What is the term for the moral principles guiding behavior in the workplace?

• A. Ethics
• B. Etiquette
• C. Law
• D. Policy

Answer: (A)

Moral principles guiding behavior in the workplace are ethics. Ethics describe the standards for what is right and fair in professional decisions, shaping how you handle confidential information, interact with coworkers, resolve conflicts, and take responsibility when mistakes happen. These principles help maintain trust, integrity, and professionalism even when there’s pressure to take shortcuts. Etiquette is about polite manners, not the deeper judgments about right and wrong that ethics cover. Law sets mandatory rules enforced by society, but it doesn’t address every nuanced ethical decision. Policy outlines an organization’s formal rules and procedures, guiding actions in specific situations, yet ethics is the underlying moral reasoning that informs how you apply those rules. So ethics best captures the moral compass that steers workplace behavior.