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MINDTEXT
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Editorial
Reality Check
Business Ethics

RAW
From Depair to Hope
Multi-tasking - Whats that suppose tobe?

Reflections
As you walk down the aisle…

Dead End
 EDITORIAL

THE NEW
NOVEMBER MIST
M
ist is hazy. Mist is white. Mist seems blurry. However this November's mist is different; it
symbolizes light, beautiful light. Lights so pure you want to bury yourself in it. Lights so pure you
hope it would remain forever. Lights through the November mist: the lights of Diwali!

The month of November danced before our eyes as it brought with it the season and spirit of
Diwali. Diwali called the “Festival of Lights” is rightly called so as it is not just the presence of mere
MINDTEXT | Volume-2 Issue-11 | November 2007

lamps adorning the courtyard of houses. Rather it is the entire aura of Diwali that sets it apart from
other festivals. Lamps and candles lit all around transform the place making houses look like they were
made of small balls of fire. The sound of crackers and the beautiful display of lights in the sky make it
seem as if there is a wedding in the skies, and a grand one too!

Mind Text November is a product of the Diwali mist, the mist with a difference. Archana's
article “From Despair to Hope” is a poignant example of how several desolate faces have learnt to smile
and feel loved. Archana talks about the haven called Gilgal Ashwas Bhavan where numerous Alzhemier
patients have found solace and healing. From despair to hope; from darkness to light. This is definitely
one busy life where life and love often seem to be lost behind huge piles of work and long lists of
commitments. The same cry is echoed through “Multi-tasking: what's that supposed to be?” where
Kalpana explains her struggle to understand this term which is so commonly used in today's busy world.

However this “shrew” that we call life is tamed through ethics, making ethics an integral part of every
affair that man deals with. Business Ethics in crisp gives us a bird's eye view of the ethics of different
strands followed by society today “
Shobith's As you walk the aisle” potrays the November mist. He reflects on life as it moves from one step
to the other. Each step in life has a very special meaning and task attached to it. We grow from strength
to strength with determination and with the support of family, friends and well-wishers. In his poem
Vipin exemplifies the veracity of the term “take care” and thus makes sure that its usage potrays all
that it stands for.

With all sincerity we say take care. Tell others about the New November Mist. Spread the
message of love and life all around.
Wish you all a happy reading!

-Kalpana Sudheer (Member, Editorial Committee, Mind Text)

 REALITY CHECK

B
usiness ethics is a form of applied ethics that examines ethical rules and principles within a
commercial context, the various moral or ethical problems that can arise in a business setting,
and any special duties or obligations that apply to persons who are engaged in commerce.
Business ethics can be both a normative and a descriptive discipline. As a corporate practice and a
career specialisation, the field is primarily normative. In academia descriptive approaches are also
taken. The range and quantity of business ethical issues reflects the degree to which business is
perceived to be at odds with non-economic social values. Historically, interest in business ethics
accelerated dramatically during the 1980's and 1990's, both within major corporations and within
academia. For example, today most major corporate websites lay emphasis on commitment to
promoting non-economic social values under a variety of headings (e.g. ethics codes, social
responsibility charters). In some cases, corporations have redefined their core values in the light of
business ethical considerations.

BUSINESS ETHICS
MINDTEXT | Volume-2 Issue-11 | November 2007

General Business Ethics

· This part of business ethics overlaps with the philosophy of business, one of the aims of which is to determine the
fundamental purposes of a company. If a company's main purpose is to maximize the returns to its shareholders, then it
could be seen as unethical for a company to consider the interests and rights of anyone else.
· Corporate Social Responsibility or CSR: an umbrella term under which the ethical rights and duties existing between
companies and society is debated.
· Issues regarding the moral rights and duties between a company and its shareholders: fiduciary responsibility,
stakeholder concept vs. shareholder concept
· Ethical issues concerning relations between different companies: e.g. hostile take-overs, industrial espionage
· Leadership issues: corporate governance
· Political contributions made by corporations
· Law reform, such as the ethical debate over introducing a crime of corporate manslaughter
· The misuse of corporate ethics policies as marketing instruments

Professional Ethics
Professional ethics covers the myriad of practical ethical problems and phenomena which arise out of specific functional areas
of companies or in relation to recognized business professions.

