ILOCOS SUR

POLYTECHNIC STATE
c COLLEGE
Santa Maria Campus

MODULE
MODULE 7
TIME FRAME: Week 16-18 (9 Hours)

INTENDED LEARNING OUTCOMES:

 Relate philosophies, Filipino belief systems and values in business practices.

 Determine what philosophy, Filipino belief system or value can be applied to

improve a business practice.

 Illustrate the importance of philosophies, Filipino belief system or value as

guide in impro433ving business practices.

TITLE: HOW TO IMPROVE BUSINESS PRATICES USING PHILOSOPHIES, FILIPINO BELIEF

SYSTEM AND VALUES AS GUIDE

A. Philosophies Applied in Business

Virtue Ethics. It focuses on the character of the person and the virtue he manifests. In this
view, the person must reflect moral virtues and integrity in making decisions rather focus on
the reasons for doing the action.
The main proponents of virtue ethics are Socrates, Plato and Aristotle.
Socrates posited three special tenets in his moral philosophy:
1. Virtue (moral excellence) is identical with knowledge
2. Vice (moral evil) is identical with ignorance (lack of moral knowledge)
3. No one commits an evil act knowingly. Doing wrong arises out of ignorance
Business applications:
In the business world, employers make critical decisions that have impacts on the
operations of the company. The results might lead to uncertainty. Example, when a private
company is contemplating giving an increase in salaries to its employees.
The moral issue lies on the impact of the increase in the families of the employe es
rather than (but not sacrificing) on the continued operations due to the diversion of funds.

Course Code: THC 6

Descriptive Title: PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Instructor: JAN MICHAEL A. TOLENTINO, MDA
AND APPLIED ETHICS
 ILOCOS SUR
POLYTECHNIC STATE
c COLLEGE
Santa Maria Campus

MODULE
Ethical Philosophy
Plato (428-348 b.c.)
Knowing the Forms. For Plato, these are eternal or universal principles and perfect
ideas. Plato maintained that all things in the physical world are symbols of these perfect
Forms in the World of Ideas. And since these Forms are symbols, the world is not the true
reality.
Plato also believed that people are born to be intrinsically good. However, they make
judgments through the irrational part of the soul. This then results in a moral conflict. People
do not choose an evil act to harm themselves. They are only doing evil acts because they
are acting due to ignorance.
Morality means waking up the reason for its true purpose. In the virtuous soul, reason
must control the appetites. Also, the reason must direct the will away from the sensuous
pleasures to move toward eternal ideas. If the appetite and the will dominate, then we act
irrationally out of ignorance, which then results in doing evil acts.

Business application:
Plato’s ethical philosophy can be applied in business. For example, in business
decision making, an outcome is acceptable only if it is done in the light of reasonable
process according to Plato’s concept of virtuous actions. For Plato, the right action, and thus,
a moral action is one that is guided by reason. In addition, Plato believes that a reasonable
and a virtuous action is one that is not dominated by the will or appetite of the person.
Aristotle (384-322 B.C.)
According to Aristotle, we must take the “middle way” or the mean between two
extremes. Aristotle also rejected all forms of imbalance. We must not only develop our mind,
but also our body. Virtue comes from the ability to govern excessive or lack of feelings. Any
extremes would lead to vice. Thus, virtue comes from the mean between these extremes.
The Golden Mean Principle simply states that “to be happy, one must live a life of
moderation”. This means in everything that we do, we must avoid doing the extremes. For
Aristotle, any excess or lack of it is a form of evil.
For example, in taking food, we must eat accordingly with the proper amount of food
proportional to our bodies’ needs. Any excess or deficit in the food intake would cause
problems to our health.

