Business Ethics over Time
Ethics in business has changed over time. Read this section to learn more.
Learning Objectives
By the end of this section, you will be able to:
Besides culture, the other major influence in the development of business ethics is the passage of time. Ethical standards do not remain fixed; they transform in response to evolving situations. Over time, people change, technology advances, and cultural mores (i.e., acquired culture and manners) shift. What was considered an appropriate or accepted business practice one hundred or even fifty years ago may not carry the same moral weight it once did. However, this does not mean ethics and moral behavior are relative. It simply acknowledges that attitudes change in relationship to historical events and that cultural perspective and the process of acculturation are not stagnant.
- Describe the ways ethical standards change over time
- Identify major shifts in technology and ethical thinking over the last five hundred years
- Explain the impact of government and self-imposed regulation on ethical standards and practices in the United States
Besides culture, the other major influence in the development of business ethics is the passage of time. Ethical standards do not remain fixed; they transform in response to evolving situations. Over time, people change, technology advances, and cultural mores (i.e., acquired culture and manners) shift. What was considered an appropriate or accepted business practice one hundred or even fifty years ago may not carry the same moral weight it once did. However, this does not mean ethics and moral behavior are relative. It simply acknowledges that attitudes change in relationship to historical events and that cultural perspective and the process of acculturation are not stagnant.
Source: Rice University, https://opentextbc.ca/businessethicsopenstax/chapter/business-ethics-over-time/
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