Ethics of Human Resource Management

The ethics of human resource management (HRM) covers those ethical issues arising around the employer-employee
relationship, such as the rights and duties owed between employer and employee.
· Discrimination issues include discrimination on the bases of age (ageism), gender, race, religion, disabilities, weight
and attractiveness.
· Issues surrounding the representation of employees and the democratisation of the workplace: union busting, strike
breaking.
· Issues affecting the privacy of the employee: workplace surveillance, drug testing. See also: privacy.
· Issues affecting the privacy of the employer: whistle-blowing.
· Issues relating to the fairness of the employment contract and the balance of power between employer and employee:
slavery[3], indentured servitude, employment law.
· Occupational safety and health.
 Ethics of Sales & Marketing
Marketing which goes beyond the mere provision of information about (and access to) a product may seek to manipulate
our values and behaviour. To some extent society regards this as acceptable, but where is the ethical line to be drawn?
Marketing ethics overlaps strongly with media ethics, because marketing makes heavy use of media. However media
ethics is a much larger topic and extends outside business ethics.
· Pricing: price fixing, price discrimination, price skimming
· Anti-competitive practices: these include but go beyond pricing tactics to cover issues such as manipulation of
loyalty and supply chains. See: anti-competitive practices, antitrust law.
· Specific marketing strategies: greenwash, bait and switch, shill, viral marketing, spam (electronic), pyramid
scheme, planned obsolescence.
· Content of advertisements: attack ads, subliminal messages, sex in advertising, products regarded as immoral
or harmful
· Children and marketing: marketing in schools
· Black markets, grey markets
Case Example: Benetton.

Ethics of Sales & Marketing

Marketing which goes beyond the mere provision of information about (and access to) a product may seek to manipulate
our values and behaviour. To some extent society regards this as acceptable, but where is the ethical line to be drawn?
Marketing ethics overlaps strongly with media ethics, because marketing makes heavy use of media. However media
ethics is a much larger topic and extends outside business ethics.
· Pricing: price fixing, price discrimination, price skimming
MINDTEXT | Volume-2 Issue-11 | November 2007

· Anti-competitive practices: these include but go beyond pricing tactics to cover issues such as manipulation of
loyalty and supply chains. See: anti-competitive practices, antitrust law.
· Specific marketing strategies: greenwash, bait and switch, shill, viral marketing, spam (electronic), pyramid
scheme, planned obsolescence.
· Content of advertisements: attack ads, subliminal messages, sex in advertising, products regarded as immoral
or harmful
· Children and marketing: marketing in schools
· Black markets, grey markets
Case Example: Benetton.

Ethics of Production
This area of business ethics deals with the duties of a company to ensure that products and production processes do not
cause harm. Some of the more acute dilemmas in this area arise out of the fact that there is usually a degree of danger in
any product or production process and it is difficult to define a degree of permissibility, or the degree of permissibility
may depend on the changing state of preventative technologies or changing social perceptions of acceptable risk.
· Defective, addictive and inherently dangerous products and services (e.g. tobacco, alcohol, weapons, motor
vehicles, chemical manufacturing, bungee jumping)
· Ethical relations between the company and the environment: pollution, environmental ethics, carbon emissions
trading
· Ethical problems arising out of new technologies: genetically modified food, mobile phone radiation and health
· Product testing ethics: animal rights and animal testing, use of economically disadvantaged groups (such as
students) as test objects
Case Examples: Ford Pinto scandal, Bhopal disaster, asbestos / asbestos and the law.

