Can Ethics Be Taught A Critique

Given the dynamic nature of ethics, the question of whether ethics can be taught remains to be answered. Ethics cannot be defined explicitly as it is dependent on the priorities and opinions of a society. It is actually possible to teach employees and management on how to maintain ethical behaviors. In many situations, organizations are tempted to pursue profits and power. Falling to these temptations can lead to the development of an irresponsible organization which harms the employees, consumers or the environment (Paskoff, 2014). Corporations commit themselves to these codes and have to adhere to them, strictly. Examples include the UN Global Compact on ethics (Paskoff, 2014). However, major flops in ethics have been revealed in recent times. This has especially arisen in the military.

This establishes the question on which this essay is based; if these large corporations cannot be able to adhere to ethical conduct, can ethics be taught? Employees and all members of an organization can be taught ethics. It is encouraged to give employee ethical learning materials that they can take away from work. Keeping the learning informal also works incredibly, as it helps reduce the idea that the process is a punishment or a compulsory element of work. It is fit to ensure that the senior employees take part as role models in the practice (Hodges, 2016). Moreover, the learning should be sustainable and sensitize the employees of the harm that comes with unethical behavior. The focus on ethical code of conduct has increased recently.