Asian Spiritual Basis of Ethics

Tandin Wangchuk (031826)

B.B Rasaily (031801)
Ugyen Phuntsho (031827)
Sonam Wangmo (031825)
Dago (031803)
 Taoism
Here are Taoism’s some Precepts which the individual is expected to uphold:

• Do not kill but always be mindful of the host of living beings.

A Chinese philosophy based on the writings of Lao-tzu,
• Do not be lascivious or think depraved thoughts.
advocating humility and religious piety.
• Do Taoist
not steal ethics
or receiveare concerned
unrighteous wealth.less with doing good acts
• Do than becoming
not cheat a good
or misrepresent person
good and evil. who lives in harmony with
• Do all things
not get and but
intoxicated people
always think of pure conduct.
• I will maintain harmony with my ancestors and family and never disregard my kin.
• When I see someone do a good deed, I will support him with joy and delight.
• When I see someone unfortunate, I will support him with dignity to recover good
fortune.
• When someone comes to do me harm, I will not harbor thoughts of revenge
 Vedanta
• Not cause unnecessary suffering to other living entities so
VED =knowledge
vegetarianism Antha =END, Vedanta means end of all
is recommended
knowledge
• Keep the mindor after
andknowing which
body clean andthe
so quest
avoid to know
illicit more
sexual
ceases.
connections
It• One
basesshould
its conclusions
be austereon universal
and so avoidexperiences.
intoxication,Itbecause
is Not the
experiences
intoxication of a few.a or
makes an INDIVIDUAL.
person careless towards their best interests,
and unwilling to face the reality one is in.
• Be honest in all dealings and not cheat or endeavor for gain by
taking short cuts

By sticking to theses ethics a person can develop the mode of

goodness and a peaceful frame of mind, which are essential for
understanding Vedanta.
 Ethical Issues
Is a problem or situation that requires a person or organization to choose between
alternatives that must be evaluated as right (ethical) or wrong (unethical).

Ethical Dilemmas
Are problem, situation or opportunity that requires an individual, group or
organization to choose among several wrong or unethical actions that have no right
or ethical choices.

Rationalizations for poor decision are immeasurable:

 Everyone is doing it.

 It’s just this once
 No one will notice
 I won’t get caught
 It’s just a small amount
 I deserve this
 Causes of Ethical Issues and Dilemmas

• Lack of honesty, integrity and trust

• Pressure from Management

• Ambition and Discrimination

• Negotiation Tactics
 Ethical code of conduct
Is a proactive approach to addressing unethical behavior. It
establishes an organization’s values and sets boundaries for
adhering to those values. Everyone is accountable.

Code of Ethics Consist of:

 What are the lines you do not want to be crossed?

 What kinds of things would be unethical
 Establish a framework of how to do a business
 Gives a company the benchmark to compare the new
employees whether they are fit of not.
 Leaders brainstorm and develop these codes
 Causes of Unethical Behavior
• No code of ethics

• Fear or reprisal

• Peer Influence

• Slippery Slope

• Setting a bad example

 Law & Ethics
• Defining Law
- Systematic set of universally accepted rules and regulations created
by an appropriate authority.
- Used to govern the action and behavior of the members and can be
enforced, by imposing penalties.
• Defining ethics

- Principles that guide a person or society, created to decide what is

good or bad, right or wrong, in a given situation.
- It regulates a person’s behavior or conduct and helps an individual
in living a good life, by applying the moral rules and guidelines
 Comparing law and ethics
Basis of Law Ethics
comparison
Governed by Set of rules and Set of guidelines
regulations
Expression Expressed and They are abstract
published in
writing
Violation Violation results in No punishment for
punishment like violation of ethics
imprisonment or
fine
Objective Created in order to Made to help
maintain social people decide what
order and peace in is right or wrong
 Ethical competition
• Conduct described as ethical based on individual or market
competition.
• Ethical norms evolving to sustain co-operative behavior
and promoting successful functioning of social
institutions.
• Unethical or censured activities due to competition;
- Child Labor
- Corruption
- Executive pay
- Earnings manipulation
 Ethical issues in business
• Business ethics

- Moral principles that guide the way a business behaves.

