business ethics
Business ethics as an applied field of knowledge was formed in the United States and in Western Europe in the 1970s of the XX century. However, the moral aspects of business attracted researchers already in the 60s. The scientific community and the business world have come to the conclusion that it is necessary to increase the "ethical awareness" of professional businessmen in their business operations, as well as the "responsibility of corporations to society." Special attention addressed the increasing cases of corruption both among the government bureaucracy and among the responsible persons of various corporations. A certain role in the development of business ethics as a scientific discipline was played by the famous "Watergate", which involved the most prominent representatives of President R. Nixon's administration. By the early 1980s, most business schools in the US, as well as some universities, included business ethics in their curricula. Currently, the business ethics course is included in educational plans some universities in Russia.
In business ethics, there are three main approaches to the moral problems of business, based on three ethical areas: utilitarianism, deontic ethics (ethics of duty) and "ethics of justice". Presented in the works of American scientists M. Valasquez, J. Rawls, L. Nash, they can be reduced to the following.
The direct connection of ethics with life practice is well traced in the field of so-called professional ethics, which is a system of moral requirements for professional activity person. One of the types of professional ethics is business ethics. It arose relatively late on the basis of general labor morality. In turn, the main place in the ethics of business relations is occupied by the ethics of business (entrepreneurship). It includes ethics of management (managerial ethics), ethics of business communication, ethics of behavior, etc.
Business is an initiative economic activity carried out both at the expense of own and borrowed funds at your own risk and under your own responsibility, the purpose of which is the formation and development of your own business for profit and solution social problems entrepreneur, workforce, society as a whole.
Business ethics - business ethics based on honesty, openness, loyalty given word, the ability to function effectively in the market in accordance with applicable law, established rules and traditions.
Business ethics issues are as old as entrepreneurship. However, they have become especially acute in our time, when the market has changed a lot, from fierce to fierce competition. Now all over the world the issues of ethics of business relations are widely studied, serve as a subject scientific discussions and forums, are studied in many higher and secondary educational institutions providing training for the labor market.
The Importance of Ethics in Business
Experts believe that the concept of "business ethics" has entered into mass use relatively recently - as a result of the process of globalization of the economy, an increase in the number of firms and an increase in their level of responsibility to society. However, the basic principles of ethics that can now be applied to business were formulated thousands of years ago. Even the ancient Roman philosopher Cicero limited himself to the statement that big profits are made by big deceit. However, today this axiom sounds more and more controversial. The civilized economy that has emerged in developed countries requires a civilized approach to doing business from entrepreneurs. In fact, the goal of their activities remained the same, but there was a weighty caveat: big profits, but not by any means.
Ethics in the modern sense becomes a kind of additional resource of the enterprise. For example, in such an issue as personnel management, in the conditions of global competition, the mere use of economic and financial incentives is no longer enough. To keep the company at the level of modern information and communication technologies, the company needs to learn how to influence the staff with the help of cultural and moral values. These values also play an increasingly important role in relationships with partners, clients, intermediaries, and finally, with society itself.
Attempts to link moral and ethical criteria and business practices in the field of international business are constantly being made. Despite the shortcomings of today's ethical guidelines for business representatives, every year more and more organizations are trying, sometimes on their own, and sometimes as a result of outside pressure, to create their own rules for doing business.
Principles of international business - the world ethical standard, according to which it is possible to build and evaluate behavior in the field of international business.
Honesty, decency and reliability are the most valued principles of business ethics all over the world and in Russia, since following these principles creates the basis for effective business relations - mutual trust.
Mutual trust is the most important moral and psychological factor of business, which ensures the predictability of business relations, confidence in the commitment business partner and stability of the joint business.
Corporate Social Responsibility
The topic of corporate social responsibility (CSR) is one of the most discussed topics in the business world today. This is due to the fact that the role of business in the development of society has noticeably increased, and the requirements for openness in the business sphere have increased. Many companies have clearly realized that it is impossible to successfully run a business operating in an isolated space. Therefore, the integration of the principle of corporate social responsibility into a business development strategy becomes feature leading domestic companies.
The modern world lives in conditions of acute social problems, and in this regard, the social responsibility of business is especially significant - enterprises and organizations associated with the development, manufacture and supply of products and services, trade, finance, since they have the main financial and material resources that allow them to work for solutions to the social problems facing the world. Understanding by business leaders of their key importance and leading role in such work led to the birth of the concept of "corporate social responsibility" at the end of the 20th century, which became an essential part of the concept of sustainable development not only of business, but of humanity as a whole.
In world practice, there is a well-established understanding of what corporate social responsibility is. Organizations that operate in this area define this concept in different ways.