Course Code: THC 6

Descriptive Title: PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Instructor: JAN MICHAEL A. TOLENTINO, MDA
AND APPLIED ETHICS
 ILOCOS SUR
POLYTECHNIC STATE
c COLLEGE
Santa Maria Campus

MODULE

Business application:
a. In production planning and control-finished goods and raw materials must be
carefully controlled so that the company will not incur too much cost.
b. The Principle of Moderation can also be used in determining and planning for profit
in business e. g. too much profit results to greed, no profit results to bankruptcy
c. Virtuous conduct is important not just in decision making, but also in maintaining
moral ascendancy and personal integrity
d. Success in business is not only measured in terms of profit, but also the company’s
moral integrity and credibility.

B. Belief systems
Christianity (Christian Ethics)
1. Ethical Teaching of Jesus Christ
a. The ethics of the Lord shows more preference to the poor and the oppressed.
b. The ethics of Jesus is an ethics of love
c. The ethics of Jesus demands honesty and authenticity
d. The ethics of Jesus teaches faith in God the Father
e. The ethics of Jesus demands sacrifice and suffering
f. The ethics of Jesus is an ethics of peace and reconciliation
2. Ethical Teaching of St. Augustine
The focal point of St. Augustine’s moral imperative is God; and because love is the
highest attribute of God, love eventually is considered as the basis and central point of his
moral teaching.
Augustine’s understanding of God as love drove him to take love as the basis and central
point of his ethics. Furthermore, Augustine suggests that a man should practice the cardinal
virtues in the name of charity or love because for him love is the foundation of all virtues.
3. Ethical teaching of Thomas Aquinas
Thomistic ethics is centered on the concept of the Natural Law and the Eternal law.
For Aquinas, God in His divine providence, plans for all things and directs all things to their
proper order proper purpose and proper ends.
According to him, the Natural Law and Natural Moral Law are copies and reflections
of the Eternal Law. Since the Natural Law is the reflection of Eternal Law, Aquinas says that
the Natural Law and the Eternal Law are one.
In sum, the Eternal Law of God rules all things in their order and purpose (end) and
man, in his rational nature cannot be exempted from the governance of Eternal Law.
Course Code: THC 6
Descriptive Title: PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Instructor: JAN MICHAEL A. TOLENTINO, MDA
AND APPLIED ETHICS
 ILOCOS SUR
POLYTECHNIC STATE
c COLLEGE
Santa Maria Campus

MODULE

Business applications
a. Ideally, Christian Ethics, which is based on the teachings of Jesus Christ, should provide
the ultimate standard when benchmarking business decisions. However, for some reasons,
businessman do not at all times promote and uphold Christian virtues.
b. The Principle of Stewardship should remind business decision makers that the earth’s
resources are not constant and therefore, being responsible in its usage is a way of
respecting the natural order of things as planned by God Himself.
4. The ethical teachings of Buddhism
-Buddhism was founded by Siddharta Gautama, the Buddha.
-Ethics in Buddhism is an ethics born out of the realities of the pain of human life. It is
an ethics which is intended to relieve all forms of human suffering, e.g. suffering from old
age, disease, death and the like.
- The therapy for human suffering must be a spiritual recourse. This spiritual cure lies
in one’s acceptance of the real life, e.g., that life (human existence) cannot be freed from
suffering.
-That is why, if a man wants to do away with suffering, a man should cut off the radix
of suffering which is craving.
- In effect, the Buddha is convinced that, “the world is bad, that it is the source of evil
and of suffering for man”.
-To annihilate suffering, Buddha teaches his celebrated Four Noble Truths which are also
construed as the Buddha’s doctrine of the Middle Way, which is intended for understanding,
peace of mind, wisdom and enlightenment (cross refers to your lesson in “Introduction to
Philosophy”)

Business applications
a. Buddhism as a philosophy can offer a novel mindset of discipline among managers
as well as employees within the organization.
b. Self-discipline, which is a primary tenet of Buddhism can also be applied to the
person’s relationship with other beings including the entities of the environment.
c. Buddhism as a philosophy enjoins people to develop their sense of wisdom. For
according to the Buddha, “Whenever there is morality, there is wisdom and whenever
there is wisdom, there is morality”

