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Business Ethics Definition
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Business Basics Guide
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  • Overview
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    • Which Type of Organization is Best for Your Business?
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Business Ethics

By
Alexandra Twin
Full Bio
Alexandra Twin has 15+ years of experience as an editor and writer, covering financial news for public and private companies.
Learn about our editorial policies
Updated August 29, 2021
Reviewed by
Amy Drury
Reviewed by Amy Drury
Full Bio
Amy is an ACA and the CEO and founder of OnPoint Learning, a financial training company delivering training to financial professionals. She has nearly two decades of experience in the financial industry and as a financial instructor for industry professionals and individuals.
Learn about our Financial Review Board
Fact checked by
Yarilet Perez
Fact checked by Yarilet Perez
Full Bio

Yarilet Perez is an experienced multimedia journalist and fact-checker with a Master of Science in Journalism. She has worked in multiple cities covering breaking news, politics, education, and more. Her expertise is in personal finance and investing, and real estate.

Learn about our editorial policies

What Is Business Ethics?

Business ethics is the study of appropriate business policies and practices regarding potentially controversial subjectsincluding corporate governance, insider trading, bribery, discrimination, corporate social responsibility, and fiduciary responsibilities. The law often guides business ethics, but at other times business ethics provide a basic guideline that businesses can choose to follow to gain public approval.

Key Takeaways

  • Business ethics refers to implementing appropriate business policies and practiceswith regard to arguably controversial subjects.
  • Some issues that come up in a discussion of ethics include corporate governance, insider trading, bribery, discrimination, social responsibility, and fiduciary responsibilities.
  • The law usually sets the tone for business ethics, providing a basic guideline that businesses can choose to follow to gain public approval.
1:29

Business Ethics

Understanding Business Ethics

Business ethics ensure that a certain basic level of trust exists between consumers and various forms of market participants with businesses. For example, a portfolio manager must give the same consideration to the portfolios of family members and small individual investors. These kinds of practices ensurethe public receives fair treatment.

The concept of business ethics began in the 1960s as corporations became more aware of a rising consumer-based society that showed concerns regarding the environment, social causes, and corporate responsibility. The increased focus on "social issues" was a hallmark of the decade.

Since that time period, the concept of business ethics has evolved. Business ethics goes beyond just a moral code of right and wrong; it attempts to reconcile what companies must do legally versus maintaining a competitive advantage over other businesses. Firms display business ethics in several ways.

Business ethics are meant to ensure a certain level of trust between consumers and corporations, guaranteeing the public fair and equal treatment.

Examples of Business Ethics

Here are a few examples of business ethics at work as corporations attempt to balance marketing and social responsibility. For example, Company XYZ sells cereals with all-natural ingredients. The marketing department wants to use the all-natural ingredients as a selling point, but it must temper enthusiasm for the product versus the laws thatgovern labeling practices.

Some competitors' advertisements tout high-fiber cereals that have the potential to reduce the risk of some types of cancer. The cereal company in question wants to gain more market share, but the marketing department cannot make dubious health claims on cereal boxes without therisk oflitigation and fines. Even though competitors with larger market shares of the cereal industryuse shady labeling practices, that doesn't mean every manufacturer should engage in unethical behavior.

For another example, consider the matter of quality control for a company that manufactures electronic components for computer servers. These components must ship on time, or the manufacturer of the parts risks losing a lucrative contract. The quality-control department discovers a possibledefect, and every component in one shipment faces checks.

Unfortunately, the checks may take too long, and the window for on-time shipping could pass, which coulddelaythe customer's product release. The quality-control department can ship the parts, hoping that not all of them are defective, or delay the shipment and test everything. If the parts are defective, the company that buys the components might face a firestorm of consumer backlash, which may lead the customer to seek amore reliable supplier.

Special Considerations

When it comes to preventing unethical behavior and repairing its negative side effects, companies often look to managers and employees to report any incidences they observe or experience. However, barriers within the company culture itself [such as fear of retaliation for reporting misconduct] can prevent this from happening.

Published by the Ethics & Compliance Initiative [ECI], the Global Business Ethics Survey of 2021 surveyed over 14,000 employees in 10 countries about different types of misconduct they observed in the workplace. 49% of the employees surveyed said they had observed misconduct, with 22% saying they had observed behavior they would categorize as abusive. 86% of employees said they reported the misconduct they observed. When questioned if they had experienced retaliation for reporting, a whopping 79% said they had been retaliated against.

Indeed, fear of retaliation is one of the major reasons employees cite for not reporting unethical behavior in the workplace. ECI says companies should work toward improving their corporate culture by reinforcing the idea that reporting suspected misconduct is beneficial to the company and acknowledging and rewarding the employee's courage for making the report.

What Is Business Ethics?

Business ethics concerns ethical dilemmas or controversial issues faced by a company. Often, business ethics involve a system of practices and procedures that help build trust with the consumer. On one level, some business ethics are embedded in the law, such as minimum wage, insider trading restrictions, and environmental regulations. On the other hand, business ethics can be influenced by management behavior, with wide-ranging effects across the company.

