Defining Ethics

Prompt #2 by Jacob Schmitt

Ethics is a very broad topic, and each individual generally has their own code or standard that they live by. Specifically in the business field, there seems to be a stereotype that businessmen, especially successful ones, got where they are by being 'sleezy' and cheating others out of their hard earned money. I find this generalization is misrepresented even more for individuals working in the insurance field. The government is constantly implementing laws that try to protect ordinary citizens from corporate monsters who they believe lie and cheat to make a profit. While I'm sure there are certain companies that are unethical in the way they turn a profit, this is both a very well known and inaccurate stereotype that the business field as a whole has received.

When looking for examples of ethical code, one organization stood out from from the rest: The American Marketing Association. The beginning section of their ethical code starts as: "The American Marketing Association commits itself to promoting the highest standard of professional ethical norms and values for its members (practitioners, academics and students). Norms are established standards of conduct that are expected and maintained by society and/or professional organizations. Values represent the collective conception of what communities find desirable, important and morally proper. Values also serve as the criteria for evaluating our own personal actions and the actions of others" Following this preamble section, the association continues to define each ethical norm and value they stand by, and how that relates to their employees. You can find each specific value at the following here. These are values that reflect not only the ethics of the association and of the business field, but my personal ethics as well. 

An example of these business ethics stereotypes occurs with insurance agents. I have previous work experience at State Farm Agent's offices both in central and southwest Michigan. State Farm as a company serves customers with both insurance and financial needs. Until recently, State Farm agents have been able to advise and help families save for retirement through mutual funds and IRA's. In 2015, a law was passed making it illegal for insurance agents to advise customers about retirement. Although I personally do not agree with the law, I can understand why the government wanted to pass it; ethical stereotypes. It was assumed that the individual agents would advise customers based on what would make the agent the most money instead of what would most benefit the customer, and although there are some agents who operate business like this (under my personal definition of unethical), it does not accurately represent State Farm agents as a whole. Especially not  those I have experience with.


The problem about ethics relating to the business field is not that people do not understand what they are, but that people do not believe businessmen and women actually follow these codes of conduct. As I stated with my previous example about State Farm agents, many times people know there are options for people in the business field to be unethical, and automatically assume they will be unethical. Now this can be for better or for worse depending on the situation, but in this example I firmly believe it is for the worse. Even if the new law does manage to limit the corruption of a handful of State Farm agents, it does not take into consideration the effect it will have on the other State Farm agents and their customers. Not only will it reduce profits made by State Farm agents, it probably has the greatest toll on lower to middle class customers. For many, money is scarce, and they do not have enough to pay for a financial planner. Free retirement advising from their local friendly agent may be the only way they would know to or have the means of saving for retirement, which could adversely affect them for the rest of their lives. At this point any argument would get very opinionated, but personally I believe the benefit to all of the ethical agent’s customers would far outweigh the negative effects of customers with unethical agents. In other words, I believe the law did more harm than good both in helping customers of State Farm agents, and in fighting ethical stereotypes of businessmen and women. 

You can agree or disagree with me on this argument, but in the end the point I'm trying to make is that we need to end these ethical stereotypes. And I believe this is accomplished through education. People need to stop assuming others are either ethical or unethical based on their profession. If you are wondering or suspicious, do your research. Look into the company (in this case both the agency and State Farm itself), talk to current customers, and know whether the organization does or doesn't fit into your own perception of ethical. Assumptions are how stereotypes are created and upheld, in any field, and need to end in order to know the actual ethical truth, eliminating or at least dissolving any repercussions that may occur based on these ethical stereotypes. 


Works Cited

"Activities." Council of European Professional Informatics Societies. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Apr. 2017.

"Statement of Ethics." AMA. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Apr. 2017

Support, Injured Worker. "Right Decision, Wrong Decision Road Sign." Injured Workers Support Network. N.p., 10 Dec. 2012. Web. 14 Apr. 2017.