Moral behavior is a set of actions, actions of people that meet the norms of morality, consciousness, order, formed in society, or towards which it is directed.

In the process of entrepreneurial and management activities There are cases of deviation from social norms, that is, unethical behavior, it can be caused by various factors:

1. competition;

2. the desire for large profits;

3. inept incentives for managers for ethical behavior;

4. underestimation of ethical standards in society;

5. an attempt to achieve the goal and realize the mission of the organization at any cost;

6. unethical behavior of partners;

7. conflict, stressful situations in the organization;

8. unsuccessful selection and inept application of leadership styles;

9. complex system development and decision-making in the organization.

To ensure ethical behavior modern management proposes the following measures:

Introduction of ethical standards that reflect a system of common values, public preferences, and rules of conduct for employees of the organization;

Establishment of ethics committees;

The use of incentive mechanisms that counteracted unethical behavior and actions;

Conducting social audits to determine impact social factors to the organization;

Organization of ethical behavior training for managers and all personnel:

Constantly informing employees about cases of highly ethical behavior;

Conducting meetings, conferences, symposiums, etc. on problems of ethical behavior.

The established moral norms are the result of a long-term process of establishing relationships between people. Without observing these norms, political, economic, and cultural relations are impossible, because one cannot exist without respecting each other, without imposing certain restrictions on oneself.

When faced with the problem of ethical choice, managers tend to rely on a normative point of view, that is, certain norms and values in accordance with which decisions are made.

In normative ethics, there are several approaches to describing value systems and, accordingly, accepting ethically difficult decisions that can be applied in management practice: utilitarian approach, individualistic approach, moral and legal approach, concept of justice.

Utilitarian approach. The basic principles of the utilitarian approach are based on the fact that moral behavior brings the greatest benefit. the largest number of people. The decision maker must consider the impact of each option on all stakeholders and choose the option that brings pleasure to the greatest number of people.

Individualistic approach. Assumes that a person's actions are morally acceptable if they benefit her in the long run. Self-control is considered the main driving force, and all external forces, it is limited and must be stopped. Each person chooses the most profitable solution for himself in the long term, on the basis of which he judges the quality of his decisions. Individualism comes down to behavior that is beneficial to other people, that is, a person’s actions begin to correspond to the norms desired by society. One of the features of this approach is that it assumes (if they are necessary) the actions of the individual aimed at acquiring personal short-term benefits, which do not necessarily correspond to social norms.

Moral and legal approach. The moral-legal approach asserts that a person is initially endowed with fundamental rights and freedoms that cannot be violated or limited by the decisions of other people. The following moral rights may be taken into account in the decision-making process:

1. The right to freedom of consent.

2. Right to privacy.

3. The right to freedom of conscience.

4. Right to proper treatment.

5. Right to life and safety.

Justice concept. There is distributive justice (equal to equal), procedural justice (compliance with rules), compensatory justice (compensation for damage).

In the global economy, there are seven main mechanisms through which norms can be put into practice. These include:

1) codes of ethics;

2) ethics committees;

3) training;

4) social audits;

5) legal committees;

6) services that consider citizens’ claims on ethical issues;

7) changes in corporate structure.

The most commonly used mechanism is the code of ethics. It is developed by a specially created body - a committee, commission, etc. About 90% of foreign companies implemented ethical principles through such codes. They can be developed for the company as a whole and contain ethical rules common to all.

In the global economy, many companies are now creating departments or hiring individuals to develop ethical codes: efforts are being made to familiarize managers with the provisions of these codes; A system of incentives for managers is also being created, provided that they take into account ethical issues when making decisions and that their official behavior complies with the ethical standards recorded in the codes.

When monitoring the official actions of employees, companies use lie detector tests, drug tests, etc.

More productive, according to managers of many companies and their owners, is the way to hire graduates educational institutions, where there was a large and extensive program for teaching the basics of ethics. In this case, ethical standards are laid down in the consciousness (and subconscious) of the future employee as part of a worldview complex and, one might even say, as unshakable axioms, are not subject to appeal. Then the cumbersome and expensive system for developing company codes and training employees in ethical standards for monitoring compliance with ethical requirements turns out to be largely unnecessary.

Unethical behavior means implementing a different value system than the prevailing one in society. For example, in a society where the most important value is the human person, it would be unethical to give preference to profit: for example, to fire an employee who has been working for a long time at a company, since his work can be more efficiently performed by an automatic machine or computer. On the contrary, in a group where material well-being is the leading value, such behavior is the only possible and completely ethical one.

