Apa itu Etika Bisnis?

Definisi etika bisnis menurut Business & Society – Ethics and Stakeholder Management (Caroll & Buchholtz):

Ethics is the discipline that deals with what is good and bad and with moral duty and obligation. Ethics can also be regarded as a set of moral principles or values. Morality is a doctrine or system of moral conduct. Moral conduct refers to that which relates to principles of right and wrong in behavior. Business ethics, therefore, is concerned with good and bad or right and wrong behavior that takes place within a business context. Concepts of right and wrong are increasingly being interpreted today to include the more difficult and subtle questions of fairness, justice, and equity.

Dari sumber yang lain, disebutkan:

Ethics is a philosophical term derived from the Greek word “ethos,” meaning character or custom. This definition is germane to effective leadership in organizations in that it connotes an organization code conveying moral integrity and consistent values in service to the public.
(R. Sims, Ethics and Corporate Social Responsibility – Why Giants Fall, C.T.:Greenwood Press, 2003)

Jadi, ada beberapa kata kunci di sini, yaitu:

* Ethics: Is the discipline that deals with what is good and bad and with moral duty and obligation, can also be regarded as a set of moral principles or values.
* Ethical behavior: Is that which isaccepted as morally “good” and “right” as opposed to “bad” or “wrong” in a particular setting.
* Morality: A system or doctrine of moral conduct which refers to principles of right and wrong in behavior.

Etika bisnis sendiri terbagi dalam:

* Normative ethics: Concerned with supplying and justifying a coherent moral system of thinking and judging. Normative ethics seeks to uncover, develop, and justify basic moral principles that are intended to guide behavior, actions, and decisions.
R. DeGeorge, Business Ethics, 5th ed. (Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Prentice-Hall, 2002)
* Descriptive ethics: Is concerned with describing, characterizing, and studying the morality of a people, a culture, or a society. It also compares and contrasts different moral codes, systems, practices, beliefs, and values.
R. A. Buchholtz and S. B. Rosenthal, Business Ethics (Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Prentice Hall, 1998).