Course Code: THC 6

Descriptive Title: PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Instructor: JAN MICHAEL A. TOLENTINO, MDA
AND APPLIED ETHICS
 ILOCOS SUR
POLYTECHNIC STATE
c COLLEGE
Santa Maria Campus

MODULE

C. Filipino Values and Their Respective Business Applications

There are specific Filipino Values that can guide a businessperson in improving
business practices in the workplace. Some of these include:

1. Respect for elders

Harmony in the workplace come as a result of respect for seniors or, in the context of
business, are the people who are more experienced and are able to transmit their
skills to others to empower the workforce. Giving importance and recognition to them
will serve the core objectives of the business in terms of loyalty and sense of
ownership of the company. This Filipino trait can be adopted as a code of conduct
within the business and will bring a mentor-apprentice relationship among newer
employees and lessens formalities of training that sometimes may be costly.

2. Trust in Divine Providence

d. Although affiliated to this value is the “Bahala Na” attitude which is likely negative in
its effect to business decisions resulting to poor risk managements, still the
embedded religiosity of the Filipino culture is one good trait that can improve
business practice. Businesses that are God-centered have a sensible perspective.
They are more likely to be human and in effect, can establish good rapport to their
stakeholders.

3. Respect for womanhood

An old time trait of Filipino value is the respect it gives in dealing with the so-called
“weaker” sex. With many advocacies for women empowerment in society, female
figures holding high positions in the field of business and management have evolved
dramatically in recent years. Considering women as equally capable with what men
can do will not limit the business from exploring its human resources regardless of
gender.

4. Utang na loob
e. Defined as “grateful to anyone who did him good or helped him in an hour of need,
this value can produce a great deal of productivity in business when used wisely. For
example, a business who is extending assistance to a business client that is poorly
Course Code: THC 6
Descriptive Title: PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Instructor: JAN MICHAEL A. TOLENTINO, MDA
AND APPLIED ETHICS
 ILOCOS SUR
POLYTECHNIC STATE
c COLLEGE
Santa Maria Campus

MODULE
performing at the moment may, in the long run, become your most loyal customer
and may even advertise your business to others prospective clients.

5. Pakikisama
Dubbed as harmonious interpersonal relationship, this value creates camaraderie
instead of conflict and confrontation. If applied in pursuit of business objectives, this
can create an easy atmosphere of teamwork.

7. Gulong ng Palad
This is the belief that there is a wheel of fortune in life sometimes leading to the
negative tendency to be complacent and wait for the better times. If taken in a
positive way, the businessperson must consider “life must go on” and that not all
business seasons are dry and unprofitable. This value system must instead bring
every person in business to have optimistic actions and be able to take risks and
consequently succeed in the long run.
8. Bayanihan
This is defined as “Mutual help or the availability to others for solidarity.” As
commonly illustrated in the old tradition of carrying a whole Nipa-bamboo house, this
value extends to greater and nobler scales such as manifested at EDSA In Feb.,
1986 and now as being used extensively in the Philippines in symbolizing a
concerted effort towards fighting COVID-19. As also associated to “pakikisama,” it is,
on a greater sense, pursuit of advocacy where each of those helping out is
convinced, he or she is doing his/her fair share of the load towards achieving
something of worth. This model can be well adopted in the context of the business
environment to improve business practice.

9. On worth as a person, dangal, amor propio, delicadeza, and palabra de honor

All these values when incorporated in human resource management, in sales and
marketing strategies, and in the whole conduct of business administration, will
cumulatively promote the over-all well- being of the business.