Business for Social Responsibility: Corporate Social Responsibility means achieving commercial success in ways that value ethical principles and respect people, communities and environment.
"International Business Leaders Forum": corporate social responsibility is understood as promoting responsible business practices that benefit business and society and promote social, economic and environmentally sustainable development by maximizing the positive impact of business on society and minimizing the negative.
World Business Council for Sustainable Development: defines corporate social responsibility as a business commitment to contribute to sustainable economic development, labor relations with employees, their families, the local community and society as a whole to improve their quality of life.
The social responsibility of business has a multilevel character.
The basic level involves the fulfillment of the following obligations: timely payment of taxes, payment wages, if possible - the provision of new jobs (expansion of the workforce).
The second level involves providing workers with adequate conditions not only for work, but also for life: improving the skills of workers, preventive treatment, housing construction, development social sphere. This type of responsibility is conditionally called "corporate responsibility".
The third, highest level of responsibility, according to the participants in the dialogue, involves charitable activities.
Internal corporate social responsibility includes:
- 1. Labor safety.
- 2. Stability of wages.
- 3. Maintenance of socially significant wages.
- 4. Additional medical and social insurance for employees.
- 5. Development of human resources through training programs and training and advanced training programs.
- 6. Assistance to workers in critical situations.
The external social responsibility of business includes:
- 1. Sponsorship and corporate charity.
- 2. Promoting environmental protection.
- 3. Interaction with the local community and local authorities.
- 4. Willingness to participate in crisis situations.
- 5. Responsibility to consumers of goods and services (production of quality goods).
Business social responsibility motives:
- 1. The development of your own staff allows you not only to avoid staff turnover, but also to attract the best specialists on the market.
- 2. The growth of labor productivity in the company.
- 3. Improving the company's image, reputation growth.
- 4. Advertising a product or service.
- 5. Coverage of the company's activities in the media.
- 6. Stability and sustainability of the company's development in the long term.
- 7. The possibility of attracting investment capital for socially responsible companies is higher than for other companies.
- 8. Save social stability in society as a whole.
- 9. Tax incentives.
Areas of social programs:
Fair Business Practices is an area of the company's social programs that aims to promote the acceptance and dissemination of fair business practices among the company's suppliers, business partners and customers.
Environmental protection and resource conservation is a direction of the company's social programs, which are carried out at the initiative of the company in order to reduce the harmful impact on the environment (programs for economical consumption natural resources, reuse and disposal of waste, prevention of environmental pollution, organization of an environmentally friendly production process, organization of environmentally friendly transportation).
The development of the local society is a direction of the company's social programs, which is carried out on a voluntary basis and is designed to contribute to the development of the local society (social programs and actions to support socially vulnerable segments of the population, support for childhood and youth, support for the preservation and development of housing and communal services and objects of cultural and historical significance, sponsorship of local cultural, educational and sports organizations and events, support for socially significant research and campaigns, participation in charity events).
Personnel development is a direction of the company's social programs, which is carried out as part of the personnel development strategy, in order to attract and retain talented employees (training and professional development, the use of motivational remuneration schemes, providing employees with a social package, creating conditions for recreation and leisure, maintaining internal communications in the organization, the participation of employees in managerial decision-making).
Socially responsible restructuring is a direction of the company's social programs, which is designed to ensure that restructuring is carried out in a socially responsible manner, in the interests of the company's personnel.
Socially responsible investing is investing that is not only about generating financial returns, but also about social goals, usually by investing in ethical companies.
The social responsibility of business is determined by the importance of this institution for the life of people and civilization as a whole. Business is the most important social institution, thanks to which certain social structures and order in society are maintained. And this primarily determines his social responsibility in society. Being a powerful creative force, business can lead to the creation of a new situation in society. At the same time, we must not forget that business development can lead to the destruction of established social values, the usual details of the environment, and the aggravation of social inequality among people (Emelyanov, Povarnitsyna, 1998). Therefore, the consequences of the activities of a businessman for society can be comparable to the activities of all other social institutions. Just like an institution of science or politics, business can in a short time make the lives of many people happier or, conversely, devalue it, lead to serious upheavals in society. Many guides for businessmen and managers are based on the thesis that business plays a special role in society. There are concepts of social responsibility and business ethics based on the fact that a person is an undeniable value (in business as well as in other areas of life). All sections of business management are considered taking into account this thesis.
