MODULE 3

ETHICS & CULTURE

What is ETHICS?
An ethics or moral philosophy is a branch of philosophy concerned with
conduct and character. Simply, ethics deal with the questions of how people ought
to act, and with the search for the definition of right conduct and the good life.
What is ETHICS?

The term ethics is derived from the Greek ethos meaning ‘custom’ or ‘habit’.
Ethics differs from morals or morality in the sense that ethics denotes the theory of
right action and the greater good, while morals indicate their practice.
 Different cultures have different ways of perceiving the world. This
differences also affects how ethical problems are viewed by different cultural
communities.
What is CULTURE?

According to British anthropologist Edward B. Tylor, culture is the

complex whole which includes knowledge, belief, art, law, morals, custom and any
other capabilities and habits acquired by an individual as a member of society.
 According to Daft, culture is a set of common values, norms, beliefs and
ideas shared by members of the same group (2010).

Culture can be considered as the sum total of human knowledge and the
acquired behaviors of humans. Each society has a body of norms governing it’s
moral and belief systems to which individuals are introduced at birth.
CHARACTERISTICS OF CULTURE

1. Culture is shared and transmitted.

According to Geert Hofstede, culture is a collective programming of the

mind that distinguishes the members of one group of people from another (2005).
It is a shared by and transmitted to and among the members of a social group.
Generally, culture is transmitted by means of ideas. The acquired learning of
culture is passed on to succeeding generations primarily through language and
other symbolic means of communication.
CHARACTERISTICS OF CULTURE

2. CULTURE IS LEARNED & ACQUIRED

Not all things shared generally by people in a particular group are cultural.
Culture is not automatic. It is acquired through experiences. No one is born
equipped with a particular language, values, or knowledge.
CHARACTERISTICS OF CULTURE

3. CULTURE IS A SOCIAL PHENOMENON.

Cultural practices and beliefs are shaped through the interactions of

individuals living in the same social environment. Generally, culture is a product
developed by many persons interacting in a group. It is social due to the natural
tendency of human to be social, whether voluntary or not.
CHARACTERISTICS OF CULTURE

4. CULTURE GRATIFIES HUMAN NEEDS.

Patterns of culture exist and persist because they continue to satisfy

human needs. People tend to habitually use systems that satiate their basic
human desires in all aspects of life.
CHARACTERISTICS OF CULTURE

5. CULTURE IS DYNAMIC

It is dynamic and not static. It changes over time. These changes may
come in the form of discoveries, inventions or cultural adoption.
CHARACTERISTICS OF CULTURE

6. CULTURE IS INTEGRATED

Certain features or elements that make up a particular culture are not

random- they are integrated. The components of culture includes attitude, values,
ideals, and moral norms- are integrated into a whole system for individuals in the
same social environment to share.
CULTURAL VIEWS

1. ETHNOCENTRISM is the tendency to perceive and judge others according to

one’s cultural standards. In this cultural view, one sees his or her culture as
yardsick in judging the behaviors of others in other social context. For example,
one who is not exposed to the Filipino cultural habit of using one’s bare hand when
eating see it s unhygienic.
CULTURAL VIEWS

2. XENOCENTRISM is the tendency to value other cultures more highly than

one’s own. Fascination with others culture and contempt for one’s own culture can
be traced back to a cultures colonial experience through cultural brainwashing via
media.
 CULTURE & ETHICS

*Culture is a shared way of life of people living together in the same environment.
Cultures are diverse because the origins, beliefs and ways of human are also
diverse.

*No culture is perfect. Pride and arrogance often lead people that their culture is
the best, if not better than others. But with humility, respect and right reason, this
can be easily seen as a misconception.
 CULTURE & ETHICS

Every culture is different from other just like the idea that no two person
are the same even if they are identical. Culture are equal in the sense that all
human beings are equal in dignity as human beings. Since the human beings, the
authors of cultures are imperfect, no culture is perfect. However, since culture is
imperfect, people must strive to see every culture as a valuable as their own.
 ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE & ETHICS

The organization’s culture also reveals the unwritten ethical standards

that guide employees in their decision making. This culture is observed in the
employer-employee relationship, the system and structure, and how the
employees communicate and interact with each other and with others inside and
out of the organization. Organizational culture represents the intangible force that
centers on a company’s values and beliefs.
 ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE & ETHICS

Leaders should exemplify these moral values so that this practice will
have a trickle down effect on their constituents. The culture of an organization
reflected by it’s reward and punishment system should not just be purely profit or
performance oriented. Practices and behaviors that result in high profits and
performance but display unethical values should not go unpunished. They should
also motivate and inspire every member to live and internalize such moral values.
 NATIONAL CULTURE & ETHICS

The cultural ideas, values, and practices of a country influence the

culture of an organization. The knowledge and values of the society to which the
founder, leaders, and members belong are adapted and become the heart and
soul of the organization. It the national culture is highly competitive, the
organization is likely to be competitive. Countries that emphasize harmony and
unity may see the establishment of organizations that value teamwork and human
relationship.
 NATIONAL CULTURE & ETHICS

For instance, a study comparing universities in Arab countries and Japan

found that Japanese universities are characterized by modesty and frugality,
reflecting the elements of Japanese culture.
KEY POINTS

• Culture as a complex whole includes components such as values, norms,

beliefs, and ideas which serve as guides to the members of the group on what
is proper and improper, right or wrong, moral or immoral, and ethical or
unethical.
• Each society has a body norms governing behavior to which each member is
expected to follow and obey.
• Culture has very important characteristics observed among members of the
group.
• Every culture has its set of ethical standards, shaping the moral values of its
members.