The definition of ethical behavior or ethics as a whole eludes many people. Many philosophers have attempted to create a set of guidelines that create a code or baseline for a decision. Immanuel Kant is one of those people who created some of the foundations on which all theories are based. Kant's principles or the categorical imperative form the basis of the “Golden Rule”; which is taught to young children. Do unto others as you would have others do unto you. To quote Kant, “act so that your principle of action may safely become a law for the whole world.” » Ethical behavior is how a person should act using a set of rules or standards that have been formed within a community of people. These communities may be those of a religion or those of a geographic region. Several different sets of ethical codes are created. What is ethical in one community is not ethical in another. Deciding which action constitutes the ethical choice is one of the most difficult choices of any decision. An example that brings ethics into play is deciding whether or not to bribe an elected official to obtain a government contract. Without examining current law, some might say that it is unethical to create an unfair advantage for one company over another. It can be difficult to ethically rationalize a decision. In this situation, the company's employees or lobbyists may argue that it would be unethical not to do absolutely everything in their power to attract business to the company. Failure to do so could harm employees, shareholders and investors. Is it ethical to harm the financial well-being of so many people? From the perspective of all the other companies looking to get a piece of this government contract... middle of paper ...... to consider. What seems like a simple decision at the time may ultimately turn out to be a very important action that defines how ethical or unethical a project or set of actions is. In the situations mentioned above, many dilemmas arise. Actions taken in these circumstances define the integrity of the people and communities who make the decisions. Works Cited Brass, D., Butterfield, K. and Skaggs, B. (1998). Unethical relationships and behaviors: A social network perspective. The Academy of Management Review, 23(1), 14-31. Retrieved March 20, 2010, from http://gatton.uky.edu/faculty/brass/spain/unethical.pdfQuotes by Immanuel Kant. (nd). . Retrieved March 20, 2010 from http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/i/immanuelka152161.htmlSinger, P., (1993). A Companion to Ethics. Oxford Oxfordshire: Oxford University Press.