ONE of the challenging questions we come across in life is what is right and wrong? Sometimes these are referred to as good and bad. Ethics vary from person to person, place to place, and from time to time.
In modern society untouchability and slavery have long being abandoned. This is a classic example of how ethics change over time and across places. One needs to understand clearly what ethics is and its significance in the context of a corporate and society at large. This will enable one to lead life effectively.
However, the question comes how do we decide what is right and wrong? Irrespective of the context whether it is a corporate or society at large, the approach of dealing ethical problems remains the same.
It is better to take the help of three leading frameworks to decide on ethical confrontations rather than merely relying on personal opinions or emotions.
The most useful and simple frameworks are ethics of duty, discourse ethics and ethics of consequence. An individual with an ordinary prudence may easily apply the fundamental principles of these approaches and resolve issues arising out of ethical dilemmas in day-to-day life.
The ethics of duty say ethical decision must be pursued with good intention which is categorical. There should not be any selfish motive behind pursuing an ethical decision. The sole purpose of picking a solution to ethical problems is nothing other than a divine intention. Any other side effects arising out of a decision are nullified by its good intention.
If a decision is not backed by good intention (hypothetical), then it is an unethical decision. In this context, ‘duty’ means a pure cause which enables an ethical action. But it is very difficult to judge the intention of the decision maker that it is pure. This philosophy of ethics was proposed by a popular German philosopher Immanuel Kant.
Discourse ethics postulate that a decision is right, if all the affected parties in an ethical dilemma are invited for a methodical discussion and all of them are taken into confidence in the discourse.
In this situation, all parties must be agreeable and happy with the proposed decision. Further, the documents of discourse convened, and the agreement copy of the parties must be preserved for future reference.
However, even if a single affected party abstains from discourse, then the decision remains to be unethical. Probably, bringing all aggrieved parties under a single roof and ensuring they all will be happy is a herculean task. Discourse ethics was promulgated by German philosopher Jurgen Habermas.
Ethics of consequence presume a decision is right if it brings maximum good to a maximum number of people. It is very popularly known as the principle of ‘maximum happiness to a maximum number of people’.
However, it undermines the happiness of minorities. Where a government or MNC is undertaking a major project, it is quite natural that the project may have some negative impacts either on the environment or on the selected stakeholders.
Though we make cognisance of negative impacts, the project in question may simultaneously yield greater positive societal impact too. The positive and negative impacts of a decision are weighed against each other. If positive outcomes are greater than the negative outcomes, then the decision is ethical.
On the other hand, if the negative outcomes are higher than the positive outcomes, then the decision is unethical. Ethics of consequence was suggested by a popular English philosopher Geremy Bentham.
The next question comes, what is the significance of ethics? Over the years, reporting of unethical practices in the newspapers, TV channels and social media has increased many folds. A variety of potentially harmful products are being sold ranging from food and beverages to electronics and medicines.
A recent article in the journal ‘Environmental Science & Technology’ reveals that more than 100 common consumer goods contain at least one or more chemicals linked to cancer or reproductive and developmental problems in the US. Most products are used in workplace settings, such as factories or construction sites, and include adhesives, degreasers, lubricants and sealants.
Further, the companies alleged for unethical practices include a range of world class MNCs including IT, social media, electronics, banking, insurance, and FMCGs.
The ethical issues hover around employee and customer discrimination, piracy or IPR violations, misleading advertisements, data protection, harmful products, and noncompliance with the law. Though countries with stringent legal provisions and regulatory authorities constantly monitor such violations, it is surprising that such practices are an order of the day.
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