Evolution of Business Ethics in today’Legal Environment

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Evolution of Business Ethics in today’Legal Environment

Despite the factors contributing to the evolution of the business environment, Aristole’s politike is still relevant and applicable today. Business ethics in a legal environment have evolved over the years because of the way we do business. As the times change, people and their morals change. When people’s morals change, so do the way they do business. In the past businesses and companies only had to address mediocre unethical acts. Now we have Martha Stewart illegally buying stock tips. Companies’ ethics are actually a sign of the times. Many attributes contribute to the unethical behavior of many professional and business persons. These contributions include economic, political and social attributes. They not only plague our country but the world as a whole. In this report, we will discuss three contributing factors that legally affect the business environment and how Aristotle’s politike show their relevance in today’s business world. In addition, we will address the major unethical acts that have impacted two major companies, Enron and Author Anderson.
One’s first question, what is Business Ethics? Our text defines it as a branch of applied ethics is the study and determination of what is right and good in business settings. Many people in the business world are familiar with their company’s ethics because it is part of their training when they begin employment. The federal government also has their own set of ethics that they give to each employee upon their entrance on duty. Codes of conduct are also address in many businesses’ code of ethics. Many of the unethical issues that were dealt with years ago only had to do with social issues like affairs between colleagues. The first major ethical issues that became legal issues were that of Richard Nixon’s resignation as a result of the “Watergate” scandal. The burglary was commi...