Ethical code

By Yossi Sheriff

Ethical code (קוד אתי) is a set of guidelines for a profession, hobby, group or an organization that regulate and define practice or community. An ethical code depicts the uniqueness of a practice, a group or an organization and may include guidelines for behavior, future goals and ethical boundaries.

Codes of ethics are regulatory and most of the times utopic. Organizational ethical codes define quality of service, goals, employee behavior and social issues. professional ethical codes define the difference between the subject profession or hobby and the ideal expertise and personal conduct for people involved in that practice.

Ethical codes might not deal with moral questions at all. The reasons moral behavior might not be included in an ethical code might be far apart ranging from lack of social aspiration to the legal problems that might arise from literally writing a binding set of rules.

The usability of such codes of ethics depends on the extent to which the organization supports them with sanctions and rewards. Violations of a professional code of ethics usually can subject the violator to expulsion or boycotting. Certain acts that constitute a violation of a code of ethics may also violate a law or regulation and can be punished by the judicial system.

Ethical Codes are pragmatic necessities but are different from moral codes.


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