In my MBA course called "The Global Manager," I wrote the following quick reply to a question about Ethics and Morals in the workforce. It's not polished; it's just a quick run-through of my thoughts about the topic. Maybe it will be of interest to you?

My concern with ethics is that it is varies relative to the social system in which it resides; it's an external compass about what should be done within a place and time. It's a value system, based on perceived priorities and implied actions that support goals or systemic cohesion. Conversely, morality is about character, which is internally driven by individuals. Also, morality is principle-based and does not vary relative to perceptions of the social milieu. Right is right (morality) instead of right is right only if it is accepted and valued (ethics) by others.

In my view ethics has a tool of its trade: accountability. Accountability is about evaluation of an outcome - at the end of a process. Accountability is often a scapegoat that facilitates blame-assignment. It's a cop-out, so to speak. It says, the error was caused because someone else dropped the ball or didn't follow the rules.

Morality focuses on responsibility, which is personally driven. Through responsibility one makes the right choices, even if they are tough, but the choice has nothing to do with acceptance or compliance. Responsibility never seeks to obtain approval, nor does it seek to comply to social rules which may or may not be just for all. Rather, responsibility is driven by a desire to do the right thing for the right reason, regardless of the consequences that relate to acceptance or compliance.

Also, accountability, which I conceive to be a tool of ethics, is reactive; it's after the fact. Conversely, responsibility, a tool of morality, is proactive; it's before the fact and influences the outcome.

I've written extensively in this MBA program about ethics, morality, accountability, and responsibility, and I can summarize my main points as follows:

Ethics and Accountability go hand-in-hand, and they tend to tools of assigning blame.

Morality and Responsibility go hand-in-hand, and they are are fundamental components of proactive behavior: components that seek to do what is right, regardless of the consequences imposed by those who will judge.

In my view, Morality and Responsibility trump Ethics and Accountability all of the time.

When I was a child my grandma, who an avid reader and well-educated for a woman who went to school in the early 1900's, said to me, "Tommy, there is a difference between legal-law and moral-law. You can be right by the law of the land and wrong by God's law."

I read stories about the Nazis of Germany who captured, imprisoned, and killed thousands of Jews. It has been written that one fine family, who was not Jewish, had nice neighbors who were Jewish. The Nazis thugs were going door-to-door in the small town where both families lived, and the non-Jewish family hid the Jewish family under the floor boards of the house where the non-Jews resided. When the Nazi police knocked on the door and asked if there were any Jews in the house, the father of the non-Jewish family said an emphatic "No!" and the Nazis did a quick look and left.

So, the question, was it ethical for the father to lie? Or, was it moral to do so? Did his action break a code? Should he have been punished for lying?

Take care,

Tom