What Is an Example of Business Ethics?

Consider an employee who is told in a meeting that the company will face an earnings shortfall for the quarter. This employee also owns shares in the firm. It would be unethical for the employee to sell their shares since they would be subject to insider information. Alternatively, if two large competitors came together to gain an unfair advantage, such as controlling prices in a given market, this would raise serious ethical concerns.

Why Are Business Ethics Important?

Business ethics are important because they have lasting implications on several levels. With increased investor awareness on environmental, social, and governance issues, a company's reputation is at stake. For instance, if a company partakes in unethical practices, such as poor customer privacy procedures and protections, it could result in a data breach. This, in turn, may lead to a significant loss of customers, erosion of trust, less competitive hires, and share price declines.

Article Sources

Investopedia requires writers to use primary sources to support their work. These include white papers, government data, original reporting, and interviews with industry experts. We also reference original research from other reputable publishers where appropriate. You can learn more about the standards we follow in producing accurate, unbiased content in our editorial policy.
  1. Ethics and Compliance Initiative. "The State of Ethics & Compliance in the Workplace," Page 16-22. Accessed Aug. 24, 2021.

  2. Ethics & Compliance Initiative [ECI]. "2021 Global Business Ethics Survey® Report The State of Ethics & Compliance in the Workplace: A Look at Global Trends." Accessed Aug. 24, 2021.

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Business Basics Guide Guide
  • Business Development: The Basics
    1 of 46
  • Business Ethics: Fair Business Policies Within Controversial Subjects
    2 of 46
  • Business Plans: The Ins and Outs
    3 of 46
  • How Organizational Structures Work
    4 of 46
  • Which Type of Organization Is Best For Your Business?
    5 of 46
  • What are the major types of business in the private-sector and how do they differ from one another?
    6 of 46
  • What Is Corporate Culture?
    7 of 46
  • What is an S Corporation [S Subchapter]?
    8 of 46
  • LLC vs. Incorporation: Which Should I Choose?
    9 of 46
  • Learn about Private Companies
    10 of 46
  • Sole Proprietorship: What You Should Know
    11 of 46
  • What Is Bootstrapping?
    12 of 46
  • Crowdfunding Definition
    13 of 46
  • Understanding Seed Capital
    14 of 46
  • What Is Venture Capital?
    15 of 46
  • Understanding Startup Capital
    16 of 46
  • Capital Funding: What Lenders and Equity Holders Give Businesses
    17 of 46
  • Series A, B, C Funding: How It Works
    18 of 46
  • Small Business Administration [SBA]
    19 of 46
  • What Is Upper Management?
    20 of 46
  • Who's in the C-Suite?
    21 of 46
  • How Chief Executive Officers [CEOs] Work
    22 of 46
  • How Operations Management [OM] Works
    23 of 46
  • How Human Resource Planning [HRP] Works
    24 of 46
  • What Is a Brand?
    25 of 46
  • What Is Brand Personality?
    26 of 46
  • Understanding Brand Management
    27 of 46
  • Why Brand Awareness Matters
    28 of 46
  • Brand Loyalty: What You Need to Know
    29 of 46
  • Understanding Brand Extension
    30 of 46
  • What Is Social Networking?
    31 of 46
  • Affiliate Marketing Definition
    32 of 46
  • Bringing a Product to Market through Commercialization
    33 of 46
  • Digital Marketing
    34 of 46
  • Direct Marketing: What You Need to Know
    35 of 46
  • Everything Marketing Entails
    36 of 46
  • Create a Great Marketing Campaign to Attract Customers
    37 of 46
  • What Market Research Tells Companies About New Products and Services
    38 of 46
  • Micromarketing: Advertising Focused on a Specific Group of Customers
    39 of 46
  • What Is Network Marketing? How Does It Work?
    40 of 46
  • Understanding Product Differentiation
    41 of 46
  • What Is Target Market?
    42 of 46
  • Outside Sales
    43 of 46
  • Finding a Good Sales Lead
    44 of 46
  • Why Indirect Sales Matter
    45 of 46
  • How Inside Sales Can Be a Cheaper Way to Sell Products
    46 of 46

Related Terms

Codes of Ethics: : Types and Examples
A code of ethics encourages ethical conduct, business honesty, integrity, and best practices. Read about the types of codes of ethics with examples of each.
more
What Is Corporate Accountability?
Accountability is the acceptance of responsibility towards other parties. Read about corporate, government, and political accountability.
more
What Is Organizational Behavior [OB]?
Organizational behavior [OB] is the study of how people interact within groups and its principles are used to make businesses operate more effectively.
more
Understanding Quality Control
Quality control is a process by which a business ensures that product quality is maintained or improved. Discover what quality control is and how it works.
more
Director Rotation
Director rotation is a process in which corporate board members serve and vacate their positions, including between committees.
more
What Does the Department of Labor [DOL] Do?
The U.S. Department of Labor [DOL] is a cabinet-level agency responsible for enforcing federal labor standards.
more
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