BACKGROUND ON THE STUDY OF WORK ETHICS

MAN A being distinct and separate from the rest of God’s creations

Created by the OWN IMAGE (character, John 1:1) of God

feeling thinking willing

FEELING - (Gen. 3:6) THINKING – (Gen 2:19-20; 3:8) WILLING – (Gen. 3:6-7)

Made up of body, soul and spirit The body constitutes man’s physical, tangible self through which he is able to see, hear,

touch, taste and smell The soul is considered a distinct entity; it is separate from the body The spiritual aspect is different and separate from his physical form and is unseen-

comprises his mind and will

Man is born with the natural inclination to do what is good and to avoid evil. He has the capacity to make distinction between right and wrong (Esteban, 1990). By his intellect, he is able to know the universal truth; and by his will, he can make decisions which intrinsically aim always for the highest good to please God, his Creator.

VALUES Values are essential to an individual’s existence for these define what is desirable and

meaningful to him as a rational and social being ---man is the replica of God on earth; he is expected to emulate God’s goodness.

Values reflect man’s aspirations for himself, the society he lives in, and the environment he constantly interacts with (Zulueta, et al. , 2000)

“models or goals of personal behavior in social interaction; considered conducive or essential to the welfare of a group or groups of people

Man’s value system is a configuration of culture, the overriding motivations and basic principles of his behavior; the cultural ethics that unites people together; their concept of what is important; the desired reactions and responses to conditions and situations in life.

ETHICS Derived from the Greek word “ethos” which means “characteristic way of acting”. Latin

equivalent is “mos” or “mores” meaning “tradition” or “custom” prevailing in a group or groups of people, and of the society as a whole.

Both the study of human conduct and a practical science of the morality of human rational behavior actions performed by man, knowledgely and freely

“Let us make man in our image, according to our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” Genesis 1:26

HUMAN ACTS Acts that man performs knowing, freely and voluntarily Acts of man are those actions which happen in man. It is instinctive and not within the control of the will.

ESSENTIAL ATTRIBUTES OF AN ACTSTo be considered a human act:

1. It must be performed by a conscious agent who is aware of what he is doing and of its consequences2. It must be performed by an agent who is acting freely, by his own violation and powers3. It must be performed by an agent who decides willfully to perform the act

NORMS OF MORALITYHuman acts may either be considered rational or irrational based on man’s conformity or

nonconformity to the dictates of reason.

1. Moral Action – conform to the norms of morality2. Immoral Action – not in conformity with the norms of morality3. Amoral – stands neutral in relation to the norms of morality; neither good or bad

Prepared by: Frishela Claudio Camid-engBEE IV

IMPORTANCE OF ETHICS1. Ethics is indispensable knowledge – without moral

perception, man is only an animal2. Moral integrity is the only true measure of what man

ought to be the most successful, professional is nothing unless he is morally upright

3. Morality is the foundation of every human society RUSSELL: Without civic morality,

communities perish; Without personal morality, their

survival has no value.

PURPOSES OF ETHICS

It serves as an aid in effective decision-makingIt aids to improve social life by enabling people to live together in harmonyIt aids in reinforcing desirable ethical moral systems and modifies those that are dysfunctionalIt guides individuals to develop genuine values in life

WORK – an activity where man earns a living for himself and for others through the use of his knowledge, talents and skills.

OCCUPATION- collection of jobs that is suitably alike with regard to their main task grouped together under a common title (Rules and Regulations Implementing the Labor Code, 1974 )

PROFESSION – implies a line of work or career acquired from extensive education and training as well as from specific experiences in the application of professional skills of an individual.WORKPLACE – refers to a place of work

where work is done. Ariculo and Florendo (2003) define it as the place where remunerative work is performed. It does not only refer to physical work environment but it also includes the policies and situations that provide a distinct condition of work.

WORK ETHICS – Webster (1996) “ a belief that productive physical or mental labor is a prime virtue”

- employee’s attitude of perceiving work as a central life interest and a desirable goal in life.

Purpose: Help us determine what cultural and ethical values and standards are needed to become effective, efficient and productive workers.