Ethical Standards in Business

Holding people in certain professions to a higher standard is establishing the tone to creating the “greater good” for all people. People in certain professions should be held to higher standards of responsibility and legal accountability. For instance, if a reporter makes a wrong statement, it can be fairly easy to correct; however if a doctor/health care worker makes an error it can be a disaster.

The effects of a reporter’s false comments could cause some embarrassment or even complicate a person’s life, But words and statements can be altered to make things right. Usually the publication will settle with a monetary fine and a public apology statement, setting the situation right.

An error at the hands of a healthcare worker is one that is irreversible in many instances. This can result in a malpractice lawsuit or even the loss of the right to practice medicine. Major errors in the healthcare field are not only disturbing to those who hear of such situations through media publications, but it affects the lives of those who are directly involved with the one who has died or left impaired.

Of course, in any profession, there is going to be some amount of human error; this will never change because no human being is perfect. However, that is not to say that errors on one person’s part should happen with any frequency.

Professions that require more legal accountability and responsibility also require more education. These professionals are more knowledgeable than the average person in their respective fields and therefore more qualified to handle the tasks that the position hands them. Nobody would want just anyone performing open heart surgery on them; they would want a board certified surgeon who they know has obtained the required degree(s) and has spent the time working in the medical field. Although no one can force a person to be ethical or moral, if they do the requirements that are called for, they can enter into a profession such as the medical field.

Ultimately, the moral worth of actions or practices is determined by their consequences