One discussion and 2 replies

 
Role of Ethics & Professional life
What is the role of ethics in your work life?  Define and examine.
Submission Instructions:

Your initial post should be at least 200 words, formatted and cited in proper APA style with support from at least 2 academic sources. Your initial post is worth 8 points.
You should respond to at least two of your peers by extending, refuting or correcting, or adding additional nuance to their posts. Your reply posts are worth 2 points (1 point per response.) 
All replies must be constructive and use literature where possible.

Post by classmate 1
 
Analyzing the role that ethics has in my work life has been very self-reflective. I am an interior photographer that predominantly shoots residential and commercial properties for real estate agents, staging companies, and even construction companies. Since I provide a service, I have to continually assure myself I am shooting the best photo possible for my clients and being an ethical boss to my employees. Owning my own business provides me daily ethical challenges that I face, especially employing two people to assist me with my clients.
As a business owner that has employees, I am entirely aware that employees have their rights. Firing an employee without a good cause or a fair hearing is unethical, unfair, and known as unjust dismissal (Boatright & Smith, 2017). Since I never want my employees to feel tied down to their position, I hire them as at-will employees. Employees at will means that an employer may terminate an employee at any time for a reason, and the employee themselves had the power to leave the position anytime they want as well (Boatright & Smith, 2017). It would be unethical for me to have the ability to terminate any of my employees without a cause and not allowing them to have the same power to leave whenever they would like. Businesses need to create differentiated policies that can better stand up to ethical decisions making when it comes to termination of employment (Wagoner, 2019). I feel as though that employment at will benefits both myself and my employees. I want to be as fair and open with my employees on a professional level, but I also have high ethical standards for myself as a business owner and for my employees to make the right decisions.
References
Boatright, J. R., & Smith, J. D. (2017). Ethics and the conduct of business. Pearson.
Wagoner, R. L. (2019). Ethics of Employment: The New Adjunct Majority. New Directions for Community Colleges,2019(185), 89-96. doi:10.1002/cc.20341
 

Post by classmate 2
 
I believe that the actions that I make, the thoughts that I have in my mind as well as the consequences that  I think of when pursuing various objectives at my workplace do not only impact me but also my colleagues and the organization to some extent. I value an ethical workplace as when everyone acts ethically with each other, the workplace becomes a better place for everyone. Everyone becomes more motivated to come to work and the company gets more loyal workers.  I believe that ethics is one of the most essential things that reflect on my personality. However, an unethical workplace is not conducive for a good work-life; key employees end up quitting to search for a more ethical workplace. In a previous company, my colleague had to quit after a fellow employee abused her severally based on her ethnicity. The company overlooked the issue deeming it unimportant but it ended up losing a top-performing employee as she was excellent at her job.
According to (Boatright & Smith, 2017), workplace ethics is essential to enhancing increased employee productivity as it helps align the values of employees with those of the business. To achieve this alignment, a company must promote a culture of integrity as well as openness. Therefore, ethics are valuable in that they promote the establishment of ideal workplace culture. Ethics enables employees to make better decisions that enhance their productivity and morale.
I believe that when my colleagues and I work in a manner that is based on integrity and honesty, the whole company benefits. Usually, I perform my roles at a high level when I am working in an environment that promotes ethics. I also value an ethical workplace because it helps strengthen my bonds with other employees (both my peers and my seniors). When everyone acts ethically, there is little if any attrition among employees as they treat each other cordially.
Reference
Boatright, J. R., & Smith, J. D. (2017). Ethics and the conduct of business. Pearson.