What defines choices and behaviors in our everyday lives? It is different for each of us. It is necessary to never separate business and personal ethics or man will experience a tremendous conflict of integrity. Man should recognize his character, motivations and an approach when making ethical decisions.
Character is developed through a number of influences and over many years. Family has a strong influence on our values and how we behave in society. From the time that we are children, family is directing us in the "right" direction. The concept of "right" is different for many people, stemming from different cultures, regions of the world, and paths of life. But there seem to be an understood idea of right and wrong in all societies. As a child my parents did a number of things to assist in the development of my character. I was encouraged to be honest, fair, and friendly and was punished for things like misbehaving at school or lying to them. Parents establish rules from the start and that becomes the basis for our values and norms. These rules of what is right and wrong are the very core of our character, yet there is much more to be developed. Family continues to influence us but our peers seem to take on a more significant role as we age. Friends play a large p!.
art in defining what is expected of us in society and even in the business world. It is often with our friends that we have to actually start making those ethical decisions. Friends invite us to steal a pack of gum, try a drink of alcohol, like to our parents, and the conflict of integrity begins. We start to develop a habit of standing up for our beliefs or going along with the crowd. It is so easy to follow the crowd because it is a lot less lonely of a place, so that is what many kids do. Another strong influence on our character is religious beliefs - which can, more often than not, be coupled with the influence of family and/or friends.
