You're the boss in a predominantly male environment. The presence of a new female employee stirs up conflict because your company has not had a chance to conduct sensitivity training. Some of your male employees make inappropriate remarks to your new employee. She complains to you; in response, you sanction those responsible for the conduct. You also wonder if it would be wise to move your new female employee to another position where she would be less likely to draw attention. Treating your female employee differently based on her gender or in response to a harassment complaint may be considered discriminatory and unethical conduct.

Dear Friend, Various examples of ethical dilemmas exist in today’s business environment. **Supplier/Customer Relations** In addition employees and business owners must consider the ethical issues involved with their relationships between suppliers and customers. Business owners in particular must consider whether it is ethical to do business with suppliers who have unethical practices. When dealing with customers or clients, business people must ensure that they use their information correctly, do not falsely advertise a product or service, and do not intentionally do sub-standard work. **Discrimination** You're the boss in a predominantly male environment. The presence of a new female employee stirs up conflict because your company has not had a chance to conduct sensitivity training. Some of your male employees make inappropriate remarks to your new employee. She complains to you; in response, you sanction those responsible for the conduct. You also wonder if it would be wise to move your new female employee to another position where she would be less likely to draw attention. Treating your female employee differently based on her gender or in response to a harassment complaint may be considered discriminatory and unethical conduct. **Employee Working Conditions** In addition to employee behavior, there are a number of ethical issues business people must consider about employee working conditions. For example, employers must be aware of the safety of their work environment and if they have compensated employees for all the time they have worked. The must also consider if they have required an employee to work an unreasonably long period of time or if they have him doing an unusually difficult task. Just like there are legal consequences for some unethical issues regarding employee behavior, there are also legal consequences for unethical working conditions. For example, an employer who requires an employee to work without pay or who creates an unsafe working environment can face legal action. **Side Deals** You're a business manager with an employment contract. The contract requires you to work solely for your employer and use your talents to attract new clients to the business. If you begin attracting more clients than you believe your employer can reasonably handle, you may wonder if there would be an ethical issue with your diverting that excess business elsewhere and taking the commission. If you don't, at minimum, disclose the idea to your employer, you will likely be in breach of both your contractual and ethical duties. **Partners** You're a partner in a business and see a great deal of profitability on the horizon. You don't believe that your partner deserves to profit from the business' future success, because you don't like his personality. You may wonder if you could simply take his name off the bank accounts, change the locks and continue without him. If you proceed with this course of action, you would likely be in violation of your ethical and legal obligation to act in good faith concerning your partner. The better course of action may be to simply buy out his interest in the business. **Gross Negligence** You're on the board of directors for a publicly traded corporation. You and your fellow board members, in hopes of heading off early for the holidays, rush through the investigatory process involved in a much-anticipated merger. As a board member, you have a duty to exercise the utmost care respecting decisions that affect the corporation and its shareholders. Failing to properly investigate a matter that affects their interests could be viewed as gross negligence supporting a breach of your ethical and legal duty of care.

Ethics means different things to different people, but it generally boils down to a basic sense of societal right and wrong. Within the business context, it involves making decisions that align with that sense of right and wrong, as well as with the law. Various examples of ethical dilemmas exist in today’s business environment. Discrimination -------------- You're the boss in a predominantly male environment. The presence of a new female employee stirs up conflict because your company has not had a chance to conduct sensitivity training. Some of your male employees make inappropriate remarks to your new employee. She complains to you; in response, you sanction those responsible for the conduct. You also wonder if it would be wise to move your new female employee to another position where she would be less likely to draw attention. Treating your female employee differently based on her gender or in response to a harassment complaint may be considered discriminatory and unethical conduct. Side Deals ---------- You're a business manager with an employment contract. The contract requires you to work solely for your employer and use your talents to attract new clients to the business. If you begin attracting more clients than you believe your employer can reasonably handle, you may wonder if there would be an ethical issue with your diverting that excess business elsewhere and taking the commission. If you don't, at minimum, disclose the idea to your employer, you will likely be in breach of both your contractual and ethical duties. Partners -------- You're a partner in a business and see a great deal of profitability on the horizon. You don't believe that your partner deserves to profit from the business' future success, because you don't like his personality. You may wonder if you could simply take his name off the bank accounts, change the locks and continue without him. If you proceed with this course of action, you would likely be in violation of your ethical and legal obligation to act in good faith concerning your partner. The better course of action may be to simply buy out his interest in the business. Gross Negligence ---------------- You're on the board of directors for a publicly traded corporation. You and your fellow board members, in hopes of heading off early for the holidays, rush through the investigatory process involved in a much-anticipated merger. As a board member, you have a duty to exercise the utmost care respecting decisions that affect the corporation and its shareholders. Failing to properly investigate a matter that affects their interests could be viewed as gross negligence supporting a breach of your ethical and legal duty of care.