- It is the study of business situations, activities, and decisions

where issues of right and wrong are addressed.
- Fairness in business dealings means being objective and
having an interest in creating a win-win situation for both
parties whether that is employer-employee or company-client.
- Personal ethics are usually considered as the foundation for
running ethical business.
• Marketing Ethics

- Provide understanding about the four basic aspects of

business- Product, Price, Place, and Promotion
- Provides interface to the management related not only to the
customers but the other related parties like media, investors,
distribution system, supply chain partners, legal framework
and others.
- It is a practice that emphasize transparent, trustworthy, and
responsible personal and organizational marketing policies and
actions that exhibit integrity as well as fairness to consumers
and other stakeholders.
• Financial ethics
- It helps in understanding the importance of business code of
ethics, besides the profit/loss , balance sheets and financial
statements.
- Enhancing the financial figures and statements which is
manipulated for the purpose of achieving something which is
unethical.
• HR ethics
- In a maze of complicated relationships, business
associations, and personnel issues, many in the
workplace look to a human resources team for
guidance. 
- Human resources professionals are encouraged to stick
to ethical codes of conduct to guide their behaviors.
- Areas of HR ethics;
1. Basic human rights, civil and employment right.
2. Safety in the workplace
3. Privacy
4. Justifiable treatment of employees
5. Respect, fairness and honestly based process in the
workplaces
• Role of HR in promoting ethics
- Improve recruitment and selection tests.

- Follow recruitment policy that is the identification of the

recruitment needs, monetary aspects, criteria of selection and
preference, etc
- Follow the situational factors such as economic factors, social
factors, technological factors, etc.
- Conduct ethics training.
- Factual performance appraisal

- Reward and disciplinary system

- Avoid discrimination
• Environmental ethics
- The discipline that studies the moral relationship of human beings and
also the value and moral status of the environment and its non human
content
- Considers the ethical relationship between humans and the environment.
- Principles;
1. Every life form is unique, and has intrinsic value, regardless of its
perceived value to humans.
2. We should have a profound respect for nature.
3. We must maintain a harmonious relationship with other species.
4. Everyone should take responsibility for his impact on nature.
5. Local and indigenous environmental knowledge should be respected.
6. We must plan for the long-term.
• Environmental Legislation

- Environmental legislation intends to control

environmental degradation which has become a very
serious issue in recent years and to improve quality and
health of the inhabitants.

Bhutanese context;
- National Environmental Protection Act

- Water Act of Bhutan 2011

 Corporate Social
Responsibility as Ethical
Obligation
 What is corporate social responsibility?

• In the 1960s it was defined as “seriously considering the

impact of the company’s actions on society.” –Unknown

• “Social responsibility is the obligation of decision makers

to take actions which protect and improve the welfare of
society along with their own interests” (Davis 1975).

• In general, CSR has typically been understood business’

concern for social welfare. Or obligation of organizations
to act in ways that serve both its own interests and the
interests of society at large
 Perspectives on corporate social
responsibility:
– Classical view—
• Management’s only responsibility is to
maximize profits.
– Socioeconomic view—
• Management must be concerned for the
broader social welfare, not just profits.

20
Corporate Social Responsibility
 Ethics and decision making

• Ethics – a tool for decision makers.

• In the different social roles we occupy we all make decisions

that have consequences for a large number of different agents.

• These agents have different interests and might disagree

about what the best decision is.

• A decision maker has to balance conflicting demands from

different groups.
 Towards who do we have
obligations?
1.Other people that we have certain relation to - family, our
friends, our colleagues or our fellow citizens
2. All human beings – independent of our relationship to them.
3. Other life forms and the environment.

We can have different obligations towards different groups, for

example:
– An obligation to share our economic resources with our
fellow family or fellow citizens.
– An obligation to respect the human rights of all human
beings.
– An obligation not to inflict unnecessary pain on animals.
Stakeholders in the environment of an
organization.

Custome
Supplier rs Employe
s e

Busine
ss
Govern
The ment
Public
Owners
 What type of obligations do we
have?
1. Consequentialism: We are obligated to choose the
‘best’ alternative– influence in a positive direction.
- Theory: utilitarianism/ welfarism

2. Duty ethics: we have an obligation to choose the ‘right’

action – to avoid unethical conduct.
- Theory: Kant’s duty ethics

3. Desert ethics: We are obligated to reward or punish.

- Theory: Libertarianism.
 How should we handle conflicting
obligations?
1. Identify situations in which there is no conflict.
a. Corporate social responsibility as reputation management.
b. Exploit opportunities for collaboration
2. Evaluate what obligations that one is best suited to take care of.
a. What obligations can we take care of?
b. Are other agents better suited to take care of certain
obligations?
3. Weight the remaining obligations.
a. Give absolute priority to one type of obligation.
b. Trade-off between different obligations.
 Conclusion
• Corporate social responsibility is a question of when, not whether.
–Companies have special obligations to other stakeholders than the
owner

• Their business operations potentially have important effects on the

vital interests of other stakeholders.

• When these stakeholders have few alternatives and lack information.

• The company is better suited to take care of the interest of these

stakeholders than other agents.
Thank You