Course Code: THC 6

Descriptive Title: PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Instructor: JAN MICHAEL A. TOLENTINO, MDA
AND APPLIED ETHICS
 ILOCOS SUR
POLYTECHNIC STATE
c COLLEGE
Santa Maria Campus

MODULE

IV. Exercises
Easy (5 pts.)
Direction: TRUE or FALSE. Write T if the statement is correct and F if the statement is
incorrect.
___1. Considering women as unequally capable with what men can do will limit the business
from exploring its human resources considering gender.
___2. According to Buddha, morality and wisdom are two different things.
___3. The radix of suffering is craving.
___4. Aquinas says that the Natural Law and the Eternal Law are one.
___5. Affiliated to the value of entrusting everything to Divine Providence is the “Bahala Na”
attitude.

Average (5 pts.)
Direction: Identify what is being asked in each item below by choosing and writing the letter
of the correct answer on the space provided.
___1. In business decision making, what appeals most as ethical according to Plato?
a. An outcome must arise out of the appetite and self-will
b. An outcome is acceptable only if it is done in the light of reasonable process
c. An outcome emanates from sensuous pleasures
d. An outcome doesn’t have to be driven by virtuous acts
___2. Which act relates to virtue ethics?
a. An employer grants a salary increase to all his company staff despite of lesser net
income as a result.
b. A newly opened Asian foreign company in the country is hiring contractual
employees because the management is not yet informed of the law against
contractualization.
c. A new factory of garments has been put-up in the locality to create jobs for so many
jobless people with low educational attainments.
d. All of the above
___3. The “Golden Mean Principle” relates to what virtue?
a. Contentment b. Charity c. Moderation d. Honesty

Course Code: THC 6

Descriptive Title: PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Instructor: JAN MICHAEL A. TOLENTINO, MDA
AND APPLIED ETHICS
 ILOCOS SUR
POLYTECHNIC STATE
c COLLEGE
Santa Maria Campus

MODULE
___4. According to the virtue ethics, what determines the real success of a business?
a. Moral integrity and credibility c. Good planning
b. Consistency in Profit generation d. Excellence in Managerial processes
___5. “Being responsible in the usage of resources is a way of respecting the natural order
of things as planned by God Himself.” What is referred to in this statement?
a. Environmental preservation c. Principle of Stewardship
b. Business Compliance d. Universal Law

Challenging
DIRECTION: CASE STUDY. The choices below are philosophies, beliefs and values as
guide to improve business practices as described in items 1-5. Identify what among these
philosophies, beliefs and values is needed to guide the improvement of the CASE being
described in each item by writing your choice on the space provided. Then, give one
statement on how you think can that philosophy, belief or value improve the situation.

Rubric: 1 pt. for correct answer,

2 pts. for highly related ways to improve,
1 pt. for any way to improve,
total perfect score of 18

Bayanihan Christian Ethics

`Respect for womanhood

Principle of Moderation Utang na Loob

Virtue Ethics Gulong ng Palad

1. The company keeps hiring new employees and that the company is spending in a
15-day training for a new batch of employees. This is because for the past two
years, many older employees had sought greener pastures due no salary increases
granted.
____________________________
How can it improve?
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
2. In a certain company, the Sales Managerial position is held only by males as chosen
by the Board of Directors each time it became vacant. Martha served as the long
time Sales Department Assistant Manager where she had as her immediate superior

Course Code: THC 6

Descriptive Title: PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Instructor: JAN MICHAEL A. TOLENTINO, MDA
AND APPLIED ETHICS
 ILOCOS SUR
POLYTECHNIC STATE
c COLLEGE
Santa Maria Campus

MODULE
a total of six male Sales Managers in a span of 15 years. It is evident with the sales
department team that Martha is much more knowledgeable and experienced in the
company’s sales than all her immediate superior. The company’s sales had
plateaued from the last 8 years. ________________________________________
How can it improve?
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________

3. Honorio is the young, enthusiastic newly-hired Branch Manager of a store selling the
fast trending clothing line for teen-agers in the City of Candon. With all his equally
new and younger staff and team members in place, he orients them daily to come up
collectively with a sales quota. For the first month, the store was not able to achieve
the expected sales. During his pastime, he read an article with this quote, “people do
not support a project as much as they support a cause.”
____________________________________
How can it improve?
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________

