Reference no: EM13805074

Morality

What is morality? Is it the behavior defined as a sin by God or is it the behavior most widely accepted as being moral by people in a society. Morality is defined differently by different people but the basic rules of morality stay the same. What this means is every society agrees murder is wrong and so is theft so it would seem morality is predefined but the difference in moral beliefs amongst groups and individuals shows moral viewpoints can differ. Morality is defined as what is good or bad. There are different factors that influence what is considered right or what is wrong.

Part One

Alfred North Whitehead's statement: "What is morality in any given time and place? It is what the majority then and there happen to like and immorality is what they dislike." This statement is true to a degree but there are also other factors that influence moral beliefs. Society heavily influences what is considered wrong or right and every society is different. For example everyone in society agrees people in society should not heat on their spouse but not everyone agrees homosexuality is wrong. Within a society can be different moral beliefs and values.

A moral agents is defined as is a being that is "capable of acting with reference to right and wrong (Elliot, 2004). A business, therefore, is a moral agent capable of acting. For example Ford is a powerful and influential business in America. If they took a stance against outsourcing jobs to the international community then they have acted as a moral agent by deciding to hire Americans in desperate need of a job instead of giving these jobs to citizens in another country to save money. Businesses should have ethical standards but also have the power to act as moral agents. Moral agents can be held responsible for immoral behavior and so can the business.

The bottom line for a business is about profit and profit alone when it should be about the big picture. The bottom line may look attractive to the business but a business should never be just about the money. It should also be about their impact on society as a whole. Worrying solely about profits create untold damage to the market. Instead the focus should be a combination of profit and making improvements in society. By corporate downsizing and outsourcing of jobs; restructuring pension plans or completing terminating the pension plan; reductions in health care benefits; and stagnating wages the market is crippled. The bottom line is important to the business but creating a thriving economy should also be considered.

In business, other less tangible goals that are intrinsic to and just as important as making money include building a solid brand and attracting customers. Businesses that are money hungry do not attract new customers but instead they lose them. Not being able to get in touch with members of the business can anger a customer causing them to choose an alternative business. Instead of picking the large, money hungry business the consumer will be more attracted to the small business priding hands on customer service.
Just as in the past, when the business market had to be regulated by legislation in order to treat employees fairly, businesses may have to be regulated by legislation in order to act ethically. This includes taking steps to reduce their impact to the environment but also acting responsibly for their employees. When the business is more focused on profitability over everything else the end result is the employees and the customers suffer. Ethical business understands their obligation to the market to not only be profitable but to reduce any negative impact and making any possible improvements.

Just like businesses the individuals has an obligation to behave morally. This does not mean that society pick the beliefs of the individual or their moral beliefs it just means acting ethically and responsibility but not only thinking about individual needs and wants but taking time to consider the wants and needs of all of society. Acting morally is making sure laws are followed but for some it is following the laws of God. Acting morally is a choice but it is also an obligation.

According to the deontological viewpoint people should be ethical because doing right is doing the right thing (Shakil, 2012). People should be moral because it is right. Based on the utilitarian viewpoint, being ethical will result in good for all of society in the long term. This includes the business. Acting ethically has a long and short term effects on society. When the business and the individual display moral behavior that behavior becomes the norm. Everyone in society will follow these moral norms and society will be better as a whole. Acting morally now will also benefit societies in the future.

Part Two

The first formulation of Kant's categorical imperative is theUniversal Law formulation. "Act only on that maxim through which you can at the same time will that it should become a universal law. Applying the first formulation of Kant's categorical imperative to a business environment requires a business to act in a way that their actions can become a moral rule all of humankind can follow (Guthrie, 2001). If a majority of society finds an act is moral then it is moral. This can be influenced by the actions of the business. The business is responsible for providing a positive moral example in society and has a social responsibility to supporting efforts to make ethical improvements in society.

In the business environment if it is the norm or universal law for a business to be focused on the bottom line then this behavior would be moral but on the other hand if the business is more focused on reducing their carbon footprint or creating processes that reduce their impact to the environment then this behavior becomes moral. Businesses have a moral duty to do the most good and create the least harm (Andre & Velasquez, 2009). This is based on the utilitarian approach to ethics. Utilitarianism would support the thesis by ensure before the business acts they first consider their social responsibility.

The second reason involves the teleological approach. Teleological ethics looks at the consequences of an action. For example if the business is more focused on profits over the greater good of society their actions can lead to direct harm. The business must consider profitability and social responsibility because fulfilling social responsibility provides a moral example for society. When the auto industry began to focus on the alternative to using fuel for automobiles they took social responsibility and displayed moral behavior. Using alternatives to fuel reduces the impact to the environment and displays a good example for other businesses and individuals in society.
Deontological moral systems are a focus on adhering to independent moral rules or duties (Shakil, 2012). In other words people should do the right thing because it is the moral and ethical thing to do. This is not always the case with the business especially if the main focus is on profitability at the expense of the welfare of the employee and the customer. The truly moral business looks at the big picture and their ultimate impact to society.

If the behavior is universally moral, such as finding alternative ways to fuel automobiles to save the environment, then it will become the norm for businesses to take environmental responsibility.

Displaying moral behavior is dependent upon the journey it takes to get there according to the teleological school of thought but the deontological finds if people understand their moral duty they will know how to act. Kant's categorical imperative only the unconditional ought is the moral ought (Guthrie, 2001). Morality must be necessary and universal (Guthrie, 2001). It is necessary for businesses to recognize their moral obligation especially if a moral action is universal. From the viewpoint of process philosophy morality is based on being creative or thinking outside the normal reality. Based on this viewpoint the business can take an alternative approach to morality which is continuous and always changing.

Ethical relativism rejects the idea of universal morality and instead morality is relative to culture. This viewpoint would accept Alfred North Whitehead's statement: "What is morality in any given time and place? It is what the majority then and there happen to like and immorality is what they dislike."Moral absolutism based on Kant's system finds someone should always act ethically and morally and there is no room for immoral behavior. Moral objectivism finds however people should follow the moral or ethical rules outlined in society but understands there are occasions when by passing moral behavior is necessary.

Normative ethics explains what type of morals or ethical behavior should be. In other words should follow the laws established in society defining what is moral. Businesses must recognize what behavior should be moral when other businesses may not. For example when people in America are suffering from unemployment then is it ethical to outsource jobs to the international market. Descriptive ethics explain how things are not how they are supposed to be. If it is normal to outsource jobs to foreign countries the behavior is not considered immoral universally even though some in society may consider the behavior it be unethical.

Applying Kant's universal law to the business would mean businesses must follow the moral laws that are binding. This would mean businesses must only apply what is deemed moral by the universe to their business practices. Additional behaviors, such as taking social responsibility for their actions would not be necessary as long as they follow the moral laws established in the universe. Businesses have a moral obligation way past just their moral duty. The business must step out and take a strong moral stance even if it impacts their bottom line. Bob's by Sketcher gives a pair of shoes to a child in a country with no shoes for every pair of shoes that are sol. They do not have to do this because it is not their moral duty but choose to go above and beyond.