The Issues of Business Ethics and Social Responsibility in the Republic of Armenia
Nowadays, there is a lot of discussion (more than ever) about the civilized business, as well as about the role of ethics in business and the practice of rich ethical experience accumulated by mankind, as an important factor and precondition to a successful development of entrepreneurship. Many countries worldwide, in their economic success and prosperity are also greatly obliged to morality. Moreover, more and more attention and financial resources are allocated to the moral education and ethical image formation of the businesses personnel in these countries. A significant role is given to moral education in the world, to day by day expanding system of “business education”, in a broad sense. History witnesses that the Armenian people have always shown great interest in crafts, commercial, businesses; they have achieved considerable success in creating rich and highly developed culture also in trading and business sector. This culture has been built and developed on a strong moral basis, which in its turn has determined the success of the Armenian merchant and entrepreneur, not only at home but also abroad. It’s a well-known pattern: ethical behavior and morality reward the person who manifests it. In the past, inArmeniaas well as in the Armenian colonies formed in different countries of the world, and nowadays in the whole Diaspora, Armenians have always been notable for their success in crafts, trading and business areas. Unfortunately, the business culture of centuries was forgotten during the 70-year rule of socialist economic power. Over the past quarter-century, in conditions of state independence recovery and transitional development of market relations, real preconditions were set for the restoration and development of Armenian business culture and for the formation, education and growth of the Armenian entrepreneurs’ new generation.
In order to achieve the given objectives, first and foremost it is necessary to ensure
1. Clarification of business ethics and etiquette essence, the origin and development of the laws, including the study of accumulated experience in history and national economy, its evaluation and dissemination.
2. Integration in the international system of business ethics, assimilation of its moral, psychological typical patterns and adaptation of economic activity in local, national specific conditions.
3. General moral, ethical and psychological education and retraining (requalification) of business professionals.
The modern sense of business ethics and morality originated in the second half of the last century, in the Western countries, primarily theUnited States. However, undoubtedly, its theoretical and methodological foundations were developed earlier, during the development of ethical and economic thought of ancient history, by the classics of mentioned sciences, from Aristotle up to the present days’ classics. Currently the issues of business ethics and etiquette are especially emphasized in the western and eastern countries. InRussiaandArmeniathe first steps are being taken to master, teach and practice their principles.In the course of preparing the collective monograph and summarizing the results of sociological survey, it became clear that in order to make business inArmeniaethically and socially accountable, patriotic and humanitarian, it is necessary to make socio-economic, legislative, ethical and spiritual changes in the country. In this process all parts and layers of society need to be involved; starting from the state apparatus to the ordinary citizen.