4. The management of She-kiss Pizza restaurant was distressed by the effect of the
pandemic. Two of the trusted managerial staff in what used to be as the most
productive branch already resigned to find another job because of salary now
adjusted based on skeletal duty. For fear of a precedent, the Head Office pleaded
for the rest of the branch managers elsewhere not to resign and “keep the ball
rolling.”
_____________________________________
How can it improve?
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________

A prestigious and prominent fast-food company in the country thought of buying a fast-rising
competitor with lower pricing as an alternative to the poorer class of the society. To make the
deal more appealing to the latter, the former offered a special term of a lifetime fixed income-
sharing with the founder of the latter. The competitor agreed and it did not take long for both
fast food to exist with actually one owner company. In a certain city where an influential
wealthy guy handles the franchise of the branch of this company, it was offered to open the

Course Code: THC 6

Descriptive Title: PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Instructor: JAN MICHAEL A. TOLENTINO, MDA
AND APPLIED ETHICS
 ILOCOS SUR
POLYTECHNIC STATE
c COLLEGE
Santa Maria Campus

MODULE
other more economical fast food. The franchise holder did not agree, saying it will create
competition with the other prominent fast food.
_______________________________________
How can it improve?
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________

5. The lucrativeness of ornamental plants has driven not only enthusiasts, but profit-oriented
individuals do propagations as a serious business. With the demand rising so high in the
market, prices have risen also. Zenaida, a plant enthusiast, however, thought of
propagating her plants for the sake of sharing her enthusiasm with others. She only sells
her young, propagated ornaments at a range of P20 to P80. Because of this, greedy
resellers have now flocked to her farm and were purchased in bulk. With more labor and
expenses being incurred than her sales proceeds, it was too late for her to realize that
those businesspeople were taking the opportunity of her own efforts.
_______________________________
How can it improve?
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________

Enriching (12 points)

Essay.
Direction: Enumerate at most four importance of philosophies, Filipino belief system or
value as guide in improving business practices. Be sure to illustrate your points.

Rubrics for every importance enumerated:

3 pts – Evidently important, well stated & well-illustrated
2 pts.- Not necessarily important but well-stated & well-illustrated
1 pt. – No relevance at all, vaguely stated and not illustrated

1. ___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
____________

2. ___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________

Course Code: THC 6

Descriptive Title: PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Instructor: JAN MICHAEL A. TOLENTINO, MDA
AND APPLIED ETHICS
 ILOCOS SUR
POLYTECHNIC STATE
c COLLEGE
Santa Maria Campus

MODULE
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
____________
3. ___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
____________

4. ___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________

Course Code: THC 6

Descriptive Title: PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Instructor: JAN MICHAEL A. TOLENTINO, MDA
AND APPLIED ETHICS
 ILOCOS SUR
POLYTECHNIC STATE
c COLLEGE
Santa Maria Campus

MODULE

V. Reference/s:
(1) PowerPoint Slides:
NOVENCIDO, Rosa M.: Lecture notes, BSBA Dept., DMMMSU – Mild la Union
Campus, College of Arts and Management, City of San Fernando, La Union.

(2) Website:
https://www.business2community.com/small-business/6-ways-improve-business-
operations-01925876

https://www.tmf-group.com/en/news-insights/business-culture/top-challenges-
philippines/

Course Code: THC 6

Descriptive Title: PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Instructor: JAN MICHAEL A. TOLENTINO, MDA
AND APPLIED ETHICS
 ILOCOS SUR
POLYTECHNIC STATE
c COLLEGE
Santa Maria Campus

MODULE

Course Code: THC 6

Descriptive Title: PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Instructor: JAN MICHAEL A. TOLENTINO, MDA
AND APPLIED ETHICS