginning. Communication with an interesting, cultured, educated person involuntarily raises the interlocutor in his own eyes.

5. Dress appropriately!

You must look your very best, i.e. dress with taste, match colors to the face, carefully select accessories: from shoes to ties.

6. Speak and write correctly!

This means that everything spoken, as well as written by you, whether it be internal notes or any letters sent outside the firm to anyone, must be stated in good language, and all proper names must be transmitted without errors. Make sure you never use swear words.

Taking into account the specifics of the activities of aviation enterprises, in addition to observing the above principles of ethics in business relations and the rules of business etiquette, it is of great importance for an employee to master the rules of a culture of behavior, the basics of service psychology.

To provide effective service to an employee under any conditions, a differentiated approach to passengers is necessary. He must be able to understand the mood of people, predict behavior and reactions in order to choose the most appropriate communication tactics in a particular situation, especially in conflict situations.

On the other hand, a service worker needs to be able to manage his psychological state, develop endurance and self-control, regardless of his own mood and personal experiences.

There is a certain model that facilitates the establishment of contact in any, even seemingly impasse. This requires the following:

- feel the state of your interlocutor,

- try to say something soothing to him,

- put him in front of you

- recognize the difficulty of the situation

-take some of the blame

- propose a constructive solution,

Try to prove that the situation is solvable, do not reproach him, express gratitude for the fact that he went to meet you halfway and helped to resolve the conflict. It is very important that the leader, even in difficult, sometimes conflict situations, be polite and correct in relation to the interlocutor.

The essence of business ethics

Ethics in a broad sense is understood as a system of universal and specific moral requirements and norms of behavior implemented in the process of social life. Accordingly, the ethics of business relations singles out one of the spheres of public life.

Ethics of business relations has recently received more and more attention. Employers pay more and more attention to the issues of ethics of business and personal relationships in the selection of personnel and their hiring, as well as in the process of direct performance by employees of their professional role. Compliance with the ethics of business relations is one of the main criteria for assessing professionalism as an individual employee, the organization as a whole.

Ethics includes a system of specific areas, moral requirements and norms, behavior, i.e. the ethics of business relations is based on the general rules of conduct developed by people in the process of joint life.

To establish a pleasant and useful business relationship, you must be able to interest a person with your clear and at the same time figurative statements, attention to the essence of the issue. Achieving the result of the conversation, and in a respectful manner, is an important condition, both in everyday life and in business situations.

Almost all areas of business ethics have rules that apply to the ethics of conduct in a broad sense. In addition, without exception, all areas of business ethics are based on the fundamental norms of ethics.

Basic principles of business ethics

The principles of business ethics are a generalized expression of the requirements developed in the moral consciousness of society, which indicate the necessary behavior of business relations,

In the work of the American sociologist L. Hosmer, the ethical principles of business behavior are formulated more modernly, based on the axioms of world philosophical thought, which have been tested by theory and practice for centuries. There are ten such principles and, accordingly, axioms:

1. Never do anything that is not in your or your company's long-term interests.

Never do anything that cannot be said to be really honest, open and true, which could be proudly announced to the whole country in the press and on television.

Never do something that is not good, that does not contribute to the formation of a sense of comradeship, since we are all working towards one common goal.

Never do anything that breaks the law, because the law represents the minimum moral standards of society.

5. Never do anything that does not lead to greater good than harm to the society in which you live.

6. Never do what you would not like to recommend to others who find themselves in a similar situation.

7. Never do anything that infringes on the established rights of others.

8. Always act in a way that maximizes profit within the limits of the law, the requirements of the market and with full consideration of costs. For the maximum profit under these conditions testifies to the greatest efficiency of production.

9. Never do anything that might hurt the weakest in our society.

10. Never do anything that interferes with another person's right to self-development and self-realization.

In modern conditions, the key ethical problems of business relations arise in the following areas:

relationships between organizations;

relations between organizations and the state;

relations between producer organizations and consumers;

relations between organizations and owners (investors);

relationships between organizations and local communities;

relationships between organizations and the environment.

