An ethics program can refer to a degree program in philosophy, a company’s approach to ethics, or a government department’s policies and regulations. Courses in an MBA ethics program focus on corporate responsibility and international business ethics. A well-thought-out ethics program in business provides employees with guidelines on how to meet the company’s values and handle complicated cases. In government agencies, ethics policies are more complicated and include specific training and forms.
Ethics is a system of moral values or a set of principles for right that have been adopted by a person or profession or through the study of such systems. In the business world, an ethics program may refer to a degree program, most likely in philosophy, that a candidate for an undergraduate degree may have completed before joining business school or applying for a job, or alternatively, a concentration that a Master’s MBA (Business Administration) candidate can choose either a course or set of courses required in that program. Ethics program can also refer to a company’s or government department’s institutionalized approach to ethics, with these programs often referred to explicitly as “The Ethics Program”.
In an MBA ethics program, it is likely that some course titles will explicitly reflect the ethics focus in courses focused on the relationship of ethics to corporate responsibility and how business ethics operates in an international business environment. Other courses – for example, those considering corruption, the social impact of business decisions, human rights or globalization – will necessarily include ethics, but its application to the subject will be revealed through the course material. As “ethics program” is an English term, it is difficult to know how widespread ethics education of this type may be elsewhere, there are ethics programs available internationally for young people thinking of pursuing a professional career.
In business, an ethics program can refer to a process and set of guidelines for meeting the company’s values of how to do business. This program is likely to provide employees with an explanation of the values the company holds and the steps to take if an employee has a question about whether they are being served or how to reach them in a specific situation. In a well-thought-out program, attention will be paid to handling complicated cases, such as problems with the supervisor. Other program details – such as whether reports can be anonymous, the timeframe within which they will be handled, the range of consequences that could result from a violation of company values, and the security of the report – will likely be included.
In a government agency, the approach to ethics is more complicated, including policies, laws and regulations. There is likely to be specific training and forms related to topics such as activities involving foreign entities, copyright and publishing issues, and gift exceptions – such as an honorary degree, conflicts of interest and financial disclosure.
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