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Any Code of Personal Ethics is Suborned and Compromised by the Motive of Profit.

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In an ideal world, maximized profits for the owners of a corporation or its shareholders would always be weighed in the balance against both the deontological and teleological ethical considerations of that decision.

Because the U.S. operates under a capitalist economic system, competition in a free market is the controlling basis for pricing, production, and distribution of goods and services.

While capitalism is not in and of itself a negative thing, it is vulnerable to – and arguably encourages or causes abuse and/or manipulation of our socio-economic system.

The abuse and/or manipulation occur when individuals operate outside of parameters of ethical consideration.

Abdicating or abandoning any sense of ethical or moral obligation results in de-humanizing individuals, groups of people, society, and humanity as a whole.

Abdication serves to mutate the role of humanity, rendering it a subject means to the object end of profitability and maximum return on investment.

Ideally, corporate executives and business leaders use their code of personal ethics to guide their business decision-making processes.

In practice, this rarely ever happens.

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Legal Versus Ethical

Manipulation of loopholes in existing laws is a classic example of what happens when business decisions are devoid of a code of personal ethics.

For example, cigarette smoking is one of the most addictive and deadly practices in the world.

Its deleterious and even fatal effects are well-documented, and vast quantities of time and money are spent educating the American public about its dangers as well as smoking cessation products and techniques.

State and Federal laws are quite explicit about the sales, distribution and marketing of tobacco products to non-adults.

Unfortunately, those same laws aren’t in place in all nations, so American tobacco companies have no qualms about marketing and selling tobacco products to children in other countries.

This practice breaks no state or federal laws, but is clearly devoid any sense of social responsibility in favor of maximizing profitability and creating a self-sustaining and self-perpetuating market for a product.

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Corporate Ethical Policy

Differences in perception toward a code of personal ethics have caused many corporations to codify and formulate internal policies with respect to ethical practices.

These policies can range from very broad, generalized corporate ethics statements to extremely detailed specific behavioral requirements.

While they ostensibly enforce ethical behavior and treatment of employees and patrons alike, they are truthfully a prophylactic measure against corporate liability.

Ethics statements provide a defense mechanism against charges of alleged discrimination within the corporation or business by establishing a prohibition against such behavior.

This may provide the basis for a legal defense but does not in any way ensure compliance.

Many class action lawsuits have been filed and won, and large awards adjudicated despite corporate policies prohibiting perceived or actual unethical behavior.

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Origin of Ethical Beliefs

People develop their own code of personal ethics based upon a wide variety of sources and/or belief systems.

Virtually everybody acquires and develops their sense of right and wrong via their parents or parental influences.

Many people derive their sense of ethics based upon religious influence.

Some professions use historical reference for their basic code of ethical conduct. The teachings of Hippocrates give us the Hippocratic Oath.

While medical school graduates no longer take the oath upon graduation, the Hippocratic principle of “do no harm” is still invoked and embraced to this very day.

While it would be ideal for people to bring their own sense of personal moral and ethical behavior to the workplace, the pressures of competition and the world of corporate politics frequently conflicts with or diminishes those values.

In reducing or altering their own personal ethical belief system, people collectively have surrendered the sanctity of their humanity to the engulfing force of the power of profit.

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