Ethic & Values

Cultural Values and Personal Ethics Paper

"Without civic morality communities perish; without personal morality their survival has no value."

-- Bertrand Russell, British mathematician and philosopher (1872-1970)

Good, bad, right, wrong, moral, immoral. In researching a definition of values, one happens across all these terms. So how does one decide? How are values shaped and identified not to mention adhered to? One consistent definition that could be given is: "values are ideals that guide or qualify personal conduct, interaction with others, and career involvement. Like morals, they help to distinguish what is right from what is wrong and provide information on how one can conduct their life in a meaningful way." Values can be classified into four categories: Personal Values, Cultural Values, Social Values and Work Values. (http://ilearn.senecac.on.ca/careers/goals/values.html, 4-6-2001)

This paper will address the role that personal, organizational (work) and cultural values play in decision-making in personal and professional situations. This paper will also address how ethical dilemmas arise when conflict between values surface between different individuals or groups.

Personal Values

Personal values are individually defined main beliefs that establish how one interacts with the world and connects with people. "The key point to keep in mind about values is that implementing them energizes everything concerned with it. For an individual, committing to and applying values releases fresh energies, which always attracts success, achievement, and well-being. Likewise, when companies or other institutions adopt values, individuals working at the organization become energized, as do its customers, its products and services, and everyone and everything else associated with that organization." (Posner, 4-2-06)

Organizational Values

Work values are morals that guide personal behavior in professional scenarios. They define how one works and relates to his or her associates, peers, and clients and colleagues while revealing your potential for advancement. Just as individuals subscribe to values, so do organizations and institutions. Most companies adopt a Code of Ethics based on the core values of the company and in doing so; create from the top, down, criteria of behavior expectations. This corporate or organizational Code of Ethics permeates the cultural of the company not only in its four walls but as the organization does business within society as well.

Cultural Values

Cultural values are ethics that sustain connections with your cultural roots. Cultural values can assist in helping you feel connected to a larger society of people with similar backgrounds and heritages. For example, faith or certain ethnic customs could be seen as cultural values. "International research has shown that most cultures adhere to five common values. They are: Trustworthiness (truthfulness, sincerity, candor, loyalty, promise keeping, honesty), Respect (autonomy, courtesy), Responsibility (diligence, continuous improvement, self-restraint), Justice (fairness, impartiality, equity), Caring (kindness, compassion)." (Campbell, 4-2-06)

How Values Affect Personal and Professional Decision-Making

Values differ between individuals. In making decisions, one needs to look at his or her own personal Code of Ethics. I respect that my values may not be shared by a coworker or acquaintance. I also recognize that my sense of right/wrong or good/bad may not necessarily be shared by others or may vary slightly from person to person. In making decisions in my life I always try to answer the question "Will this choice define who I am as a person?" If the answer is yes, I proceed. If the answer is no, I make a different choice that would define my character, integrity and value system. That is not always so black and white in the workplace. There are pressures that make one question whether the companies Code of Ethics supersede his or her own personal code. In those situations, I try to find a common ground and create a win-win outcome.

Ethical Dilemmas

Most people think of ethics in a personal way. However, the word assumes a much bigger significance the minute we become part of a business or group of people. "At that point, individual values are not enough to define what behavior will or will not be acceptable or tolerated. Definitions of right and wrong may vary, even if the group is composed of individuals who all consider themselves to be "ethical." Michael Josephson, founder of the Josephson Institute of Ethics, says it this way,

"If we conclude that ethics is purely a personal matter, and that each person's private code of values is entitled to equal respect regardless of the content of their beliefs, there is no legitimate basis for distinguishing between Saddam Hussein and Mother Teresa--both live up to their own standards." (Campbell, 4-2-06)

"Every profession processes its own codes of ethics. Ethical conflicts are inescapable today as human interactions become increasingly frequent and complex. How to deal with the conflict and how to decide on a solution which does not discriminate against any party involved are just two examples of ethical issues that occur frequently in the workplace. Ethical decision-making refers to a process in which individuals can freely make a decision based on the evaluation of the interests of all parties when facing ethical dilemmas." (Fang, 2006, p. 105)

In Creating an Ethical Culture, David Gebler refers to The Culture Risk Assessment model. (presented in Figure 1) This tool has been adapted from the Cultural Transformation Tools® developed by Richard Barrett & Associates. The