Ethics of Intellectual Property, Knowledge & Skills

Knowledge and skills are valuable but not easily "ownable" objects. Nor is it obvious who has the greater rights to an idea:
the company who trained the employee or the employee themselves? The country in which the plant grew, or the
company which discovered and developed the plant's medicinal potential? As a result, attempts to assert ownership and
ethical disputes over ownership arise.
· Patent infringement, copyright infringement, trademark infringement
· Misuse of the intellectual property systems to stifle competition: patent misuse, copyright misuse, patent troll,
submarine patent
· Even the notion of intellectual property itself has been criticised on ethical grounds: see intellectual property
· Employee raiding: the practice of attracting key employees away from a competitor to take unfair advantage of
the knowledge or skills they may possess
 · The practice of employing all the most talented people in a specific field, regardless of need, in order to prevent
any competitors employing them
· Bioprospecting (ethical) and biopiracy (unethical)
· Business intelligence and industrial espionage
Case Example: private versus public interests in the Human Genome Project

International Business Ethics & Ethics of Economic Systems

The issues here are grouped together because they involve a much wider, global view on business ethical matters.

International Business Ethics

While business ethics emerged as a field in the 1970's, international business ethics did not emerge until the late 1990's,
looking back on the international developments of that decade.[4] Many new practical issues arose out of the international
context of business. Theoretical issues such as cultural relativity of ethical values receive more emphasis in this field.
Other, older issues can be grouped here as well. Issues and subfields include:
· The search for universal values as a basis for international commercial behaviour
· Comparison of business ethical traditions in different countries
· Comparison of business ethical traditions from various religious perspectives
· Ethical issues arising out of international business transactions; e.g. bioprospecting and biopiracy in the
pharmaceutical industry; the fair trade movement; transfer pricing
· Issues such as globalisation and cultural imperialism
· Varying global standards - e.g. the use of child labour
· The way in which multinationals take advantage of international differences, such as outsourcing production (e.g.
MINDTEXT | Volume-2 Issue-11 | November 2007

clothes) and services (e.g. call centres) to low-wage countries

· The permissibility of international commerce with pariah states
Ethics of Economic Systems
This vaguely defined area, perhaps not part of but only related to business ethics, is where business ethicists venture into
the fields of political economy and political philosophy, focussing on the rights and wrongs of various systems for the
distribution of economic benefits.

Ethics Policy
To be successful, most ethicists would suggest that an ethics policy should be:
· Given the unequivocal support of top management, by both word and by example
· Explained in writing and orally, with periodic reinforcement
· Doable - something employees can both understand and perform
· Monitored by top management, with routine inspections for compliance and improvement
· Backed up by clearly stated consequences in the case of disobedience
· Remain neutral and nonsexist
Ethical Problems
Any conflict in ethics (comprising of but not limited to those discussed above), be it business, personal, political, economic
etc becomes an ethical problem. Ethical problems cannot be ignored or avoided. They will confront an individual,
organisation or society at every level. What is neccessary is to resolve the issue effectively.

Steps to Resolving an Ethical Problem

· Clearly define the ethical problem.
· Employ applicable laws and regulations.
· Reflect on the ethical values and their ramifications.
· Consider other applicable moral principles.
· Commit to and implement the best ethical solution.
· Assess results and modify plan as required.