What is the social responsibility of business? Some business representatives, referring to the works of A. Smith, believe that by its very existence, business performs a responsible social role in society: it creates jobs, promotes the development of the economy, ensures technical progress through the creation and development of new technologies, satisfies people's needs for certain goods and services, etc. However, most of the business community understands the problem of social responsibility much more broadly. Socially responsible business activities include a whole range of activities both inside and outside the organization. Inside the organization, these can be measures aimed at improving the working conditions of employees, creating social infrastructure (providing employees with housing, child care facilities, medical care, conditions for sports, nutrition, etc.), creating a comfortable psychological atmosphere, developing measures to ensure balance between work and personal life, etc. In external environment social responsibility of business can have a different focus. These are activities aimed at creating social infrastructure in the region or locality where the company is located, measures to reduce the harmful impact of the company on the environment, establishing honest relations with all stakeholders (fair trade with third world countries, openness to shareholders and partners - business transparency, corporate volunteering and charity in all its forms, for example sponsoring children's sports teams, helping orphanages, etc.).
The main declared purpose of business activity - making a profit - is ethically neutral. It can be considered highly moral if the funds received are used for the development of production, science or the social sphere, and thus contributes to the prosperity of the community. For a long time, almost until the beginning of the 20th century, the initially good, ethical goals of economic behavior associated with the production and distribution of economic goods were pushed aside by the unbridled desire of economic entities to maximize their own benefit. This trend was facilitated by the weakness of legislative regulation, as well as injustice and social inequality, enshrined in the social (including religious and ethical) norms of most states. Science is a reflection of the existing economic and social reality. Accordingly and scientific theories, explaining the economic behavior of people, for a long time were distinguished by the predominance of non-humanistic approaches, ignoring the influence of the ethical factor.
The view of moral regulation as secondary (compared to economic interest) and having a restraining effect on economic behavior persisted until the middle of the 20th century. The change in the relationship between society and business in recent decades has led to a fundamentally different view of the relationship between economic activity and ethics. The increased influence of large manufacturers, financial institutions and trading companies on the well-being, safety and health of large groups of people has led to the fact that public opinion has begun to attach increasing importance to the morality of economic actors. This resulted in a change legislative framework many developed countries, tightening control over the observance of ethical standards in the economic and, in particular, business sphere.
Another reason for the change in attitudes towards business ethics lies in the universal trend noted by modern philosophers. The evolution of ethics reflects, on the one hand, a person's desire for personal freedom, which manifests itself in the struggle against all types of power (religious, political, power public opinion), and on the other hand, the search for opportunities for cooperation and constructive interaction between people. social norms Perpetuating inequalities, allowing unfair distribution of income and the right to exploit one group of people by another, are becoming a thing of the past in almost all cultural communities. Skin color, gender, age, or level of education can no longer justify such immoral practices.
Of course, many business representatives would continue to seek additional income using not entirely moral methods, if it were not for the losses that would have to be incurred if violations were discovered. Tight control over the business government agencies, and the public in conditions of intense competition leads to the fact that the violation of moral standards becomes economically inexpedient.
Abroad, active discussions about the ethics of business began to be held only in the 1960s. At the same time, the first empirical research in the field of business ethics appeared. By the 1980s activity in the field of business ethics, points out R. T. De George, has acquired such significant proportions that it can already be called a movement. The results of this movement were the widespread adoption of ethical codes, the introduction curricula on ethics compliance and ethics committees in large companies.
By the beginning of the 1990s. governments Western countries also dealt with this problem. In 1991, the US Congress passed a federal penalties statute, one section of which gave companies the ability to reduce their fines if they could prove that they had put in place an effective program to detect and prevent violations of the law. Such a program should include both the introduction of rules and procedures for the observance of moral and legal norms by the employees of the firm, and measures to supervise and control their implementation. The adoption of the Code served as an impetus for many corporations to try to create such a moral climate in themselves that would reduce the tendency to violate the law among personnel. The consequence of this was the introduction of commissioners for corporate ethics, one of whose functions is to oversee the implementation of ethics programs in corporations.
Thus, the moral regulation of economic behavior is by no means secondary to economic interest and legal restrictions. The position that the observance of moral norms is economically unprofitable is also incorrect. As the results of our research and research by other authors have shown, the morality of a person largely determines the choice of the type of economic activity, methods and means of achieving goals, as well as the specifics of relations with partners in business interaction. The peculiarity of the moral regulation of economic behavior is that it is carried out in an implicit, often unconscious form (Kupreychenko, 2011). This hidden nature leads to the emergence of conflict situations that have moral overtones. Eliminating the causes of such conflicts requires a clear clarification of the moral positions and dialogue between the interacting parties. There is a need to create special language(conceptual apparatus), as well as procedures for developing systems of moral norms, negotiating and making decisions taking into account the moral component. The need to solve these scientific and practical problems is another reason for the growing interest in business ethics.
