They overlap each other but if something is unethical it does not necessarily mean it is illegal
difference between ethics and business ethics
ethics any set of moral principles or valueslaw the rule established by authority, society, or custom
The criminal theory is related to the law enforcement law. It has various theories on criminology and models of law enforcement.
The phrases "Socially Responsible", "Corporate 'Social Responsibility", a "The Social Responsibility of Business" are at times used as though they were synonymous with business ethics. But this can be misleading if it is taken to imply that business ethics deals exclusively with the relationships between business organizations and what have come to be called their" external constituencies such as customers, suppliers, government agency , community groups and even host countries. For while these relationship define a large and very important sub-domain of business ethics, they do not exhaust the field, there remain equally important "internal constituencies" (employees, stockholders, boards of directors and senior executives) as well as ethical issues that do not lend them- selves to "constituency" or stakeholder analysis. Thus, business ethics is a more embracing field of inquiry than corporate social responsibility, even though it includes the latter. Questions, like moral responsibilities, obligations and virtues in business decision making also form part of ethics e.g. choices and character of persons, the policies and cultures of organization. The subject of business ethics, therefore, is multi-leveled. At the level of the individual ("the ethics and values of business person"), attention is paid to the values by which self-interest and other motives are balanced by concern for fairness, properness, right / wrong and the common good, both within and outside the company. At the level of the organization ("the ethics of a business enterprise"), the focus is on the spoken or unspoken group consciousness that every company has either by design or by default, as it pursues its economic objectives. Finally, at the level of society itself (" the ethics of business system"), business ethics examines the pattern of cultural, political and economic forces that drive individuals and firm's values that define democratic capitalism in a global environment. The ethics of Corporate Governance is therefore; the determination of what is "right", "fair", "proper" and "just" in decisions and actions that affect other people -goes for beyond simple questions of bribery, theft and collusion. It focus on what our relationships are and ought to be - with our employees, our customers, our stock holders, our creditors, our suppliers, our distributors, our neighbors and other members of the community / society in which we operate.
2nd law of thermodynamics
Ethics is how you conduct yourself in business and law. Both of these need good ethics for people to trust and use your services.
Ethics and laws are closely related. Both describe how people ought to act. People do, however, disagree with what is right or wrong, and therefore disagree with what should or should not be law.
When a person has ethics in their every day lives, they will also have business ethics. They will ensure that they are making sound decisions when it comes to the organization.
Scott Mann has written: 'Economics, business ethics and law' -- subject(s): Business ethics, Business law, Economics, Free enterprise, Law and ethics, Moral and ethical aspects, Moral and ethical aspects of Economics, Moral and ethical aspects of Free enterprise, Social responsibility of business, Commercial law
Whistleblowing!
Ethics is about what we should or should not do, what is moral or "right." Law tells us what we must or must not do, what is legal. A legal choice is not always a moral choice, and a moral choice may even be an illegal one. So, business law is influenced by business ethics, but the two are often at odds.
Business ethics is the study of moral whether it is good or bad, case study is mostly a case about an a organization or business and the answer must be ethical.
Business ethics involve a business that does the right thing, even if not required to do so by law. An example of such ethics might be a business that takes a portion of its earnings and supports a good cause in the community, such as a meal program or a homeless shelter.
Investing, finance, business ethics, Six Sigma/quality management,
The key concepts related to good business ethics are the ideas that honest ethics are necessary to attract and retain customers. Customers who understand that they have been treated fairy and ethically are those who will tell their friends and they might become new customers. By using good business ethics, you are also assured of earning your own self respect no matter if you make or lose money.
Ethics and the law
Impact of philosophical system on business ethics