Managers and employees who face such problems cannot follow only what they have learned about morality in their families, from teachers, in the church, etc., in order to solve them. Often, immoral decisions are made and impartial acts are committed by people who are extremely honest. and have the best intentions. Modern business relationships are extremely saturated with ethical issues. To solve them, it is necessary to develop certain approaches, establish "rules of the game" that contribute to the successful fulfillment of professional tasks by participants in business relations and the coordination of the interests of the business sphere and society.

Communicative culture in business communication

Communicative culture is knowledge, skills in the field of organizing interaction between people and the actual interaction in the business sphere, allowing you to establish psychological contact with business partners, achieve accurate perception and understanding in the process of communication, predict the behavior of business partners, direct the behavior of business partners to the desired result .

The communicative culture is based on generally accepted moral requirements for communication, inextricably linked with the recognition of the uniqueness, the values ​​of each person: politeness, correctness, tact, modesty, accuracy, courtesy.

The main indicators of the culture of speech in business communication include:

Vocabulary

Vocabulary

Pronunciation

Grammar

Stylistics

At the end of this paper, the following conclusions can be drawn:

1. Ethics of business communication is the doctrine of the manifestation of morality and morality in business communication, relationships between business partners.

2. The Core Business Principles provide the individual employee in any organization with an ethical platform for decisions, actions, actions, interactions, etc.

3. The principles of business ethics serve as the basis for the development by each employee of any company of his own personal ethical system.

4. The culture of oral and written speech is often the core of professional ethics. Its important indicators are communication style, functional literacy.

Society at all times distinguished between the concepts of good and evil, i.e. had a certain morality. Ethics is concerned with the history of the development of the distinction between these concepts.

At the center of ethics is morality, i.e. system of moral relations, motives of action, feelings and consciousness. These systems define the “framework” boundaries of relations, actions and interactions of people in society. The specific content of these systems (ethical norms, standards, rules, requirements) depends on the historical stage of the development of society, i.e. on how the society of this historical period understands the categories of good and evil, what is the interpretation of the highest good. The essence of the highest good can be political, economic, social, religious and other concepts, each of which can have a different form: for example, in the political sphere - capitalist morality, bourgeois morality; in the economic sphere - the morality of the social market economy.

The study of the historical development of morality, which is at the center of ethics, shows that in different historical periods society had differences in the way of thinking, in ideas about the world, in systems of spiritual values.

Today, Russian society is characterized by new requirements for the individual, for his morality, for his behavior and actions.

The role of ethics as a science in the present period being experienced by modern Russian society is great; it must analyze the moral state of society, indicate the causes that caused this state, propose solutions that would help to renew the moral guidelines of society.

Distinguish between universal ethics (it is also called universal) and professional ethics.

Professional ethics develops norms, standards, requirements specific to certain types of activities. Thus, professional ethics is a code of conduct, a prescribed type of relationship that seems to be the best from the point of view of employees fulfilling their official duties in a particular professional area (in the production of products, in the provision of services, etc.).

Any professional communication should proceed in accordance with professional ethical norms and standards, the mastery of which depends on a number of factors. They can be grouped into two groups:

• first group- a complex of ethical ideas, norms, assessments that a person has from birth, an idea of ​​what is good and what is evil - i.e. own ethical code, with which a person lives and works, no matter what position he holds and no matter what work he performs;
• second group- those norms and standards introduced from the outside: the internal regulations of the organization, the code of ethics of the company, oral instructions from the management, the professional code of ethics.

It is good if one's own ideas about what is ethical and what is unethical coincide with professional ethical standards introduced from outside, because if such a coincidence is absent - in whole or in part, then problems of greater or lesser degree of difficulty may arise in understanding, mastering and practical application of ethical principles. rules that are not included in the complex of personal moral ideas.