It is generally accepted that the following are considered unethical behavior options: ?

bribes, ?

extortion, ?

expensive gifts, ?

payment to an accomplice of a share of illegally obtained money, ?

conflict due to a clash of interests, ?

violation of laws?

fraud, ?

disclosure of company secrets, ?

use of information obtained in confidential conversations from members of the “in-group”?

illegal payments to political organizations for the purpose of passing beneficial legislation, ?

forgery of documents?

fictitious transactions and operations, ?

unreliable financial statements, ?

tax evasion, ?

application moral damage, damage to business reputation, ?

artificially inflating prices?

secret agreements on prices and/or quantities of products sold, ?

violation of ecology, social standards, ?

unlawful use of other people's trademarks, false certificates, ?

low quality of products, especially in matters of safety.

Ethical behavior of employees

1. Careful attitude towards company property.

2. Consensus of various interests.

3. Ethics of external business connections, including working with government agencies.

4. Ethics in relations with consumers, partners and competitors.

5. Ethics of choice in sensitive situations. For example, keep it secret out of patriotism for the company or reveal facts of violations.

Rules of international business etiquette

1. Rules of greeting, address, introduction.

2. Rules business contacts: meetings, receptions, negotiations, business correspondence and etc.

5. Ethical standards of material relations: rules for the exchange of gifts and souvenirs; problems of tips and other rewards, etc.

Compliance with the rules of international business etiquette is one of the most important conditions company success. Any deviations or liberties can damage the reputation of the company, which will certainly negatively affect its economic activity.

American business and management researcher Peter Kostenbaum published a book with the eloquent title: “The Heart of Business: Ethics, Power, Philosophy.” He convincingly showed how non-economic factors can influence the economy of a company. Kostenbaum deduced components of the company's long-term success:

1. Profit must not only be legal, but also honest, obtained through labor and talent.

2. Employees must be moral, patriotic towards the company and respectful to each other.

3. Products and services must be of high quality and offered at a realistic price.

4. The prestige of the company must be well-deserved, the reputation adequate, the image of top managers consistent with their business and personal qualities.

So ethics international business– this is not a tribute to fashion. It is not only a socially significant phenomenon, but also an indispensable condition for economic success.

In the international understanding Social responsibility(CO) of a company is interpreted as a voluntary contribution of business to the development of society in the social, economic and environmental spheres, directly related to the main activities of the company and going beyond the minimum required by law.

Thus, the scope of the company’s SO includes management of the company’s activities in the field of:

· ecology,

· industrial safety And labor protection,

· personnel development,

· external social activities,

· the company’s relationship with all groups of stakeholders (persons interested in the financial and other results of the company’s activities).

A company’s social responsibility is the level of an organization’s voluntary response to social problems society.

Unlike what is common in Central and Eastern Europe(especially in developing countries) misconceptions that company SR is sponsorship, charity or social branding, leading international organizations define company SR as a strategic approach to business. That is, a company's CO is not an advertising, marketing or PR activity; it covers the entire company and determines how it does business, invests funds and builds relationships with partners.

What is social responsibility expressed in:

1. In relation to consumers. Consumers want to receive reliable goods and services from the corporation, reasonable prices, good service. Meeting consumer expectations is the social responsibility of corporations to consumers.

2. In relation to suppliers. All suppliers expect fair dealings with their counterparties and, of course, timely payments. This is many times more important for small suppliers, whose financial situation is such that they cannot tolerate payment delays due to the lack of reserve funds at these enterprises.

3. In relation to shareholders. Shareholders enter into a special relationship with the corporation as “suppliers” of risk capital. They provide the capital necessary for a corporation to emerge, develop, and grow. The corporation's social responsibility to shareholders is to ensure its profitability in order to enable them to receive such income that would make further investment in its activities attractive.

4. Towards employees(to staff). Employees expect more than just fair pay for their work. They are also concerned with factors such as equality of opportunity, health protection in the workplace, financial security, privacy, freedom of expression and an adequate quality of life. Indeed, practice shows that those employees who receive fair remuneration, are involved in the decision-making process, and feel comfortable (both physically and psychologically) at work work better.

5. In relation to the local population. The corporation does not exist in an “airless” space. It is surrounded by people for whom the location of the corporation is a haven of life, where they breathe air, live, raise children, etc. Corporations use the infrastructure created by these people and thereby ensure high profits for themselves. This is why local communities expect corporations to be directly involved in solving their problems. This concerns education, organization of transport, recreational conditions, healthcare system, problem solving environment and etc.

