Ethical Confusion – Striking a right balance

Group D2TAPMI, Manipal

Once upon a time in our Karmabhoomi ..

• Sadhus and Rishis had sex with girls without formally marrying them

• An impotent man would ask a Brahmin to have babies on his wife – Niyoga

• It was acceptable for men and women to have multiple husbands or wives

• Concept of acceptable prostitution like Dev Dasis• Kamasutra was a respected text• Women wore revealing clothings In latter times, all these became unacceptable , Why?

Determinants of Individual Ethics

Racism• An Indian origin model and contestant on Big Brother

reality show has been facing a “tirade of insults”• In 2007, an Indian celebrity had faced similar

situation

Other incidents:• Nearly 88,000 racist incidents were recorded in

Britain's schools between 2007 and 2011.• Indian students killed in Australia.

Racism : Unethical Or Less ethical

• It discriminate between people.

• It make the culprit feel superior ,not on the basis of skills but on place of origin.

• Racist would try to bully the person against him.

• Violation of victim’s right.

• The society had been divided into groups since the inception.

• The people from other place will form a group. It results into racism.

• The “racist” sometime made the comment because of her previous experience with a person from that “group”

Maruti Case

• More than 3000 workers went on a violent rampage• One killed, many seriously injured (VPs, GMs, DGMs)• Senior executives systematically targeted• Intention to attack the senior staff, make plant defunct

• Reasons:• Growing mistrust between the management and union• Young age profile of workers• Perception of low wages • Company’s failure to form Grievance Redressal

Committee

• Could not build trust among workers

• Could not communicate appropriately with factory level staff

• Misunderstanding about Grievance Redressal Committee

• Possibility of deliberate attempt to create a rift between management and workers (rumors and badmouthing)

• Individual employees bore the brunt of wrong company policies.

• Lack of transparency and proper communication form the management’s side

• Dissatisfaction with wages• Low education level and relatively

lower age group• Influence from within the group• Build-up of anger• Company could not convince them

and win their trust• Provocation by a senior employee• Individual employees bore the brunt

of wrong company policies.

Management’s Viewpoint Workers’ Viewpoint

Rape

• It is a heinous crime • The worst form of a woman’s oppression• Perpetrators MUST be punished• The circumstance doesn’t matter at all• Media Intervention leads to speedy delivery of

Justice • Awareness of punishment leads to prevention of

crime

Does the society think of the victim ?

• “What is lost by a rape victim is face”• Ours is still Conservative society• Reputation of victim is in peril • Is media alive to the conditions prevalent in

the Indian society ?• Are they sensitive and responsive to the rights

of victims?

RIGHT v/s RIGHT

• Difference between right and wrong is connected to ethicality

• Players in governance of ethics – Religion, Community , Traditional values ,Reference group etc

• Confusion out of conflicting value systems among these groups

• System witnesses wrath of one right on other ‘rights’

Nature of Ethical Confusion

• Value responses getting stuck into the past• Value expectations keep on changing• Value responses not in tune with changing Value

expectations • Value responses not evolving with an evolving

culture

Compulsions From Customs

Example of a marriage :• Squeeze of dowry often stretched to an

unimaginable extent• Boy’s parents ask to break the formal commitment

for marriage.• Does the boy listen to their parents as a dutiful son?• Does he refuse it as unethical as per modern

practice?

Dilemma Of Society• Need to improve the

standard of living V/s Sticking to ethical principles

• Bowing to the demands of authority and Power V/s An ideal agent of state

• Strength of personal values V/s Hazy ethical ambience of India

For us , as Managers

Is it possible to :• Reconcile between two systems with conflicting

values?• Come out of an unethical system rather than being

spoiled within?• Reform an unethical system from within?• Address conflicts between ethics and rules?• Follow business ethics through corporate

governance?

THANK YOU