Managing the ethical climate is not easy given the myriad influences, both internal and external. Ethics programs will not
completely eliminate unethical conduct, nor will they resolve all of the perplexing conflicts of ethical values that arise in
various social and economic arenas today. Nevertheless, efforts to strengthen the ethical climate will have real benefits for
individuals, firms, and for society at large. By legitimizing the discussion of ethical considerations, by standing up for
ethical values despite short-term costs, by giving serious consideration to problems of conflicting values, one can
contribute to strengthening individuals, organisations, society and to building trust.
 RAW The plight of an elderly woman who lost her two young children to blood cancer and her husband
to heart failure, prompted Good Samaritan Jacob Joseph to set up a home for the old and the
destitute in Kerala. The haven called Gilgal Ashwas Bhavan, established in 2000, today has 140
inmates and 20 staff members, reports Archana K Sudheer
FROM DESPAIR
T
he rhythmic swaying of the train was peaceful in
contrast to the painful graphics flashing across
Rama's mind. Time and place were a blur to this
woman, who was in her mid-40s. Before she knew it, she
found herself on a platform in Kerala, lost in a sea of
passengers, with no shelter above her head and no place to
call home.
When Rama (not her real name) thought she would
perish without help, a Good Samaritan took her to a haven
called the Gilgal Ashwas Bhavan, a home for destitute, old
persons, and mentally and physically challenged, situated
at Eraviperoor in Pathanamthitta district of Kerala.
Tender words and caring hands restored her
indistinguishable words to clear sentences, unraveling a
traumatised life. Rama lost everything, from her family to
MINDTEXT | Volume-2 Issue-11 | November 2007
her home. Difficult circumstances made her mentally
unstable. To earn for herself, she was working as a maid for
a family in Jalandhar in Punjab.
When her condition deteriorated, her employers
put her in a Kerala-bound train with no money or food. Now,
a few years down the line, she is a healed person and a
source of help to those at the Bhavan. Rama's story might
seem a miracle but she is just one in 140, each with a
different story to tell.
It was Pastor Jacob Joseph, known by his pet name
Prince, who set up Gilgal Ashwas Bhavan in 2000. It all
began when this young man met an elderly lady, Anamma,
who was in the pits of despair after having lost her two
young children to blood cancer and her husband to heart
failure.
On seeing her plight, Prince began looking for a
place for her to stay. He managed to find a refuge for her,
but it sparked a light in him. "I knew I had to do something,"
recalled Prince when I met him in Chandigarh, where he
had come to meet a relative. After talking to his wife, who
was initially hesitant, and toying with the idea for quite
some time, a home for the old and the destitute was
opened in 2000. Anamma was the first occupant.
Now, seven years later, the Bhavan has 140
residents and 20 full-time staff. With the help of well-
wishers, a three-storied structure on 2.5 acres of land with
all necessity facilities was built. "It is a commitment we
have made to society and we do it with help from God," says
the perpetually smiling Prince.
Copyright, The Tribune
The residents are of different ages and with
different health conditions. Among them are mentally
unstable persons, patients with Alzheimer's disease and
those with spinal injuries and physical disabilities. Many of
them are aged.
On being asked how the Bhavan finds people, Prince
says:"Word spreads. Before we knew it, we had a huge list of
applications. But we admit only the most poor and needy. If
we find someone who can pay, we refer that person to some
other home."
Every person has a different story to tell; some
more heart-rending than the other; but all with a happy
ending. Take, for example, 27 year-old Jainu. The only son
of his parents, Jainu was quite healthy till the age of two
when he suffered an epileptic attack and lost his mental
balance. After the death of his father, his mother kept him
tied in a room for seven long years because she could not
control him. It was then that he was rescued and brought to
the home. Now, he is a calm young man who enthralls all
with his singing.
Then there is 56-year-old Lovis, an avid athlete,
who suddenly lost her ability to walk and was confined to a
bed in her home. Now at the home, she has learnt to walk
again and is soon regaining her health.
Sixty one-year-old Rajappan will never forget the day he
entered the home. A beggar, he had come for a free meal,
with a long beard, dirty clothes and sad eyes. His plight
caught the eye of all at the Bhavan. He was given a bath and
his beard was shaved off, transforming him into a new
person. He now stays at the bhavan with no worries and
concerns.
Not to forget 19-year-old Ajimol, 'Tsunami kutty
(baby),' as she is fondly called. Mentally unstable, she had
been tied in her room when the Tsunami struck. Her house
was dragged away by the tidal waves. She clung on to a tree
for hours before she was rescued. The trauma rendered her
violent and unable to talk. "We needed several persons to
handle her. She was that violent," said Prince. In the home,
she found healing. She is still mentally unstable, but calm.
And the stories continue.
TO HOPE
 RAW

MULTI-TASKING…
WHAT'S THAT SUPPOSED TO BE? By Kalpana Sudheer

M
ulti-tasking: a word that has been on my mind for ages now. I have really wanted to get to the history from which this
word originated. Multi-tasking is, I learnt, a work used in multimedia, something computers do. The ability to do
multiple things at the same time efficiently is multi-tasking. In connection with computers, it is often used on the
same note with “multi-processing.”

