Final answer:
Conscience is considered the center of ethical behavior in business because it guides individuals to act ethically based on their inner sense of right and wrong, which is shaped by reason and social instincts. Ethical approaches like deontological ethics and virtue ethics underscore the importance of duties, character, and relationships in ethical decision-making.
Step-by-step explanation:
The locus of ethical behavior in business is often considered to be the conscience, which is an individual's inner sense of right and wrong. This is because it is conscience that primarily guides individuals to act ethically. Ethical theories suggest that beyond societal influences, an individual's habitual convictions, controlled by reason and reinforced by social instincts such as sympathy, form the bonds of morality. Hence, the answer to the question is that conscience guides individuals to act ethically, making option 'b' correct.
Deontological ethics, for example, emphasize that actions are morally right based on adherence to rules or duties, rather than consequences. Virtue ethics promotes the cultivation of character traits, signifying the importance of character in the ethical decision-making process. Moreover, care ethics highlight the importance of relationships and context in ethical considerations. These ethical approaches illustrate the broader role of conscience as the center of ethical behavior.