BUSI 472 Week 7 Personal Code of Ethics Example

Reviewed by Thomas Kerrigan, MBA, CPA · Liberty University · Updated

This BUSI 472 Week 7 sample paper is the Personal Code of Ethics, a one-page statement of the goals, norms, beliefs and values a student intends to carry into working life. Written for a composite logistics supervisor, it is organized under the four headings the assignment names, so each part answers one element of the prompt: what the writer hopes to become, the concrete rules of conduct they will follow, the convictions about God and people that ground those rules, and the values they will protect when a decision is costly. It draws on Hosmer's argument that managers must reason about duties as well as outcomes, on research showing that a supervisor's ethics shape a team's, and on Scripture. Liberty University BUSI 472 gives the code 20 points, due in Week 7 with the Forum 4 thread, a week before this BS in Business Administration elective ends.

CourseBUSI 472 Organizational Ethics (BUSI472)
Module/Week7
AssignmentPersonal Code of Ethics
Paper typePersonal code of ethics (one page)
Lengthabout 274 words, 1 double-spaced pages plus title page and references. Course guide: a paper of no more than 1 page focusing on the student's personal goals, norms, beliefs and values
FormatAPA 7 student paper
Points20
SchoolLiberty University Online
ProgramBS in Business Administration
Where it sitsModule/Week 7 in Liberty's published BUSI 472 course guide; current sections can differ
UpdatedOctober 2026

Free sample paper for BUSI 472 Week 7

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A Personal Code of Ethics for Working Life

 

[Student Name]

School of Business, Liberty University

BUSI 472: Organizational Ethics

Personal Code of Ethics

[Instructor Name]

[Date]

 

The code is written for a composite student; the textbook, the research and the Scripture cited are real, and the structure follows Liberty's public course guide for BUSI 472.

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A Personal Code of Ethics for Working Life

Goals

Why this part earns its pointsGoals are framed as who the writer wants to become, which keeps the code personal.
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I want to be a supervisor whose team does the right thing when no one is watching, because they have seen me do it. I also want to grow in patience, since most of my ethical failures have come from hurry rather than malice. Research suggests that a supervisor's ethical conduct shapes the conduct of the people who report to them (Mayer et al., 2009).

Norms

  • I will not sign or forward a report I have not verified.
  • I will give credit by name and take blame without excuses.
  • I will raise a concern with the person involved first, then with others if needed (English Standard Version Bible, 2001/2016, Matthew 18:15-16).
  • I will keep confidences unless keeping one would harm someone.
  • I will not accept gifts from vendors worth more than a cup of coffee.
  • I will schedule people fairly and explain decisions that affect them.
Why this part earns its pointsEach norm is concrete enough that someone could tell whether it was kept.
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Beliefs

Every person I work with bears God's image and deserves respect regardless of rank. Faithfulness in small matters shows what I will do in large ones (Luke 16:10). As Hosmer (2011) argues, a manager must weigh duties to people, not only outcomes. Work is a calling to serve others, not merely a way to earn a living, so how I treat drivers, customers and vendors matters as much as the numbers we hit.

Values

Why this part earns its pointsRanking the values says what gives way in a conflict, which a list of virtues cannot do.
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When values conflict, I will rank them in this order: honesty first, then the safety and dignity of the people affected, then loyalty to my employer, then my own advancement. I would rather lose a promotion than keep it through deception, and I will review this code each January to see where I have fallen short.

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References

English Standard Version Bible. (2016). Crossway. (Original work published 2001)

Hosmer, L. T. (2011). The ethics of management: A multidisciplinary approach (7th ed.). McGraw-Hill/Irwin.

Mayer, D. M., Kuenzi, M., Greenbaum, R., Bardes, M., & Salvador, R. (2009). How low does ethical leadership flow? Test of a trickle-down model. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 108(1), 1-13. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.obhdp.2008.04.002

What the BUSI 472 Week 7 instructions ask

In the seventh week BUSI 472 assigns Hosmer's chapter 6 plus a presentation and lecture note, and sets two deadlines: the Forum 4 thread and the Personal Code of Ethics, worth 20 points. The code must be no longer than one page and must focus on the student's personal goals, norms, beliefs and values. The limit is the challenge: after seven weeks of ethical theories, cases and research, the student has to decide what actually matters enough to fit on a single page. A code is most useful when it is specific enough to guide real decisions and personal enough that it could not belong to anyone else.

How this BUSI 472 Week 7 example is built

The code uses the four elements in the prompt as its headings. Goals state what the writer wants to become as a professional and a supervisor, not only what they want to achieve. Norms turn values into rules of conduct specific enough to check, such as never signing a report they have not verified. Beliefs name the convictions that ground the rules, including that every person bears God's image and that faithfulness in small things matters. Values rank what the writer will protect when they conflict. Brief citations connect the code to the course's reading and to research on how supervisors shape their teams' conduct.

BUSI 472 Week 7 grading rubric: where the points go

The Personal Code of Ethics is graded on whether it addresses all four elements the guide names, goals, norms, beliefs and values, whether it is specific and personal rather than generic, whether it reflects the course's comparison of Judeo-Christian and secular foundations, and whether it stays within one page in clean APA format. Instructors look for norms that could actually guide behavior in a hard moment. A code that ranks values, saying what gives way when two conflict, shows more ethical maturity than a list of virtues. Brief connections to Hosmer, Ferrell et al. or Scripture show that the course shaped the code rather than being added afterward. Plain, first-person language suits the assignment.

BUSI 472 Week 7 help: mistakes that cost points

Start by listing the situations where you have found ethics hardest at work or school, then write norms that would have guided you in each. Use the four elements as headings so none is missed. Make every norm concrete enough that someone could tell whether you kept it. Rank your values honestly, including what you would give up first. Keep the language plain and personal; this is your code, not a company's. Cite briefly if you draw on the course, and cut ruthlessly to stay within one page, since the limit is part of the assignment and forces the code to say what matters most. Read it aloud; it should sound like you.

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BUSI 472 Week 7 questions, answered

What is the BUSI 472 Personal Code of Ethics?

A 20-point paper of no more than one page, due in Module/Week 7, setting out the student's own professional goals, norms, beliefs and values.

Where can I find a free BUSI 472 Week 7 sample paper?

A complete BUSI 472 Week 7 personal code of ethics appears on this page, organized under goals, norms, beliefs and values, with brief citations and Scripture.

What should a personal code of ethics include?

Your goals as a person and professional, concrete norms of conduct, the beliefs that ground them and a ranking of values for moments when they conflict, all specific enough to guide decisions.

How long is the BUSI 472 Personal Code of Ethics?

No longer than one page, so the code must be selective; the one-page limit is part of the assignment, forcing students to state only what matters most to them.

What else is due in BUSI 472 Module/Week 7?

The Forum 4 thread, at least 350 words on the week's reading, after Hosmer's chapter 6, one presentation and a lecture note.

Use it as a model, or ask for your own

This paper is an original model written by our desk for study. It is not a submitted student paper and not an official Liberty University document. Read it for structure and reasoning, then write your own to the instructions in your Canvas course. If you want a version built to your exact prompt and rubric, the first custom sample is free and arrives in 24 to 48 hours.