Business ethics enforce the law by defining acceptable behavior not subject to government control. Auditing companies in Dubai build business ethics to promote the integrity of employees and gain the trust of key stakeholders such as investors and consumers. While corporate ethics programs have become popular, quality varies.
What are business ethics?
Business ethics are a set of standards that govern ethical business conduct. It focuses on the relationship between an organization’s technologies, practices, and goals. In addition, business ethics say that companies should be true to themselves and society.
Some examples of business ethics include treating workers fairly, charging customers fair prices, providing quality goods and services, earning reasonable profits, using accurate and appropriate weights for goods, etc.
However, unethical conduct includes bribing public officials to obtain services and defrauding customers through misleading advertisements and presenting a false image of the company in books and financial statements, using the company’s characteristics and assets for personal purposes, exposing competitors’ trade secrets, etc.
A businessman is considered ethical if he acts with integrity and serves the interests of society. Ethical business is good business because it works for the good of society. Ethical businesses have a good image in the public eye because people trust the business, which leads to tremendous success. Ethical activities benefit society, business people, and companies as it helps them improve their quality of life and work.
Organizations must operate with good business ethics to avoid legal and regulatory issues. However, it is also necessary to demonstrate solid ethical behavior to maintain a good reputation with the public and employees.
When an organization has a solid reputation in the marketplace, attracts and retains a solid client base, and maintains a talented workforce, it typically sees steady or increasing revenue growth. In addition, most people want to do business with a company that works fairly with others. Just as bad news can drive away customers, positive news can attract new customers.
Benefits of business ethics
The benefits of ethical business conduct include helping your business build customer loyalty, focus on investors, avoid legal issues, retain talented employees, and so on.
Build customer loyalty
Consumers may allow a company to take advantage of them once, but if they feel increasing fees are mistreating them, they will not be repeat customers. A loyal customer base is vital to long-term business success, as there is no marketing cost involved in serving existing customers while acquiring new ones.
Focus on investors
If investors know that the company they are associated with is highly ethical and will operate ethically, they will know that their money is safe and used responsibly. Plus, they can rest easy knowing they’re not indirectly contributing to unethical behavior.
This is an advantage because investors are more likely to continue funding the company.
A strong work ethic is also an attractive quality, meaning other investors are more interested in putting money into the company, keeping its stock price high, and protecting it from takeovers.
Enhance the company’s reputation.
A company’s reputation for ethical behavior helps to project a more positive image in the market, attracting new customers through word-of-mouth referrals. Conversely, a reputation for unethical dealings can hurt a company’s chances of acquiring new customers, especially in this age of social networking, where dissatisfied customers can quickly spread the word about their negative experiences.
Keep good employees
Talented people at every level of an organization expect to be paid fairly for their work and dedication. They want career growth within the organization to be based on the quality of their work, not nepotism. Finally, they want to be part of a company whose management team tells them the truth about what’s happening, like when it’s time to cut jobs or restructure.
Companies that are fair and open in their dealings with employees are more likely to retain talent. For example, employees who do not believe that compensation methods are fair often must perform more conscientiously.
Positive work environment
From the very first interview, employees have a responsibility to be ethical. They must be honest about their abilities and experience. Ethical employees are seen as team players, not just thinking about themselves as individuals. As a result, they develop positive relationships with their colleagues. Moderators hand them confidential information, so they usually have more autonomy.
Employees caught by their supervisors as lying harm their chances of advancement within the organization and may risk being fired. An extreme case of moral corruption is employee theft. In some industries, this can cost the company a lot of money, such as in restaurants where employees steal food from cupboards or refrigerators. Ethical companies avoid this behavior by educating every organization member about the expected behavior.
Avoid legal problems
Sometimes company management may cut corners in pursuit of profits, such as by not fully complying with environmental or labor laws, ignoring worker safety risks, or using substandard product materials. Penalties for getting caught can be severe, including legal fees, fines, or liabilities from government agencies. In addition, the resulting negative publicity can cause long-term damage to a company’s reputation, costing more than legal fees or fines.
In these situations, the advantages of business ethics become very clear, as companies that maintain the highest ethical standards are less likely to find themselves in this situation.
Business ethics are suitable for the company.
By operating with high ethical standards, companies can enhance the intrinsic motivation of executives, management teams, and employees to succeed. Furthermore, companies can attract and retain investors, and investors are attracted to companies that meet their standards of ethical conduct. In other words, a work ethic can help a company build a lasting, solid reputation and financial success.
Practice Honest Business Conduct
Auditing firms in the UAE must also treat their customers and partners fairly. They should not overcharge for products or services or exaggerate the value they offer. They must maintain the price, delivery, and service levels they promise their customers. They should not make unrealistic promises and accept responsibility when mistakes are made. Simply feeling mistrusted or cheated can damage your reputation.
Practice corporate social responsibility.
Public awareness of the organization’s corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities are growing. These efforts include reducing their carbon footprint and demonstrating environmental responsibility or a commitment to workplace diversity. As leaders plan and implement CSR initiatives, they must consider issues relevant to their industry, identify possible solutions, set measurable goals, and communicate these plans to the public.
Expect more profits
One of the most important reasons in business ethics is to increase profitability. Companies included in this year’s list of the World’s Most Ethical Companies have outperformed the Large Companies Index by 10.5 percent over the past three years. A well-implemented ethics program can also reduce losses. Also, business ethics is related to customer loyalty. Many consumers say they no longer buy from companies they consider unethical. On the other hand, three in ten consumers expressed support for ethical companies on social media. Business ethics foster trust, which in turn boosts branding and sales.
Drawbacks in business ethics
The main disadvantage of business ethics is that it reduces a company’s ability to maximize profits.
- Improvements in working conditions, such as giving workers a living wage and establishing adequate health and safety standards, are ethical but increase the cost of running these factories. This will reduce profits, which may be fine for large companies that can afford to spread the costs. But that can be a problem for small businesses, significantly if they’re growing.
- Developing, implementing, and maintaining business ethics can be time-consuming, especially if a company wishes to become more ethical after adopting unethical practices. Codes of ethics must also be constantly updated in light of changes in laws and regulations, especially as the company grows.
- Companies can streamline the process by appointing an ethics officer.
Final Thoughts
With increased scrutiny of business practices, it’s more important than ever for audit companies in Dubai to get things done correctly. Those Top auditing firms in Dubai know these ethical business rules and will never disappoint their customers. Organizations also need employees who are committed to making ethical decisions. However, while an audit company may have less freedom to maximize profits, acting responsibly benefits society. Ethical behavior also dramatically enhances a company’s reputation, impacting customer attraction, sales, investor, and employee retention.