"Niceness", Morality and the Market Economy

Is being nice the same as being moral? I was talking a friend today and the topic came up about dealing with unproductive employees. The sidebar was how do you fire someone who may have a family? Is it a nice thing to do? More importantly it sounds immoral to take away from someone, a job that sustains one's family.

But within this context: is "niceness" necessarily the same as morality? What exactly is "being nice"? According to Webster's Dictionary, among other things, it means being polite or kind, or socially acceptable. Therefore it is determined by how someone, other than you, feels about one of your actions or some of your words.

Morality, on the other hand, relates to principles of right and wrong in behavior. In other words, it is about what is right or wrong.

So if someone is not being productive in a business setting, and their inefficiency or ineffectiveness directly affects the productivity and/or income of other people in the organization, how does one balance morality and niceness? Is there a theological angle to this?

Since I am a Christian, how does my theology affect my decision to retain or fire an employee, especially if their productivity and compensation is way out of sync. If they are underpaid, my theology informs me that I need to be fair and pay them what they are worth, as determined by a combination of factors that includes what I can honestly afford and what the market thinks they are worth. If they are overpaid, do I fire them or do I reduce their compensation -- which might result in them leaving.

Morality require me to be truthful; it requires me to be on the side of that which is right. Niceness requires me to be kind in the way I transition them out of their job, or coach them into realizing their productivity. I certainly, should not be asking them do something without giving them the adequate support.

But morality and "niceness" would also require me to protect the others in the environment by not taxing them because of another person's ineffectiveness, or by keeping away from them more money, because an inefficient person hogs up a share of compensation that is not commensurate with their productivity or abilities. Morality and niceness require me to reward a person for achievements and success.

Thoughts?