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Virtue Ethics in Organizations


Business and honesty are often considered as antonyms in the nowadays complicated business environment. Individuals find ways to violate the set rules in order to increase the profits of their companies. Thus, they practice questionable and often unfair methods. The aim of this essay is to analyze the behavior of Jim Smith, the accountant who worked for the ABC Insurance Company, from a virtue ethics perspective and to define which virtues are at stake.
The detailed examination of the situation shows that the virtues of happiness, fairness, integrity, honesty, care, and truthfulness are at stake. According to Aristotle’s teachings, individuals experience happiness when they achieve the greatest good for all; however, Jim does not want the best possible good for everyone. He only cares about himself and about his personal enrichment at the cost of others. His questionable actions in the company prove that.
In addition, the virtues of care and self-sacrifice are in danger as well because Jim does not feel responsible and does not care for the individuals that he can possibly harm if the claims would ever exceed the calculations. At the same time, Jim demonstrates his unreliability and irresponsibility towards the closest family (if he has one), since if the ABC company gets bankrupt because of his actions, he and his family will be significantly harmed as well.
His virtues of integrity and honor are being compromised because Jim considers lying to be a useful and creative method to increase the profits of the company. Obviously, there is no honor in a conscious and intentional deception for the sake of personal financial gain.
In conclusion, the analysis of Jim’s behavior and actions shows that he did not act ethically from an virtue ethics perspective. His duty as an accountant was to report the correct income of the company, while as a human, he was supposed to care not only about himself. Consequently, he failed both his professional and human role.
Cody Harper is a talented writer at https://order-essays.com/buy-case-brief-writing. He likes to depict his thoughts on paper.

Harper, C. 2020, Virtue Ethics in Organizations.

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