Business ethics is professional ethics that regulates the system of relations between people in the field of business.

Consider the principles, norms, requirements that form the basis of the ethics of business relations.

Principles are abstract, generalized ideas that enable those who rely on them to correctly shape their behavior, their actions, their attitude to something.

In relation to the principles of business ethics, the above is formulated as follows: principles of business ethics, i.e. professional ethics, give a particular employee in any organization a conceptual ethical platform for decisions, actions, actions, interactions, etc.

There is no disagreement among business theorists and practitioners on the scale of the global economy as to which principle should open the list of ethical principles and norms, both for the subjects of ethics - individual employees, and for the collective carriers of ethical principles - organizations.

The central position of the so-called gold standard is generally accepted: actions that you would not want to see in relation to yourself.

Second principle: fairness is needed when providing employees with the resources necessary for their official activities (cash, raw materials, material, etc.).

Third principle requires mandatory correction of an ethical violation, regardless of when and by whom it was committed.

According to fourth principle, called the principle of maximum progress, the official behavior and actions of an employee are recognized as ethical if they contribute to the development of the organization (or its divisions) from a moral point of view.

The logical continuation of the fourth principle is fifth principle minimum progress, according to which the actions of an employee or organization as a whole are ethical, if they at least do not violate ethical standards.

Essence sixth principle in the following: ethical is the tolerant attitude of the employees of the organization to the moral principles, traditions, etc. that take place in other organizations, regions, countries.

According to eighth principle individual and collective principles are equally recognized as the basis for the development and decision-making in business relations.

The ninth principle reminds us that we should not be afraid to have our own opinion when solving any official issues. However, nonconformism as a personality trait should be manifested within reasonable limits.

Tenth principle- no violence, i.e. “pressure” on subordinates, expressed in various forms, for example, in an orderly, command manner of conducting an official conversation.

Eleventh principle- constancy of impact, expressed in the fact that ethical standards can be implemented in the life of the organization not by a one-time order, but only with the help of ongoing efforts on the part of both the manager and ordinary employees.

Twelfth Principle- when exposed (on a team, on an individual employee, on a consumer, etc.), take into account the strength of possible counteraction. The fact is that, recognizing the value and necessity of ethical standards in theory, many employees, faced with them in practical daily work, for one reason or another, begin to oppose them.

Thirteenth Principle consists in the advisability of advancing with trust - to the employee's sense of responsibility, to his competence, to a sense of duty, etc.

Fourteenth Principle strongly recommends striving for non-conflict. Although the conflict in the business sphere has not only dysfunctional, but also functional consequences, nevertheless, conflict is a fertile ground for ethical violations.

Fifteenth Principle- freedom that does not restrict the freedom of others; usually this principle, although in an implicit form, is due to job descriptions.

Sixteenth Principle can be called the principle of promotion: the employee must not only act ethically himself, but also contribute to the same behavior of his colleagues.

Seventeenth Principle says: do not criticize a competitor. This refers not only to a competing organization, but also to an “internal competitor” - a team of another department, a colleague in which one can “see” a competitor.

Here are the basic principles of business ethics; the list of them can be continued, taking into account the specifics of the activities of a particular organization.

The principles of business ethics should serve as the basis for the development of each employee of any company of his own personal ethical system.

Personal ethical standards should be based on the ethical principles inherent in a given level of social development.

The work of ethical commissions of corporations should be based on the same ethical principles. The content of ethical codes of firms also originates from the principles of ethics.

Review questions

1. What is the essence of business ethics?
2. How are universal and professional ethics related?
3. What are the objectives of professional business ethics?
4. What factors, under the influence of which a complex of ethical norms and ideas of each person is formed, can be considered permanent and which are temporary?
5. What are the principles that operate in the sphere of modern business relations.
6. How does the social environment (culture, politics, scientific and technological progress, demography, features of historical development) influence the formation of the principles of business ethics?
7. What are the directions for further development of ethical requirements in the business sphere?