TOWARDS RESOLVING SOME ETHICAL DILEMMAS IN BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT: AN ITINERARY INTO THE QUIDDITY OF BUSINESS ETHICS

Abstract

Velasquez underscores Business Ethics as a specialized study of moral right and wrong. This is so since it focuses on moral standards as they apply particularly to policies, institutions, and behavior in business environment. It is the application of our understanding of what is good and right to that assortment of institutions, technologies, transactions, activities, and pursuits which we call ‘business’. J. Desjardins holds that Business Ethics refers to those values, standards, and principles that operate within business. He also believes that Business Ethics can refer to an academic discipline which studies such values, standards and principles. However, he endeavored to make a distinction between Business Ethics as an academic field and as a practical guide. Thus, he opined that Business Ethics as an academic field is more a matter of ethical reasoning and thinking than behaviour. The crux of the matter in this study is – what exactly is the subject matter of Business Ethics? In addressing the question, this study employs the method of analysis to look into the quiddity/nature of Business Ethics especially as it pertains to resolving some ethical dilemmas that rear their heads in business environments. This is in relation to putting human beings side by side with profit making which is the hallmark of doing business. In all, this study concludes that the gamut of what is studied in Business Ethics is that Business Ethics seeks to ensure that there is human face in business.