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Throughout a person¶s life, challenges are common and often frequent. These challenges
will test one¶s values and ethics in multiple issues and scenarios. Though many
individuals have several careers and challenges in life, a person develops and learns
values and ethics in every aspect of life. This Essay will: (a) define values and ethics
categories; (b) indentify sources of ethics; and (c) describe how one¶s professional values
and ethics can influence career success.

Values and Ethics

This essay will define what values and ethics are, where they come from, and how they affect a
person¶s life. The fact is that a person¶s values develop in all facets of life. Values and ethics are
developed at home, school, peer groups, communities, jobs, churches, and every other area in life
that one is involved in and represent an important influence that uses patterns in a person¶s
behavior. Values are described as a professional¶s obligation to comply with rules of one¶s conduct,
ethics, etiquette, and professional values and attitudes (³Ethics & Professional Responsibility³, 2004,
¶ 2). Ethics is the study of the concepts involved in practical reasoning: good, right, duty, obligation,
virtue, freedom, rationality, choice (Blackburn, 2008). Values and ethics can be organized into three
categories of sources: (a) personal; (b) social; and (c) economical reasons.

?ources of Values and Ethics„

Although values and ethics can be organized into different categories, with no clear-cut distinction
between the groupings and, in fact, may build upon one another. A good term to describe this is
³ethos,´ meaning ³the fundamental character or spirit of a culture; the underlying sentiment that
informs the beliefs, customs, or practices of a group or society´ (³Ethos³, 2009). This ethos, or
fundamental character, runs throughout a person, a society, or organization¶s core.

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At the base of this character are personal values and ethics. These are different in every individual
even in as small a unit as a family. Initially, these personal values may be adopted from family or
cultural mores. They develop based on personal strengths and preferences and may be driven by self
interest.

 

As a person grows and develops into an individual, social values and ethics come into play. This
occurs as the person begins to leave the confines of an immediate family group and is influenced by
the society in which a person is surrounded by. Although the values development is internal and
personal, external societal forces contribute to the change as an individual begins to care more about
what others think about them. Peer pressure and media influence are common examples.Elizabeth
?uhay (2008) explains social values and ethics as:

We feel pride when we conform to in-group beliefs and behaviors; this prideful reaction strengthens
those beliefs and behaviors that reflect the groups. On the other hand, we

feel embarrassment or shame when we deviate from group expectations; this shameful reaction
weakens those beliefs and behaviors that are out of step with the group¶s. (p.1)

As an individual becomes part of a larger group, the group itself begins to develop a common set of
values and ethics. This manifests itself as common group values and actions develop into higher
forms of rules and governance. This can be seen in the power and influence of religious or political
affiliation, team spirit, and nationalistic pride. ?ociety affects the individual at the same time the
individual affects society.

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Modern organizations promote shared values and ethics of their members by creating mission
statements, corporate slogans, written rules of conduct, policies, and procedures for encouraging
productivity leading to economic gain. Organizational values serve many purposes. They set the tone
in the environment by bonding people together, facilitating work behavior, and producing
achievements of shared goals. These values also help to define and organization (Hassan, 2007).
From an economic standpoint, the more engaging an individual is in the workplace, the higher one¶s
output of a better-quality product.

Examples of Values and Ethics

Professional values and ethics influence career success in many ways. For instance, in a law
firm, ethics play a vital role. lawyers have the obligation to pursue vigorously in the best interest of
their clients. Accordingly, diligence plays a role in a lawyer¶s career success. In addition to the
obligations placed on them by the American Bar Association, lawyers are compelled to research all
aspects of the law, meet court deadlines, and keep their clients apprised of the ongoing status of their
cases. Lawyers are required to abide by a code of ethics and responsibility that helps them be
successful in their profession (?tateLawyers.com, 2004).

Another example of values and ethics influencing career success is in the military. ?pecifically,
personnel in the United ?tates Marine Corps live by a code, which is honor, courage and
commitment (United ?tates Marine Corps, 2009). These values are instilled into these warriors as
they cross the threshold into Boot Camp. The values and ethics that are instilled will stay with them
throughout their career and will essentially become the backbone in their success. Every individual
in the military has the understanding of the expectations and the requirements of integrity and
accountability, not only in their specific profession, but also in their everyday life. Integrity in the
military is defined as doing what is expected in the absence of supervision. Thus, these individuals
are equipped with the ability to be successful in their profession simply by the values and ethics they
are instilled with.

Professional Values and Ethics Influence on Career ?uccess

Professional values and ethics are valuable assets that can take a person a long way in developing
success. ?kills that aid in a career, whether learned on the job or not, can be what keeps a person
separated from anyone else. The way a person conducts the workload or rapport built with clients,
results in greater marketing for the company. This is a two sided win because a person not only
represents the company, but also has now turned from an employee into an asset, a benefit factor for
the employee and the business. Ethics alone, in business, has to come from a place of selflessness
and integrity. Professional values do not determine who a person is, but will add to one¶s worthiness
as a person. Ethics can be an asset in the success of a person¶s career because a person is choosing
what is in the best interest of the company or business. A person with strong values and ethics will
always have a path of accomplishment, because one can see the big picture. A person has achieved
career success by allowing the mind to venture outside of its betterment and to the betterment of
others that affect a team or group as a whole.

Conclusion

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