ETHICS refers to well-based standards of right and wrong that prescribe what humans ought to do, usually in terms of rights, obligations, benefits to society, fairness, or specific virtues.


Ethics play a quiet, yet large part of our lives. Ethics come into play when we work, when we play, and at any time that we are interacting with others. Ethics are a set of rules that we each live by, essentially, although they are generally unwritten rules. Ethical behavior means that you are living, working, or playing in an ethical way - by the set of standards that are generally considered to be right or good.

Because we each have our own moral code, laws were written to protect us. Many of these laws are based on ethics, while others are not. However, most laws are there to more or less force us to practice ethical behavior, for fear of repercussions or consequences. Not all ethical behavior, however, has become law.

Take lying for instance. Yes, it is against the law to sit in a witness box, in a court of law, and lie. In fact, that is called perjury. However, it is not against the law to tell an acquaintance a lie. It is, however, unethical behavior. Cheating on your taxes is against the law, and unethical. Cheating when you are playing a game with friends or family members is not against the law, but it is still unethical behavior.

Most of us develop our own moral code - our sense of right and wrong - when we are growing up. We often base our morals on what we see around us. For example, if a child grows up with a parent who is prone to lying, that child may very well grow up to tell lies as well. They know that lying is wrong, but they don't necessarily see it as something that is unethical. In some cases, they won't even see lying as wrong, but instead as a way of life that they know.
 

REFERENCES:
http://www.ask.com/web?q=What+Is+Ethical+Behaviour%3F&qsrc=3053&o=15732&l=dir
http://ezinearticles.com/?Ethical-Behavior&id=2139600