Because ethics affects the behavior of individuals on behalf of the companies that employ them, many firms are adopting codes of ethics. As a business owner and an individual you are responsible for employees, customers/suppliers, the community, and society. Keeping this in mind should help in creating a code of ethics. With any business, if you don't have the support of these people then your business would probably fail. Here are a few things I would include in a code of ethics business.1. Choosing to operate on an ethical level that is higher than required by law. 2. All employees will act at all times with integrity. 3. All employees will accept full responsibility for their work and actions. 3. Will always aim to improve both professionally and personally. 4. Will always act in a professional manner both with colleagues and customers. 5. Respect the rights of customers and hold in confidence all information that is required such by the organization. As an individual the golden rule would apply, "Do unto others as you would have them do onto you." Ethics can be a dilemma because everyone has a different upbringing and value system. What some may consider unethical others may not.
             As far as the corporate attorney that wants to conduct sexual harassment training just so the organization can say they did it, I totally disagree with this. The more informed people are about ethical decision-making the better off the company will be. Like I said before not everyone thinks the same about ethical issues. Some people may not be offended by lude remarks and other might. It all revolves around an individuals value system.
             I feel an employer has a social responsibility to society itself to bring corporate behavior up to a level where it is congruent with the prevailing social norms, values, and expectations of behavior. In my opinion GM set aside this social responsibility because they didn't want to loose anymore more ...