what is business ethics 
business ethics is the moral principles policies and values that govern the way companies and individuals engage in business activity it goes beyond legal requirements to establish a code of conduct that drives employee behavior at all levels and helps build trust between a business and its customers investopedia katie kerpelunderstanding business ethicsbusiness ethics ensure that a certain basic level of trust exists between consumers and various forms of market participants with businesses for example a portfolio manager must give the same consideration to the portfolios of family members and small individual investors as they do to wealthier clients these kinds of practices ensure the public receives fair treatment the concept of business ethics began in the 1960s as corporations became more aware of a rising consumer based society that showed concerns regarding the environment social causes and corporate responsibility the increased focus on social issues was a hallmark of the decade 1since that time the concept of business ethics has evolved business ethics goes beyond just a moral code of right and wrong it attempts to reconcile what companies must do legally vs maintaining a competitive advantage over other businesses firms display business ethics in several ways business ethics ensure a certain level of trust between consumers and corporations guaranteeing the public fair and equal treatment principles of business ethicsthere are generally 12 business ethics principles 