Editing Business ethics (section)

==Issues==
Ethical issues often arise in business settings, whether through business transactions or forming new business relationships. It also has a huge focus in the auditing field whereby the type of verification can be directly dictated by ethical theory. An [[Ethics|ethical issue]] in a business atmosphere may refer to any situation that requires business associates as individuals, or as a group (for example, a department or firm) to evaluate the [[morality]] of specific actions, and subsequently, make a decision amongst the choices. Some ethical issues of particular concern in today's evolving business market include such topics as: [[honesty]], [[integrity]], professional behaviors, [[environmental issue]]s, [[harassment]], and [[fraud]] to name a few. From a 2009 National Business Ethics survey, it was found that types of employee-observed ethical misconduct included abusive behavior (at a rate of 22 percent), [[discrimination]] (at a rate of 14 percent), improper hiring practices (at a rate of 10 percent), and company resource abuse (at a rate of percent).<ref>{{Cite book|title=Business Ethics: Ethical Decision Making and Cases|last=Ferrell|first=Linda|publisher=South-Western Cengage Learning|year=2013|isbn=978-1-111-82516-4|location=Mason, Ohio|pages=61–65}}</ref>

The ethical issues associated with honesty are widespread and vary greatly in business, from the misuse of company time or resources to lying with malicious intent, engaging in [[bribery]], or creating conflicts of interest within an organization. Honesty encompasses wholly the truthful speech and actions of an individual. Some cultures and belief systems even consider honesty to be an essential pillar of life, such as Confucianism and Buddhism (referred to as [[sacca]], part of the [[Four Noble Truths]]). Many employees lie in order to reach goals, avoid assignments or negative issues; however, sacrificing honesty in order to gain status or reap rewards poses potential problems for the overall ethical culture organization, and jeopardizes organizational goals in the long run. Using company time or resources for personal use is also, commonly viewed as unethical because it boils down to stealing from the company. The misuse of resources costs companies billions of dollars each year, averaging about 4.25 hours per week of stolen time alone, and employees' abuse of Internet services is another main concern.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book|title=Business Ethics: Ethical Decision Making and Cases|last1=Ferrell|first1=O.C.|last2=Fraedrich|first2=John|last3=Ferrell|first3=Linda|publisher=Cengage Learning|year=2015|location=Canada|pages=66, 70}}</ref> Bribery, on the other hand, is not only considered unethical is business practices, but it is also illegal. In accordance with this, the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act was established in 1977 to deter international businesses from giving or receiving unwarranted payments and gifts that were intended to influence the decisions of executives and political officials.<ref>{{Cite book|title=International Marketing: Managing Across Borders and Cultures|last=Deresky|first=Helen|publisher=Pearson Education|year=2017|isbn=9780134376042|location=Hoboken|pages=58}}</ref> Although, small payments known as [[Facilitating payment|facilitation payments]] will not be considered unlawful under the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act if they are used towards regular public governance activities, such as permits or licenses.<ref name=":0"/>