A moral is an ethic but not all ethics are morals. Confused? Many of us are by what is right and what should be right. As defined in the dictionary, an ethic is a body of moral principles or values governing or distinctive of a particular culture or group while a moral is of, pertaining to , or concerned with the principles or rules of right conduct or distinction between right and wrong. (Dictionary.com) Ethics are determined individually. They are what are internal to us as what should be right or wrong.
As a whole, we are inherently taught what is morally right or wrong by society. This definitely does not mean that we follow that same thought process within our own beliefs. Valasquez (1992) says that managers should have the following ethical virtues: perseverance, public-spiritedness, integrity, truthfulness, fidelity, benevolence, and humility. What skew these virtues for an individual to be unethical are their own ego, greed and selfishness. They take advantage of their position of power to get everything they can. They act on this feeling of entitlement as if it was owed to them. Leadership involves values, including showing respect for followers, being fair to others, and building a community. (Northhouse, 2013)
I think most people lean towards finger pointing at politicians when they think of unethical leaders but these types of unethical leaders are in all employment fields. From blue collar workers, white collar workers, government officials, politicians, leaders in the army, retail store managers, etc, the list can go on. Sometimes it makes you even question your own circle of friends. As this exist in all types of relationships. There can be a leader per say within your circle of friends that use the others for their own personal betterment. I know that may be a silly comparison but when it comes down to it, you have to call it for what it is worth. Some people in your life don’t share the same ethical values even if you hope that they do. Most unethical leaders and individuals have a hidden agenda and it will not come to light until another “scandal” comes to light.
Works Cited:
“Moral.” Def. 1. Dictionary.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Apr. 2013. <www.dictionary.com>.
“Ethic.” Def. 1. Dictionary.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Apr. 2013. <www.dictionary.com>.
Northouse, Peter Guy. “Chapter 16: Leadership Ethics.” Leadership: Theory and Practice. Thousand Oaks: SAGE, 2013. 438. Print.
Karin,
Thank you for your interesting and insightful post about morals and unethical behavior. I must admit, your title post caught my attention so I had to analyze. Rapt was my attention when I read the second paragraph about Valesquez and the following ethical virtues of perseverance, public-spiritedness, integrity, truthfulness, fidelity, benevolence, and validity, I found myself pondering whether or not my past employers exemplified such virtues. After analysis and recollection, I feel my past employers have exercised the said virtues, or have intended on exercising the said virtues I should say, void one: perseverance. Too many times at work I found my boss metaphorically “tossing the towel in”. If a situation or event arises that brings troubles or animosity, it is important to stay resilient and persevere instead of calling the whole situation quits.
To go with your last paragraph, I feel sometimes media focuses their spotlight and attempts to find all the negatives of a person or situation, and sometimes our political leaders are the ones caught in the spotlight. If only the media demonstrated and exhibited certain empathatic behaviors and tendencies…