Application of ethical principles to the area of business activities
The following
outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to business ethics:
Business ethics (also known as corporate ethics) is a form of
applied ethics or
professional ethics, that examines ethical principles and moral or ethical problems that can arise in a business environment. It applies to all aspects of business conduct and is relevant to the conduct of individuals and entire organizations. These ethics originate from individuals, organizational statements or the legal system. These norms, values, ethical, and unethical practices are the principles that guide a business.
What is business ethics?
Business ethics can be described as all of the following:
Branch of
philosophy – study of general and fundamental problems concerning matters such as existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language.
Branch of
philosophy of business – considers the fundamental principles that underlie the formation and operation of a business enterprise; the nature and purpose of a business, and the moral obligations that pertain to it.
Branch of
ethics – branch of philosophy that involves systematizing, defending, and recommending concepts of right and wrong conduct.
Branch of
applied ethics – branch of ethics concerned with the analysis of particular moral issues in private and public life.