BBB Serving Southeast TN & Northwest GA 2022 Student of Integrity Scholarship Recipients

An excerpt from Kellan’s outstanding essay: “I have always heard my grandfather—who owned and managed a successful grocery business for thirty-five years—say “A man must always be as good as his word.” To me, this sums up the importance of ethics in both a business and community. An individual who can be trusted to do exactly what he or she says will not only be respected as a person in a community, but also as a responsible person in business. In my opinion, someone who is “as good as his word” personifies a code of ethics that shows honesty, dependability, loyalty, and trustworthiness—all characteristics of ethical principles that should be present both in an  individual and in the business world.” 

An excerpt from Elizabeth’s essay: “Regardless of its usage, set ethics promote trust and integrity amongst people. In business, following general guidelines allows consumers and producers to develop a sincere relationship and conduct trustworthy interactions with a pleasant result. For example, employers should be honest with their customers and business partners, supplying correct information and products. Similarly, businesses should involve transparency in their exchanges to avoid confusion and dissuade any doubts. Furthermore, these rules allow partnerships to last longer and produce more reliable goods and  services, thus promoting proper economic growth. Within our community, integrity serves a similar purpose. On a micro  level, trust buds strong relationships, promoting happiness and making life easier. Trust within our community also promotes ethical trade and commerce, promoting further economic growth.”

Here’s an excerpt of Kaitlyn’s essay: Ethics is the guiding principle that drives us to lead and achieve success. This founding principle helps build community and connects us all by laying out the guidelines for what we should do and how we should handle coworkers and fellow community members. It is important to have ethics in business to ensure equality and fairness in the marketplace. Ethics in the community work to unite us so we can achieve necessary change. Businesses need to unite over ethics and ensure there is a clearly defined core beliefs system in place so they can accomplish goals.“

Here’s an excerpt from Bladyn’s essay: The reputation of being considered a business that operates under ethics principles is not a title that can be issued on the opening day of an establishment. It is something that must be earned. When a business is known for being honest, it is more likely to become successful. The honesty and respect a business exhibits to both the employees and customers result in a growth of ethical behaviors within a community.

A positive ethical culture within a business promotes employee commitment and trust. Employee commitment comes from employees who feel that they are tied to their company and are willing to make personal sacrifices for the company. The better a company takes care of its employees, the better the employees will work.”

Here’s an excerpt from Luke’s essay: “Ethical behavior can be described as following not only the letter of the law, but also the spirit of the law. From the perspective of a corporation, the idea of pursuing people over profits may seem counterintuitive as the goal of any business is to make money.

However, when analyzed, ethical behavior can allow a company to achieve far greater success than deceitful practices. Ethical behavior creates goodwill between businesses and the community, attracts and retains top talent, and makes the community a better place to live.” 

Here’s an excerpt from Leah’s essay: “Christopher Shays once said “Ethics is everything...if you don’t have a strong moral standing, if you don’t have an ethical foundation, you just crumble.” Ethics determine the success of businesses and communities. Without moral principles, our companies and groups would deteriorate. Having good morals results in trust and cooperation.

No matter your profession, ethics should always come first. Whether it is a bakery or an auto parts store, a person should have full confidence that the job will be completed. Lack of virtues will lead to a failure in any line of work. When consumers hear about the unfavorable actions of a particular workplace, they often take their commerce elsewhere. People want to buy from a company that treats their employees well and completes honest transactions.”

Here’s an excerpt from Kendall’s essay: “For businesses to continue to run efficiently, workers and customers must act in a respectful, professional manner. Employers should set obtainable rules and communicate well with their employees frequently. For example, employers who encourage their managers to act ethically will create a butterfly effect to eventually lead all employees to behave ethically. By having a business’s employees follow these practices, the customers will act in a similar way too. The customers should want to act honestly and carefully as they browse and purchase items in a business. Therefore, if a customer breaks an item or object while shopping in a store, the customer should bring it to the attention of an employee. By bringing their mistake to the attention of the business, the trust in the customer and employee relationship is strengthened. With employers, employees, and customers acting ethically, small businesses will be able to continue to serve their communities and stay open for business.”

Here’s an excerpt from Shealeigh’s essay: “Ethics are very important in the workplace as well as in the community as a whole. A relationship between ethics from the employers and ethics from the managers, CEOs, and leadership is something that needs to be explained in depth so there is no confusion on the ethics of the business. Outlining what is acceptable for a business and its employees allows for trust and integrity. This is also true for the community. People need to follow good ethics because it builds one’s character and is something that determines the foundation of a community.

Having a high ethical code provides a safe work environment. For example, if the ethics of a business highlights the value of every person in the workplace, no matter their race, gender, or anything else, then people will understand that they will be safe under the roof of their employers. Another important aspect of high ethics is that it allows leaders to more effectively lead their teams. If a leader follows a strict code of ethics that is predictable and respectable, their employees will more likely follow their precedent.”

Here’s an excerpt from Sarah’s essay: “Business Ethics is one of the most important aspects when running a company. When we think of ethics we think of what’s morally right or wrong. The implementation of appropriate business policies and practices when an ethical or moral obstacle may occur in a business environment is called Business Ethics. But why should businesses even have ethics in the first place? Ethics is important because it promotes integrity throughout the company and gains trust between employees and consumers.

As an employer, leading by example is a great way to promote an ethical culture in the workplace. Being professional, fair, and unbiased, and showing respect are all attributes of building strong integrity and trust throughout a company.  Furthermore, every action and decision the employee makes must be done ethically. All businesses need to act in a professional manner. A business’s image can have a major impact on our community. If a lack of business ethics becomes public, businesses will lose credibility among their consumers and employees. To create a trusting and reliable atmosphere, an ethical business should work cooperatively and honestly with consumers and co-workers.”

Here’s an excerpt of Parker’s essay: “Ethics guides humanity through the timeless question: “what is right and wrong?” Without a system to differentiate harsh and kind actions, society would consistent of individuals who act out of self-interest: relying on devious impulses instead of compassion. Business leaders would be tyrants who wield wealth and power with an iron fist instead of a charitable heart, and community leaders would flaunt their status from behind a desk instead of actively serving the community they represent. The world would be a worse place without ethics. Thankfully, ethics have created a world where kindhearted businesses can thrive.

The joy of everyone is what those in influential positions should strive for, while always staying anchored by ethics. Selfish greed is easy to succumb to, but by remembering to maintain an important set of ethics in business and community, everyone can live in a compassionate world with unhindered joy.”