The areas of special ethics are such branches of knowledge as business ethics (business ethics), medical, technical ethics, the ethics of freelancers, etc. Sometimes the term "professional ethics" is used in relation to business ethics, but it should be noted that professional ethics is a much narrower concept. Representatives of a number of very different professions are included in business activity, whose activities are regulated by their own ethical norms and rules. There are accounting ethic, sales ethic, entrepreneurial ethic, and a number of other professional ethic. Each of them is part of business ethics and deserves special study.
R. T. De George emphasizes that business ethics, as a special area, is defined by the interaction of ethics and business. The concept of business, specified by R. T. De George covers different kinds activities in the production, sale and purchase of goods and services for the purpose of making a profit. Thus, it has traditionally developed that business ethics studies the regulation of economic activity associated with the production, distribution and exchange of goods, i.e. those areas of activity that are related to business activity (business). It is clear that other types of economic activity, such as the ethics of economic behavior in the family or the ethics of the unemployed, are outside the focus of attention of business ethicists. We can formulate the following definition: business ethics as a branch of knowledge studies the relations of morality that arise in the field of business. Often there is a narrower understanding of business ethics. Yu. Yu. Petrunin and V. K. Borisov proceed from the fact that business ethics - this is scientific discipline, which studies the application of ethical principles in a business situation . D. J. Fritzsche defines business ethics as the process of evaluating decisions based on their correlation with the moral standards inherent in the culture of this
stakeholder theory, like the theory of social contracts, calls to protect the interests of all community groups with which the activities of the organization are connected or whose life may be affected. The classic business view is that corporations have obligations to their shareholders. However, the stakeholder approach sees the corporation as part of social structure society to which it is also responsible. Stakeholders include shareholders, workers and employees, consumers, suppliers, government agencies, the local community, trade unions, social movements, competitors. In modern business ethics, the concept of stakeholders is used as a coordinate system for analysis: the system of moral norms (specification of universal norms) and the degree of compliance with moral norms in relation to each group of stakeholders are studied.
In practice, an important question is the following: will the consequences of the functioning of the business institution as a whole be negative or positive? The answer to it depends on many circumstances. At the psychological level, the main factors that will draw a watershed between the poles of the valence of the consequences of a business will be, first of all, the activity and personality of a businessman, in particular, the motives, goals and values of a businessman on the path to success. In modern conditions, it is customary to consider success as a result of the efforts of a person, group of people or organizations, which has a social and public assessment. For example, they say about a good head of a company that he did a lot for the organization, but about a bad one, that he did everything only for himself. Thus, society largely evaluates the activities of the leader and decides whether his achievements can be considered success. But the leader himself must be able to evaluate his own success. Therefore, the results will be evaluated from different points of view, depending on one's own idea and attitude towards oneself, other people, one's business, i.e. about ethical standards, without relying on which the work of a manager is impossible.
The well-known principle "the end justifies the means" causes rejection in many people, and long years the dilemma - end or means - remains insoluble. Psychologically, business ethics is based on a certain attitude of a person to the material and social world, expressed in a certain cultural space. For example, in the Western world this attitude is based on the main values: work and wealth, which are embedded in Protestant ethics (M. Weber, B. Franklin, N. Hill). This is also present in our culture, but not so straightforward, because in addition to labor and money great importance traditionally have love and friendship.
If we trace the development of business ethics, it can be noted that in modern world the principle "the end justifies the means" was sometimes, especially during periods of crises, social upheavals considered as the main recipe for success (this, by the way, is also found today). At the same time, it causes widespread criticism and is not acceptable for many from an ethical point of view. The formula: "man is an end, not a means" is becoming more and more relevant. And the development of a new approach in business, based on respect for the individual, is nothing more than a manifestation of the implementation humanistic approach into the ethics of management and the realities of modern business.
As a rule, a businessman is a person who makes his career, i.e. strives to be successful in his work. Therefore, the question of the criteria for success for him is closely connected with the real path of his advancement, and with the subjective assessment of this path, the results of the work (Melia, 2006). For one businessman, success will be an increase in income or the construction of a new office, for another - a transfer to new higher consumption opportunities, for a third - the popularity of his company's products, etc. It can be said that success depends on the idea of the life of a particular person, his system of values, goals, attitude to life, personal qualities. It is also important to take into account the circumstances specific to a particular social period. Under certain conditions, the success of a businessman's activity can be the development of his company, an increase in profits. In other, for example, unstable and difficult conditions, at some point, success can also be called the preservation of a position in the market, jobs, and sources of financing.
The experience of any businessman shows that there are no recipes for guaranteed success, it is important to know what a person himself understands by success: either luck, or the result of labor, or both. But in any case, he has to test his moral principles more than once in practice.