6. In relation to society as a whole. The activities of corporations are the object of close attention from various government agencies, political parties, mass media. Their timely and full payment of taxes makes it possible government agencies solve the social issues assigned to them. In the same time main responsibility corporations is their concern as employers and job creators about their own economic viability and the quality of the goods and services they produce.

In other words, social responsibility involves conducting business ethically with all corporate audience groups.

In many multinational corporations such as Toyota, Siemens, General Mills And Johnson & Johnson Special guidelines have been drawn up that describe in detail how company employees should deal with suppliers, customers, competitors and other participants in the business process. In other companies such as Philips, Nissan, Daewoo, Whirlpool And Hewlett-Packard, developed ethical codes Codes of ethics are written declarations of the values and ethical standards that guide a company's actions.

In multinational corporations, a decision must be made as to whether a single code should be developed for all of the corporation's worldwide divisions, or whether it would be more appropriate to develop a specific code for each division, taking into account local conditions. If a company is acquired overseas, the corporation must also make a decision about whether to impose a corporate code of ethics on the company or whether it is better to maintain the same ethical standards of behavior that the company followed previously. To be effective, a code of ethics must be clearly stated and free from ambiguity. In addition, this code should regulate the main components of ethical behavior relevant to the company's business environment and its commercial activities. The company should have a rule according to which those who make decisions on emerging problems must strictly follow the standards of conduct set forth in the code of ethics.

If we summarize the definitions of social responsibility of business (CSR) of more than 50 international organizations, social responsibility as an approach to business has the following set of characteristics:

· SOB is a voluntary choice of a company in an environment of increasing competition and decreasing trust in business;

· GSS goes beyond the legal obligations of businesses to pay taxes, create jobs and generate profits;

· GSS includes all members of the local community: business, media, government, non-governmental organizations, population, investors, etc.;

· Social security is not a way to solve society's problems at the expense of business, but a way to participate in the development of the environment in which business operates;

· SOB is an approach to sustainable development with a direct (usually long-term) impact on financial indicators companies.

With the right approach, a company’s SS contributes to its commercial success, distinguishing it favorably in a competitive environment.

Emerging markets are characterized by the following: areas of practical benefit CO:

Improving environmental processes – increased productivity and income, cost savings when using environmentally friendly and cleaning equipment.

Building a company's reputation – it’s no secret that business image today is not the last factor that allows an enterprise to maintain its competitiveness. Among the abundance of homogeneous goods, when the consumer satisfies not only physiological needs through the product, but also emotional, aesthetic, spiritual needs, he (the consumer), among many factors in the process of making a purchase decision, pays attention to social policy enterprises. Those. It's about increasing customer loyalty and trust.

Reduce litigation costs.

Human resources – reducing staff turnover, increasing employee engagement. People don't want to work for companies that don't make social responsibility a corporate policy priority.

Access to new markets – standardization according to international criteria (ISO, etc.).

Reducing pressure from inspection bodies. The publication of principles and policies regarding workers, the environment, and relations with suppliers provides an answer and government agencies, what is the company's approach to these issues. In fact, today, improved relations with authorities remain the main benefit acquired by the company as part of social responsibility programs.

Not all business opportunities of a joint venture company are listed above - there are many more.

A period of time

At all times, immoral behavior has been condemned in society. Therefore, it is necessary to be clearly aware of the difference and understand what it represents. Morality is a collection of behavioral rules in society. Moreover, it is worth noting that its norms vary in different cultures and nationalities. So, what is the norm for your family and culture, in another country becomes an indicator of immorality and, accordingly, vice versa.

Deviant behavior

Immoral behavior is a subgroup in the classification of deviant. Often these two concepts are confused and replaced with one another, which is naturally a mistake. To understand the meaning of “immoral,” one must understand the concept and classification of deviant behavior.

Deviant behavior is a person’s actions that do not correspond to the norm, that is, non-standard.

Deviant behavior can be divided into two groups:

Human actions that deviate from the norm due to mental disorders. This group includes people suffering from psychopathic illnesses. The so-called category of mentally abnormal. This group also includes people with mental disorders, but within normal limits.
Human actions that deviate from accepted norms of morality and morality, that is, immoral behavior. This type deviant behavior finds expression in crimes and misdeeds. In most cases, individuals who are characterized by immoral acts are subject to administrative and criminal liability after committing them. In case of minor violations of moral standards, social and medical workers are forced to work with the person.

Concept

Immoral behavior is a person’s violation of moral principles through actions. Morality is a kind of requirements for the people around you and yourself, which are considered correct during interaction. However, it is worth noting that the concept of morality is quite vague. Since, for example, for one person obscene language is considered the norm, but for another it is outrageous and immoral.

