Law and Ethics

Law and Ethics
Name
Institutional Affiliation
Law and Ethics
Introduction
Ethics and laws are the outcomes of the understanding that unregulated human interactions often result in conflict and dispute. The ethics and laws in the society as well as in the workplace, therefore, ensure gracious interactions between individuals who are always in the company of each other. While ethics are innate, of personal responsibility in deciding between perceived right, and wrong, laws, on the other hand, are social obligations and often result in punitive measures for the offenders. Despite the differences, ethics and laws play a unified role in the protection of the assets and relationships of an organization. The association between ethics and law is such that laws enforce ethical behavior by converting the requirements of ethics into socially determined choices.
Laws and Regulations
Gareth R. Jones in his book on ‘the introduction to the business’ with a focus on ‘how companies can create value for people’ provides a concise description of law and the process of law in business. Conversely, the society can use political and legal processes to lobby for laws that specify what individuals in the said society can do or cannot do (Jones, 2007). In the same description of dos and don’ts, the laws also specify the ramifications of ignoring the boundaries, for businesses and even for individuals. The laws operate on the beliefs of the society regarding right and wrong, thereby changing the actions of individuals from ethical to socially determined realms.

In the confines of the law, the individual has no choice but to act ethically considering the punishments that follow the contrary behavior. In the setting of an organization, the laws are represented using various policy programs, workplace ethics and codes of conduct. Further, the international labor laws govern the legal directives in a workplace setting. The outcome is a situation in which as a member of the workforce, I am faced with a situation in which I can alter the financial records of the organization for my benefit. The action centers on fraud and theft, which are punishable by law in all constitutions. The law and its knowledge will thus force my ethical behavior because I cannot risk facing the penalty of fraud and theft as an outcome of my actions.
Ethical Rules
In business, ethics represent the inner-guiding principles that represent morals and values and are useful in making the distinction between ‘right’ and ‘wrong.’ The outcome of analyzing business ethics is the consideration of ethical dilemma, which is a position in which someone must choose between serving their self-interests or working for the interest of the organization and the stakeholders (Jones, 2007).
Conversely, the implications of ethical rules in a business setting vary depending on the individual or a situation. An illustration is a situation in which a client offers payment so that I can place their requests ahead of the requests of the individuals that were before them. The offer of payment is an appeal to my self-serving interests since the money can minimise my financial burden seeing that the payment period is far off. On the other hand, the individual is requesting to pass others in the queue, individuals who happen to have urgent needs, as well as engagements and they, have been waiting for their fair share of time. The position in the workplace presents an ethical dilemma, which I have to resolve by upholding ethical standards individually and professionally.
Workplace ethics are an asset to the organization because they direct the employees towards the protection and respect for the other assets in the organization. Integrity and strong ethics will result in the employing having the drive to ensure the wellbeing of the organization which intern will be beneficial to the organization and the stakeholders. An illustration is the minimal instances of fraud and theft, in addition to the destruction of company property as well as cordial associations among the members of the workforce. The business will also benefit from a reliable public image, which is the outcome of the workers dealing fairly with members of the public.
Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR)
Organisational policies along with the international labor laws present the option of litigation, which is taking legal action following a violation of set laws and regulations. While the way of the law is effective in handling the shortcoming of ethics and law in the workplace, the process comes with added time and monetary strain to both parties. Therefore, it is beneficial for the parties to resolve the dispute outside the directives of the judicial systems.
Alternative dispute resolution (ADR) presents a solution to disputes in the workplace without costing the organization or the individuals involved concerning money and time (Jones, 2007). The process of ADR follows resolving a dispute using measures such as mediation and arbitration. Other considerations in ADR are the early neutral evaluations that counter a bad situation before it reaches its climax. Further, the organization can opt for negotiations in which the disputing parties resort to meet each other halfway in a bid to maintain cordial interactions in the workplace. Conciliation is a separate alternative in which the aggrieved parties are placated using various measures.
The common forms of ADR processes in my workplace include the use mediation through third-party involvement along with negotiation. In the process of mediation, the individuals in authority, usually the human resource department will take measures to summon the disputing parties and initiate the mediation process. Through mediation, both parties explain their grievances and stances and listen to the position of the other individual. Usually, the process of mediation culminates into negotiations where the human resource department asks the parties to present conditions to their continued coordination. Through a give and take exchange, the disputing parties arrive at a resolution on their future corporation in the absence of the dispute.
Conclusion
The relationship between ethics and law is such that laws enforce ethical behavior by converting the requirements of ethics into socially determined choices. Thus, while ethics is the responsibility of the individual in deciding between the perceived right and wrong for the good of the society, laws present a contrary option (Jones, 2007). The laws, which are enforced by the judicial system, act as a force of the society in influencing the decision between right and wrong. The individual caught breaking the law faces various punitive measures that discourage lawlessness.
While laws and ethics are useful in ensuring cordial relationships, it is impossible for individuals to abide by the requirements of law constantly. The outcome is disputed whose resolution cost time and money with the involvement of the judicial system. The cost-effective solution to restoring social relationships in the workplace without litigation is alternative dispute resolution, which includes measures such as mediation and negotiations.

References
Jones, G. R., (2007). Introduction to business: How companies create value for people- Chapter 5, McGraw-Hill/Irwin, pages 138-171.