What is the difference between ethical and unethical behavior? (2024)

Unethical behavior can be defined as actions that are against social norms or acts that are considered unacceptable to the public.

Ethical behavior is the complete opposite of unethical behavior. Ethical behavior follows the majority of social norms and such actions are acceptable to the public.

Examples of ethical and unethical behavior:

Unethical: “A student used plagiarism on their final written assignment to get a higher grade” This is unethical because it goes against social norms and the majority of the people would find this act unacceptable.

Ethical: “A student worked hard on research for their final written assignment and used in text citations and references to earn a higher grade” This is ethical because it does not go against social norms and the majority of the people would find this act acceptable.

References

Gino, F. (2016). Understanding ordinary unethical behavior: Why people who value
morality act immorally. Current Opinion in Behavioral Sciences, 3, 107-111. https://www.hbs.edu/faculty/Publication%20Files/Gino%202015%20%20Understanding%20Ordinary%20Unethi cal%20Behavior_73a2aae2- 8013-46fb-bd35-5c1fb5a75c4b.pdf

What is the difference between ethical and unethical behavior? (2024)

FAQs

What is the difference between ethical and unethical behavior? ›

Answer. Unethical behavior can be defined as actions that are against social norms or acts that are considered unacceptable to the public. Ethical behavior is the complete opposite of unethical behavior. Ethical behavior follows the majority of social norms and such actions are acceptable to the public.

What is an example of unethical behavior? ›

Asking for recognition for someone else's job, calling in sick to go to the hill station, sabotaging someone else's work, and, in sales, falsifying the product or service to fulfill the target are all examples of unethical behavior in the workplace.

What is the difference between ethical issues and unethical practices? ›

When we look at the differences in the two terms, the main difference is that ethical is being morally principled and has a good conduct whereas unethical is the total opposite of it. An ethical principle in one society may be unethical in another society and these differ from one society to another.

What is an example of ethical behaviour? ›

Examples of ethical behaviors in the workplace includes; obeying the company's rules, effective communication, taking responsibility, accountability, professionalism, trust and mutual respect for your colleagues at work. These examples of ethical behaviors ensures maximum productivity output at work.

What are the factors that determine ethical and unethical behavior? ›

Individual factors, such as knowledge, values, personal goals, morals and personality. Social factors, such as cultural norms, the Internet and friends and family. Situational opportunities can provide an unethical employee with the freedom of choice that can lead to bad decisions.

What is ethical behavior? ›

Ethical behaviour is characterized by honesty, fairness and equity in interpersonal, professional and academic relationships and in research and scholarly activities. Ethical behaviour respects the dignity, diversity and rights of individuals and groups of people.

What is an unethical person? ›

: not conforming to a high moral standard : morally wrong : not ethical. illegal and unethical business practices. immoral and unethical behavior. unethically. ˌən-ˈe-thi-k(ə-)lē

What are the four common causes of unethical behavior? ›

Why Do Employees Make Unethical Decisions?
  • Pressure to Succeed. Employees may choose to act unethically based on unrealistic expectations to succeed. ...
  • Employees Are Afraid to Speak Up. ...
  • Lack of Training. ...
  • There's No Policy for Reporting. ...
  • Managers Setting Bad Examples.

What is unethical behavior in the workplace? ›

What Constitutes Unethical Behavior? Unethical behavior in the workforce is not restricted to overt acts. It includes workers acting out and aggressively confronting supervisors, supervisees, and colleagues, and it includes more subtle behaviors that compromise people, productivity, and organizations.

Why does a person act unethically? ›

Predictable situational and social forces lead people to behave unethically. People often cross ethical boundaries without realizing they are doing so. Morality is malleable, rather than being a stable trait.

How will you show ethical behaviors? ›

Here are ethical behaviour examples you can use as a reference to improve the workplace:
  • Punctuality. ...
  • Following rules of conduct. ...
  • Respecting other people. ...
  • Helping teammates accomplish organisation goals. ...
  • Maintaining a professional demeanour. ...
  • Exercising accountability. ...
  • Delivering high-quality work. ...
  • Serving the customer.

What are the consequences of unethical behavior? ›

Overall, unethical behavior in public organizations can erode trust, damage relationships with stakeholders, and negatively impact the organization's reputation.

How to define ethics? ›

Ethics examines the rational justification for our moral judgments; it studies what is morally right or wrong, just or unjust. In a broader sense, ethics reflects on human beings and their interaction with nature and with other humans, on freedom, on responsibility and on justice.

Which of the following most likely determines unethical behavior? ›

Answer: 4 external factors such as environmental or cultural elements Explanation: Unethical behavior means…

What are the three areas of unethical behavior discuss each? ›

The three areas of unethical behavior are deceptive practices, illegal activities, and non-customer-oriented behavior. Deceptive practices refer to any attempt by the salesperson to mislead or otherwise deceive the buyer.

What causes ethical issues? ›

There are many causes of ethical issues. These can include disagreements over what is right and wrong, personal beliefs, or organizational values. Sometimes, people may act in ways that they believe are ethical, but others may disagree. This can lead to conflict and tension.

What are unethical situations in everyday life? ›

Gossiping about colleagues behind their back, usually badmouthing them. Taking time off by lying about sickness (oops, well enough to walk around in the neighborhood while out sick). Work hours/Time-sheet manipulation. Taking care of personal business on work time.

What are three examples of unethical behavior by a customer? ›

However, an often overlooked and understudied aspect involves unethical behaviour on the part of customers. Unethical behaviour by consumers can include shoplifting small consumer goods, using a coupon for merchandise not purchased, and consuming a product in-store and not paying for it.

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