Example of differences in different cultures- the concept of adultery here and in Japan. Married man who regularly cheats on his wife with different women, causes us only negative emotions and indignation. In Japan it's the opposite. The husband has the right to come home in a state of alcoholic intoxication, in the company of geishas, and the wife will not only not cause a scandal, but will also thank the priestesses of love for accompanying her and delivering her beloved to the family hearth. In Japan, the status of the head and breadwinner of the family is extremely high.

Japan has a favorable attitude towards same-sex marriage, which cannot be seen in European countries. The reason for this is the cult of the samurai, who, due to their duty of service, are obliged to renounce family ties. Therefore, it is believed that they were the ones who favored the development of homosexuality.

Forms of behavior contrary to morality

Immoral human behavior has the following main forms:

Addiction.
Substance abuse.
Prostitution.
Law violation.
Alcoholism.
Suicide.
Use of obscene language.
Insults.

Immoral behavior: reasons

Three main reasons for immoral behavior:

Inequality on the social ladder. Income mainly influences the upbringing and behavior of an individual. The less money a person earns, the greater the likelihood of his degradation. Due to disappointment with the level of his life, he tries with the help of alcohol or narcotic substances escape from reality. Poverty is a psychologically difficult experience.
Level of education. A person, due to ignorance, may simply not know about the rules of morality and ethics. In a society, traditions, norms and rules must be passed on from generation to generation. Parents need to make it clear to their child from childhood what can be done and what is contrary to universal human values and statutes.
Environment. Undoubtedly, this reason is one of the fundamental ones. In many ways, a person’s actions and thoughts depend on what and who surrounds him every day. Close people have the greatest influence: family, friends, classmates, colleagues. If a person is often surrounded by individuals with immoral behavior, and he sees nothing except them, then for him this becomes the norm. In such cases, to eradicate immoral acts, sociologists work with groups of people, and not with one specific guilty person.

Conduct and law

As mentioned earlier, immoral behavior is often punishable by law. The punishment facing a person for actions contrary to morality ranges from a fine to a prison term.

There is a concept of “immoral behavior of the victim.” That is, when the person against whom the crime was committed behaved inappropriately and provoked another individual to commit an offense. IN in this case the anti-moral actions of the victim become a mitigating circumstance for the offender.

Most violations of ethical behavior by journalists can be seen during pre-election periods.

It is during election campaigns that journalists “denigrate” some candidates and ennoble others; not only unethical, but even tactless questions often “slip” into interviews, but the main principles in the work of a journalist are honesty, respect for the honor and dignity of people.

Thus, let us consider examples of unethical behavior of journalists during the 2004 election campaign for the post of mayor of Novosibirsk and 2003 for the post of governor of Novosibirsk.

Below is an article written by Khabatulina A. during the 2003 election campaign.

“In mid-November 1999, in the midst of the election campaign for the election of the head of the administration of the Novosibirsk region, the headquarters of the mayor of Novosibirsk Viktor Tolokonsky presented to the public an ingenious election trick - the Social Code of the Russian Federation. Or rather, the initiative to create it. Here are excerpts from newspaper articles from that time.

“According to V. Tolokonsky, the Social Code should systematize and “set out in the most concentrated form all legislative norms regulating the pension and social security of the country’s citizens.” The main attention should be paid to such a category as the “living wage”, and bringing the value of the living wage into line with minimum size wages and pensions."

There were also skeptical statements about the reality of the election “trick”.

“Red Corner” dated December 14, 99 “this week the first stage of the development and preparation of a document ends, which has every chance of becoming the second most important after the Constitution of Russia.

Tolokonsky’s election idea, according to this leaflet, “received the support of the country’s leading economists, heads of administration of the largest cities in Russia, many governors and politicians.” Just like that! And Tolokonsky, fluffing his peacock tail, modestly said: “It seems to me that it (the code) will be of interest to everyone - the authorities, deputies, and the population. And it will simply be beneficial for politicians. And if someone takes credit for it, we will not be offended. The main thing is that the problems are solved.” And he asserted: “It will be possible to adopt the final version of the Social Code as early as next year (2000). A year is a normal period"

To ensure that deeds do not lag behind words, Tolokonsky ordered the immediate creation of a working group to prepare a draft Social Code.”