In this regard, the question of the career and moral character of the head of a business organization is psychologically important. For active, active, gifted and ambitious people, the prospect of profit and status promotion is of great psychological importance. Many people through their career assert their dignity and professionally declare themselves. The main business qualities of a businessman are his courage, ingenuity, initiative, responsibility. All this is united by the term "entrepreneurship". In enterprise, the personal dignity of a person and his professional honor are manifested. Thus, each person, making his career, solves the problems of a professional and moral order. Business reputation depends on the attitude towards people, society, and one's activities.
People evaluate a businessman not only by the amount of money and other material resources, although this also plays an important role. His behavior, results of activity, moral qualities, habits are also evaluated. The more consistently the basic moral values are manifested in the behavior of the head of a modern business, the wiser and nobler everyday actions, the higher his reputation among employees and business partners. Moral character is a very important category for a businessman. Organizational psychologists are well aware of this situation. The business organizer was rude to subordinates, appeared drunk at work, etc. He believed that since the owner can successfully solve financial problems, everything will be forgiven him. Very often, such behavior has detrimental consequences for the business: people stop respecting the leader, start looking for another job, use the company's funds for personal purposes, etc.
Therefore, the moral character of a businessman is one of the factors for the stability of his business. What does this concept include? The answer to this question is very difficult, because it depends on specific situations, people, cultural traditions of the people, religion, etc. In modern European business etiquette, a business organizer, a leader must possess such moral qualities as humanism, justice, moral will, honesty, adherence to principles, accuracy, organization, sociability, and activity. A businessman is also expected not only to be efficient but also to be able to communicate with people. The effect of charm, personality charisma are very important components of success in modern business. A special role is given leadership qualities leader, the ability to lead and at the same time maintain democratic principles in the team. The distribution of responsibility in management is one of the most important democratic principles on which modern business is based.
Thus, in the moral image of a person, general culture and good breeding are inextricably linked, which predetermine the level of development of moral qualities. If a businessman does not take into account the moral situation, his activities can become a threat to the development of the company. The level of development of his moral qualities will affect relations in the team, the moral character of employees. In addition, the moral and psychological characteristics of leaders regulate relationships with partners, founders, competitors and other stakeholders. In addition, they determine the direction, goals of activities and, ultimately, the psychological and economic efficiency of the organization. Over the past decade and a half, we have studied various moral and psychological factors in the economic consciousness of leaders. In particular, the attitude of entrepreneurs and managers to the observance of the moral norms of business conduct, the ideas of modern Russian leaders about the ethical problems of their activities; criteria of trust and distrust in business relations among managers, ideas of leaders about the world of business, etc. As a result, it can be stated that modern Russian leaders are mainly characterized by the awareness of the high importance of morality and moral regulators in their activities. A significant part of managers have ambivalence and contradictions in the moral assessments of the world of business, money, attitudes towards the observance of the moral norms of business behavior. To resolve conflicts, leaders use psychological defenses, depersonalization of responsibility for unethical acts, differentiated observance of moral norms in relation to representatives of various social categories, etc.
In the mentioned studies, it was established that the moral and psychological characteristics of business activity are quite closely interconnected. For example, the moral assessment of the business world influences the choice of the method of material self-sufficiency and the formation of strategies for the behavior of an individual in business interaction (Kupreychenko, 2011). So, representatives of the first type with a negative moral assessment of money - "money is evil" see the world of business in black colors. For this type, the activity of the leader is extremely laborious, is associated with a large number of moral contradictions, and therefore they reduce their activity.
For the second type of leaders, the world of business is an interesting and risky world, the work is difficult, but exciting, largely for the sake of money and the benefits that they can give. This type is characterized by an equal attitude to competition, high satisfaction with material well-being, the possibility of increasing material income, the most high level economic activity with an upward trend. They are characterized by a fairly high level of readiness to comply with moral norms, as well as the highest assessments of the morality of a "typical leader". These are leaders who are successful in business, probably largely due to the observance of moral standards.
Representatives of the third empirical type of attitude to money consider business as a world of competition, partnership, goal achievement, a world of great opportunities and at the same time a world of high risks, a world of self-realization, professional growth and achieving social status, a world of healthy competition. The level of economic activity, according to their estimates, is above average with a clear upward trend. The highest among all types is the assessment of the possibility of increasing material income. The highest level of competition. The attitude to the observance of moral norms of truthfulness, responsibility, tolerance is a rather low, but the highest value of integrity. Since these are ambitious and daring young leaders who are increasing their economic activity, it can be assumed that intrapersonal moral conflict is a natural stage of economic self-determination for this. What will be the resolution of this conflict (constructive - with the development of their own ethical codes and strategies, or destructive - with a decrease in business activity) depends on many factors.
The fourth type shows a business-like, adequate attitude to the world of business - without emotions, the same attitude towards competition. Representatives of this type do not have moral conflicts either in relation to money, or in relation to the observance of moral standards, or in relation to the world of business. It can be assumed that representatives of this type have realized themselves in the business sphere, have what they need for life and reduce economic activity in order to direct their efforts towards achieving other life goals.
For the fifth type - business and what is connected with it - money, connections, information, cruelty - a very useful game for real people. These executives either don't see ethical business as important, or simply don't think about it. Since money is of the lowest importance for them, it can be said that these leaders have neither lofty business goals, nor means available to them to improve their well-being, nor the desire to seek them, and therefore they reduce their activity.
The sixth type of leaders is characterized by low adaptability in the business environment, a sharply negative attitude towards it ("the world of jackals", "the ocean with sharks", "there is no ideal", etc.) and conflict with others. The world of business and the world of money seems to such leaders a hostile immoral environment to which they do not seek to adapt. Apparently, this explains the strong downward trend in economic activity (Kupreychenko, 2011).
In the process of solving problems faced by a businessman, important role assigned to him system of values. Human values are directly related to culture and norms social environment. This must be taken into account both in business activities and in advisory work. Business values have always diverged from traditional ones in many respects, for example, the indefatigable enjoyment of life among the "new Russians" and virtues: diligence, diligence, punctuality. A businessman's list of values can be quite broad, such as power, career, education, family, money, work, age, risk, attitudes toward other cultures, ethnic groups, age, risk, work, helping others, rewards and punishments, law, pleasure, and etc.
Relations with others are also determined by the content of the life position of a businessman. In practice, models that allow a person to realize their life positions work well, the most common among which is the E. Berne model:
- 1. "I'm fine – are you okay". People who have such a position in life are generally positive about themselves. They are responsive, maintain good relations with others, inspire confidence, calm, responsive to changes in the situation. They value good relations, contact with others.
- 2. "I'm fine – you're not okay." People who adhere to this position in life are generally positive about themselves, but they feel a very significant difference between themselves and those around them. They consider most other people to be imperfect or worse than themselves. They believe that other people are not so smart, honest, moral, attractive or experienced. They have an inflated self-importance, are difficult to communicate, look arrogant, suppress others, exaggerate their role in the work.
- 3. "I'm not fine – are you okay". People of this life position believe that they have a significant weakness or shortcoming, which is why they are inferior to others. They lack optimism towards themselves. They focus on their weaknesses, failures, shortcomings, lack self-confidence, are prone to retreat, do not have sufficient conviction, are not able to take the initiative, underestimate their role in work, succumb to stress. Others they value more highly, look at others from the bottom up.
- 4. "I'm not fine – you're not okay." People in this position may feel overwhelmed, may lose faith in their ability to create acceptable living conditions for themselves, or feel the pleasure of life. They are not energetic enough, they are not able to persevere, they are used to failures, they are not creative enough in their work. Any relationship is felt by them as a complete disappointment.
We can find justification for all four life positions, but still, for making a decision that balances the interests of various parties, the first position is most favorable, since it contributes to the establishment of harmonious relations with others.
The improvement of morals always lags behind the progress of technology and technology. Whether a businessman will try to do something more than what he currently is, whether he will strive to expand his capabilities and those of his firm, what he will consider success and what success will satisfy him, depends on what is really he wants and appreciates. These and other questions are related to the moral position of a businessman. Thus, the moral factor plays an important role in the activities of a businessman, in the ways and means of achieving success, and in the criteria for evaluating what has been achieved.
The professional ethics of a businessman is based on traditional ideas about business and management, as well as on the modern ethical standards of society. In our country, it is still being formed. One of the features of a civilized business is the growth of psychological and moral factors. This is evidenced by the experience of developed countries of the world community. Practically in all manuals it is noted that a businessman and a manager should be characterized by moral maturity. It manifests itself in dissatisfaction with the achieved business successes, concern for one's moral perfection. "Money and morality" is a principle known in many countries for several centuries. In our time, it has been transformed into the principle of "economic science and social morality."
In modern business ethics, the main attention is paid to the justification of the principles and norms of moral behavior of all participants in the organization, the need to treat official rights and duties as a professional duty, obstacles are created for the development of socially dangerous personality traits: immodesty, injustice, bribery, biased selection of personnel, abuse power and bad habits.
Business ethics in all areas includes examples of the best moral solution to specific management problems. New Approach in business, it relies on human wisdom, which is opposed to the functional and narrowly focused solution of individual problems. Therefore, moral issues occupy a large place in business ethics. They contribute to the preservation and strengthening of the moral health of the individual and the team.
Taking care of the state of one's moral health is the professional duty of a businessman and leader. Although, of course, the problem of moral health is a very complex one.
It is possible only in general terms to present the main components of this concept: moral feelings, moral position, moral habits, moral self-control. Therefore, it is important for a businessman to pay attention to his own values, goals, feelings in achieving socially significant success.
There is a social, cultural conditionality of the criteria for moral health. For example, if 20 years ago the best confirmation of the moral health of a person was moral uncompromisingness, now more and more people are turning to a reasonable understanding of the situation, a vision of the short and long term, and the ability to make a reasonable compromise. This applies to modern management as well. Therefore, the ethics of the work of a leader begin to include rules and techniques that were previously known only to diplomats, for example, ways to get out of a conflict, resolve a contradiction.
The modern theory (methodology and technology) of business management pays great attention to the problem of ethics and, as a result, to the improvement of the management system as a whole. This can be seen in many works, for example, M. Tribus on the diagnosis of diseases of the management system, M. Mescon and others on the types of management and the need for a deep analysis of social responsibility and ethics of management, J. Duncan on ways to manage goal-oriented systems, the human factor, coordination and change ; R. Blake, J. Mouton about management methods conflict situations etc.
From the experience of working with the leaders of business organizations, we are convinced that the development of the moral positions of the teams also takes place along the path of strengthening the civilized way of life. As a rule, a friendly atmosphere is felt in a mature team. You can feel the enthusiasm of people for the tasks set. Employees are confident in their abilities, show respect for leaders, trust in colleagues. In order for relations in the team to be based on moral values, the efforts of all members of the team, a management system based on democratic principles, and the activity of the leader himself in this direction are necessary.
The indicators of the moral health of the team are:
- compliance of the moral values of the team with universal human values;
- the enthusiasm of employees for the tasks that are set for the team or the acceptance by subordinates of common goals;
- conscious labor discipline and distribution of duties, the fulfillment of which is a prerequisite for the existence of the organization;
- satisfaction of team members with communication and joint labor activity and conviction in justice and correct attitude towards oneself;
- the presence of noble moral values in the team;
- the presence of moral security for each member in the team, for example, the teaching staff guarantees the individual security from any immoral attacks, non-recognition of his dignity;
- the presence of moral creativity, which is manifested in the desire of the team to interpret (realize, comprehend) the moral principles and norms of society, as well as develop these principles and norms and collectively create new ones;
- the presence of traditions of holding disputes, round tables, conferences, where such problems as professional duty, honor, dignity, professional ethics are discussed.
A modern businessman has a large arsenal of means to maintain an appropriate moral climate in his team. Ultimately moral relations affect the results of affairs and the state of people in the team. In the literature, these are referred to as morale technologies. When thinking through this technology, businessmen need to take into account that all employees, especially those who are managers of various ranks, participate in solving their tasks in different ways, depending on their place in the hierarchical ladder.
Business performs a variety of functions: planning, organizing, directing and controlling. Senior executives spend most of their time planning and organizing the business. Given this, it is important for a businessman to carefully analyze what he spends his money on. working time whether the responsibilities of its employees are rationally distributed and whether all management functions are reflected in specific activities. The business organizer can influence the distribution of professional functions, the formation of management bodies, the development of common goals, the creation of traditions, etc. Moral influence plays a big role in this.
Let us give examples of moral influence that will contribute to the moral improvement of a professional team and the development of the principles of business and interpersonal cooperation.
- 1. Creation of working conditions worthy of people. These are objectively acting factors in which the attitude towards the physical and mental health of employees is manifested. These conditions correspond to ergonomic standards and aesthetic needs.
- 2. Creation of conditions for professional and ethical growth of employees through various courses, means mass media, discussions of specific situations and actions, etc.
- 3. Creation of conditions for the accumulation of professional experience and the transfer of traditions. For example, mentoring, through which experienced professionals pass on their experience to young ones. It is easier to learn from examples. Instructions that are not supported by examples have little, if not the opposite, effect.
- 4. Organization of work with the public. In developed European countries many business structures are involved in the life of society. For example, in the work of the boards of trustees of educational institutions, the organization of holidays, in the activities of socially significant structures, etc. Such work is necessary, first of all, to create stable conditions for the life of society, without which business cannot develop. Public relations is an important tool not only for solving the company's urgent problems, such as selling products, entering new markets, but also for solving strategic problems related to survival and development. In our country, this tool is still poorly used by firms.
- 5. Use in the work of methods of moral influence. These methods are widely represented in the management literature. Traditionally, these include moral persuasion, moral examples, systematic work with literary sources, consultations, business and role-playing games, and public assignments.
Modern approaches to business ethics presuppose the development of civilized forms of relations (Samoukin, Samoukina, 2001).
This needs to be taught to both managers and employees of firms. Learning occurs both through analysis own experience, and through the use of theoretical and practical examples work of our and foreign managers. It is important to note that the process of transferring cultural stereotypes, norms, rules in management has a number of problems. For example, M. Tribus, the author of the so-called viral theory of management, wittily writes about this. His approach is connected with the creation of conditions for a developed management system, analysis of the state of health of the organization. He believes that the processes can also suffer from immunodeficiency. Managers need to work on management systems in the same way that they work on solving specific problems. The management system can only be improved with the help of the people themselves, who can understand and get rid of their stereotypes and thereby change the typical management scheme when necessary.
In conclusion, the conclusion suggests itself that the achievement of socially significant success in an organization and the survival of a business in a democratic and civilized society are impossible without the development of business ethics, which will be reflected in employees and the system of work of the organization as a whole. Neglect of moral standards deprives the manager, his subordinates and the structure he manages of stability in dynamic social conditions, development prospects on a par with the best organizations and serious and reliable partners.
- De George R. T. Business ethics / per. from English. R. I. Stolper. St. Petersburg: School of Economics. Moscow: Progress Publishing Group, 2001.
- United States Sentencing Commission Guidelines Manual // United States Sentencing Commission. 1993. November 1. Ch. eight. Byrne E. People who play games. Moscow: Eksmo, 2011.
- Ivanova N. L., Mikhailova E. V., Shtroo V. A. Introduction to business psychology. Moscow: HSE Publishing House. 2008.
- Tribus M. Viral management theory. Moscow: RIA Standards and quality. 1997.
Sometimes fear is equated with cowardice, but it is not. It appears independently of the will of a person and becomes a barrier that must be overcome (taken under control) by doing bold deeds. The ability to manage your fear is important for every person, and not just firefighters, doctors and those whose professions are directly related to the manifestation of courage and self-control.
Courage and fearlessness
In the generally accepted understanding, courage is associated with such characteristics as fearlessness, courage, heroism, valor and bravery. Psychologists define courage as the ability to act quickly (both for life and health) to achieve a goal.
Courage is a sign of good character that makes people worthy of respect. The enemy of courage is the fear of failure, loneliness, humiliation, success, public speaking. And in order to keep your psychological state in balance, you must be able to resist fear.
The Soviet psychologist, Platonov K.K., singled out 3 forms of fearlessness: courage, courage and bravery. achieves a result in any situation, consciously imagining all its danger. It happens differently with brave people: they enjoy danger and emotional experiences. As for a brave person, then, according to the definition of a Soviet psychologist, for such a person a sense of duty is higher than fear.
Fearlessness and courage are the antipodes of fear, which must be cultivated in oneself in order to achieve success and victory. Moreover, fearlessness should be understood as the ability to control behavior when a feeling of fear is felt.
Courage training
The body of a person reflects his inner experiences. The image of a timid person looks confused: an uncertain gait, lack of gesticulation when talking, stoop and downcast eyes. Therefore, it is necessary to train oneself to overcome fear not only to achieve goals, but also to form a beautiful body.
Training begins with overcoming small fears. There is a fear Then start by oratory in front of friends. When it becomes easy, gather a larger group, for example, about 20 people, and perform in front of them until you get used to not being afraid.
If there is a panic when communicating and meeting girls, start talking with grandmothers or try smiling at the person you like on the street.
The first workout for young students can be that will help the young person to cope with the first worries. Here are just a few examples: "Whoever goes forward, fear does not take him"; "Who dares, he is whole"; "The courage of the city takes" and others.
Formula of fearlessness
Courage is the ability to act in defiance of fear, to overcome which you must have certain qualities:
- Self-control is the ability to suppress exciting emotions and act reasonably.
- Focus and calculation. These qualities help to find the optimal resolution in a situation and to notice all the subtleties of the circumstances.
- Mobilization of forces - the concentration of internal reserves, followed by a flash of energy aimed at fighting, courage, courage .
- Confidence is the ability not to panic and realize that everything in this world can be solved, all obstacles can be overcome and there is nothing to be afraid of.
Courage without fear is madness
Fear in assessing unsafe situations is inherent in all sane people. it defensive reaction organism, arising in a dangerous state of affairs and generating an emotional outburst that sends impulses to the brain about the need to avoid the threat. Fear paralyzes the will, making us defenseless and unable to resist.
There are no fearless people. Recall at least the film comedy "Striped Flight", when the character, refusing to enter the cage to predators - tigers, said: "I'm not a coward, but I'm afraid."
A brave person is still not fearless, but taking risks, knowing in advance the danger of the situation. But the ability to overcome the feeling of fear and fear is considered courage.
Courage is not the absence of fear, but the ability to control emotions, control oneself, one's actions, actions when feeling anxious.