It is now used widely in connection with humans being able to doing multiple things at the same time. I have often
wondered what the word really meant. To be honest, the word has often created more worry for me than good. When one
says s/he has the skill of multi-tasking does it mean the person is calm at all times despite a strenuous work schedule? Or does
it mean that though s/he runs around frantically to get things done, he finally manages to get them done. What is the focus
here?? The end justifies the means??

Is multi-tasking focusing on the external expressions on the human face, aiming that one keep a calm demeanor at
all times? Confused busy schedules have also made me wonder whether “multi-tasking” meant you ended up becoming a
MINDTEXT | Volume-2 Issue-11 | November 2007

workaholic, one who is busy all the time because s/he has to learn to get things done. Is “multi-tasking learning to balance
your time, balancing between time at office and time with your family?

One interesting concept developed by Linda, multimedia partner made me think. She called multi-tasking a process
in which there is “Continuous Partial Attention,” which meant that you though you pay only a fleeting glance (superficial
attention) to what you are doing you do it efficiently. Continuous partial attention is multitasking where things do not get
studied in depth. You do the same process with other things, all at the same time. Wow!! I think I'll take a lifetime to do that!
To be able to glance at a thing and handle it efficiently would require some sort of fluency and practice. Now, how
“efficiency” is defined is a totally different question altogether. I guess I'll leave that for the next issue of Mind Text!

I no longer wonder why my cousin once said, “Multi-tasking is the work of computers; Human SUCK at it!” I'm yet to
come to terms with me developing the skill of “multi-tasking.” Too many questions unanswered, too many unsettled truths.
Well I don't know if it is a virtue or vice; as of now multi-tasking seems to be the trend! Well I guess I'd better play along or I'd
end up with too many things that I would not have a choice as to whether I want to “multi'task” or not!!
Kalpana Sudheer is 3rd Semester, MSW Student

DAYS OBSERVED RELATED TO FORESTS AND ENVIRONMENT

2nd February World Wetlands Day
14th March World Anti-Dam Day
21st March World Forestry Day
22nd March World Day for Water
22nd April Earth Day
5th June World Environment Day
6th July Vanamahotsav
9th August International Day of the World's indigenous people
26th August Nature Club Day
16th September International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer
21st September World Biosphere Day
1st November World Ecology Day
10th November Forest Martyr's Day
29th November International Day for Biological Diversity
1st December Ocean Care Day
3rd December World Conservation Day
19th December Biodiversity Day

Source: Silent Valley Information Centre

 REFLECTIONS
When I see you walking down the aisle
To a life so bright
I raise my eyes to the skies.
Looking back on all these years
Oh how the time has flown
Seems like yesterday u were home.

So much for all the cries

AS YOU So much for all the tears

A blessing what u been since u were born.

WALK DOWN
And I will always love u
And I will b there for u
And I will always miss u.

THE AISLE… By Shobith John

I see my life flash before my eyes
I see the smiles and the sighs
U were there in everything I recall.
Think of the days and the way I spent
Things I did I can't amend
You bore with everything I've been thru.
MINDTEXT | Volume-2 Issue-11 | November 2007

Now tis time for u to walk the aisle

Time to stop and rest a while
Tis been a long way so far.
I look at him and it brings a smile
I know he'll go the extra mile
To keep that glow on your face alive...

Shobith John is second year BSc student from Coimbatore

DEAD END

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