“The elections were held, and the idea of the Social Code was happily given a long life. And on the eve of the current elections, Tolokonsky is already presenting new global ideas as a done deal - to raise, multiply, provide, etc. and so on. If you want care for the disabled, it will be there. If you want help for pensioners - yes, please! Raise science? Should we debug production? No problem, sir! The newly minted gubernatorial candidate finds a fresh way to flirt with voters - he shamelessly takes as a basis someone else’s work on the regional law on veterans (which was presented by communist deputies of the regional council several years ago and was successfully rejected by Governor Tolokonsky) and passes it off as a personally labored-out bill. But, rest assured, the matter is unlikely to move beyond projects - the bluff with the social code confirms this.

Noodles instant cooking entitled “Social Code” has not yet fallen from our ears, and he hangs a new one on us. And yet there are simpletons who believe again!

“Ah, it’s not difficult to deceive me -

I’m happy to be deceived myself!”

But few people read or honor Pushkin these days. Therefore, prepare your ears, dear Novosibirsk residents! Because your “social protector” has stolen little from your budget, he has not only put noodles on you, but also many billions of debts, for which we will all have to pay off soon!”

Here you can see a clear failure of the journalist to comply with ethical standards. The article openly presents Tolokonsky as a liar, and clearly reflects the journalist’s negative attitude towards the governor of the Novosibirsk Region, and this is unacceptable in the work of a journalist. The journalist shows his subjective opinion, which may be erroneous. And this is a violation of the journalistic code of ethics.

“In the circles of the Novosibirsk elite, Viktor Tolokonsky has always had a reputation as a “politician.” His former deputy and now mayor, Vladimir Gorodetsky, has earned an equally well-established reputation as a “business executive.” Even the characters of Novosibirsk leaders match this distribution of roles. The governor regularly allows himself to sing to the orchestra in the square with a large crowd of people. Mayor for a long time underestimated the importance of personal PR, which turned into problems for him in the last elections...”

“In general, the 2003-2004 election cycle. proved the strength of the Novosibirsk political model. And the fact that Gorodetsky was again obliged to the “senior partner” for his election once again confirms that in the future he is unlikely to prefer the risk of pursuing independence to the dependent but stable position of “a man of Tolokonsky’s team.”

“But there is one intrigue left for the future. Governor Tolokonsky is currently limited to two terms in power, Mayor Gorodetsky is not. And sooner or later, Viktor Tolokonsky will face the question of a successor - now in the governor’s chair.”

Here you can see how the author of the article shows his negative attitude towards V.F. Gorodetsky, demonstrating his inconsistency and lack of independence. The journalist shows that Gorodetsky is Tolokonsky’s successor and on his own cannot do anything useful for the people. The opinion of the media, as is known, has a very strong influence on the consciousness and final choice of people. This article was published after the elections, and having been read by voters the day before, it could have swayed the opinion of more than one hundred Novosibirsk residents. But a journalist must be objective; this is the basis of his ethical behavior.

Results of the elections for the mayor of Novosibirsk on March 14, 2004: 42% of voters voted for Vladimir Gorodetsky, 24% for Yakov London, 14% for Sergei Kibirev. Second round, March 28, 2004: for Vladimir Gorodetsky - 58.9%, for Yakov London - 28.9%.

Here is an excerpt from another article: “The mayor has learned well the lesson taught to him during the election campaign. It's about, of course, not about urban problems and management mistakes, but about the issue of forming a political image. At his first press conference after the election, Vladimir Gorodetsky admitted: “My own sin is that I used to be so inclined - do things, repair entrances and roads, and people will see and appreciate it. But we need to help people appreciate it.” Now the mayor is thinking about creating his own municipal television. This will certainly not be the only step towards the realization of serious political resources that Vladimir Gorodetsky managed to accumulate. If until now the Novosibirsk region was dominated by one heavyweight politician - Governor Viktor Tolokonsky - now there are two centers of gravity. It is this new configuration that will influence the main political processes of the next four years.

The path for implementing the mayor's resources in the coming years is, in general, clear. Vladimir Gorodetsky needs to seek the election of a loyal city council and send his deputies to the regional council, so that in five years, having gained broad support, he can fight for the post of governor - for Viktor Tolokonsky, this is his last term as head of the regional administration. And although Tolokonsky and Gorodetsky emphasize that they belong to the same team, the rapid redistribution of spheres of influence between the two politicians in Novosibirsk can change the vectors of their interaction from a parallel course to a perpendicular one.”

Thus, we examined some examples of non-compliance with ethical standards by journalists using the example of articles published during the election campaigns. However, this is just a small part of what journalists do not respect in terms of ethics.

Ethical behavior of employees. Unethical Business Behavior

More on the topic of UNETHICAL BUSINESS CONDUCT: