Ethical Dimension of Management at an Enterprise (Etyczny wymiar zarządzania w przedsiębiorstwie)

For what purpose do we consider ethics in management, not only of an enterprise? Well, the answer is inscribed in the last five columns of the back part of the stele containing the epilogue, at the end of which already Hammurabi had found an answer introducing his Code, “that the strong might not oppose the weak” (Stępień 1996, p. 59). Ethical conduct in the working place should be primarily perceived in actions and behaviours of owners or people managing a given enterprise. In small firms, ethical norms or adequate behaviours are passed to employees by owners, while in bigger firms, there appear codes of ethics which are of a great importance for setting up the corporate culture. Such codes should contain not only the desired behaviours but also such which are not tolerated in a given firm. The employee must exactly know what he or she can do, where find assistance, and be sure they will receive such assistance. The enterprises, which have ethical norms internally codified and which are observed by them in their activities, become a good partner in business, though only when the code of ethics has its practical dimension. The trustworthy enterprise attracts not only investors or trade partners but it also becomes a desirable working place. In her article, the author undertook an attempt to present unethical on-the-job behaviours, both those committed by employees but also those committed by employers. Unethical behaviours of employees, as the presented data reveal that, are caused by non-ethical behaviours of employers. To avoid such situations or to minimise them one should not only talk to employees and set up codes of ethics, but, first of all, implement ethical behaviours to the economic and social life