NEED FOR THE APPLICATION OF ETHICS OF PURCHASING IN THE PRACTICE OF PURCHASING
ABSTRACT
This research project intends to explore the need for the application of ethics in purchasing practice I industries in Nigeria.
It is also showing the meaning and the social responsibilities of ethical behaviours to the buyers and suppliers in the industries. The chapter three explains the major findings of the researcher then the summary, recommendations and conclusion.
This research work cannot be said to be exhaustive due to changing nature of our industries, and it is not design to replace other views or subsequent research on this study objectives, but has gone a long way in highlighting the ways to the much advocated efficient purchasing practice which has eluded our system.
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
In every organization, for their activities to move well there must be one ethical code of conduct among the workers. Almost every day we are faced with ethical choices.
In other words, we find ourselves in a situation in which we must make a decision about how to act. Every profession has a code of ethics. This is a set of principles that determines how a person should behave. Lawyers must do everything they can to defend their clients in court. If they take bribe to do something that may hart their client cases, they are been unethical. In the same way, doctors and nurses agree to do everything they can to save the lives of other people. If they hurt another person or if they do not help someone who needs medical attention, they are being unethical. Journalists must tell the truth to the best of their knowledge. If they write articles that they know are not accurate or true, then they are being unethical.
Ethics in the ordinary society covers a large spectrum. It has much to do with integrity, professionalism and discipline. Ethics refers to the standards of conduct and moral judgment as conforming to the standard of conduct of a given profession. The general business ethics, the principles and values and norms that guide the business operation and behaviours. Some of this principles and values have been seriously ignored which makes corruption and bribery are no more immoral acts. The purchasing department is one of the most sensitive departments in a company or any establishment. Professionalism calls for not only skillfulness but a standard of conduct which depicts being ethical. We will have many codes of ethics and they centered on honesty, loyalty, justice, service and fairness. Even in the public sector the public officers must have a standard code of conduct to guide their behaviours.
i. Definition of Ethics: The term ethics is defined in the dictionary as a set of principles or value. Values and principles are beliefs we hold about what is right or wrong. When we behave ethically, we behave in a way that shows those values and principles. Lysons (1981:198) defines ethics as a science of conduct. Conduct in this context means conscious and purposeful action directed to an end. According to Oxford Advanced Learners Dictionary of Current English, Ethics are the moral principles that govern or influence a person behaviour. Ethics can be written as the discipline that has morality as a subject matter. It is also an activity that indicates when somebody has done badly or good.
ii. Moral Responsibility: Moral concerns with the principles of right and wrong behaviour. In Nigeria, the professions like law, banking according insurance have maintain moral responsibility to their client in order to improve their intergrity and competence. But most of them have thrown their professional moral consciousness to mind and embarked ethical practice with the excuse to remain alost or keep going.
iii. Ethical Standard: Ethical standard means following to an accepted standard of good behaviour in a profession in a trade, or in any given environment. An individual cannot set ethical standard, it is normally set by a group, society or an organization. However, there are a lot of factors that influence ethic standard. Some positive factors are:
a. Environment regulation
b. Legislation intimation
c. Education of purchasing business manager.
