What are Ethics?

• A. A code of moral principles that people follow and respect to what is right or wrong
• B. Doing the right thing when no one is watching
• C. The process of maximizing shareholder value
• D. The generation of profits at any cost

Answer: (A)

Ethics are the set of moral principles that guide what is right and wrong and how people should behave. They provide a code of conduct that helps individuals and organizations act with honesty, fairness, and responsibility, shaping decisions in everyday work and in more complex situations alike. This broader framework ensures consistent, trustworthy behavior even under pressure. The other ideas describe related or narrower concepts: doing the right thing only when someone is watching refers to integrity, which is part of ethics but not the whole framework; maximizing shareholder value is a financial objective, not an ethical principle; and generating profits at any cost conflicts with ethical standards.