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SIMSDL BAHR 213 Module WK 4-5

This document is a self-instructional manual for a course on good governance and social responsibility. It provides an overview of classical philosophies that can be applied to business ethics, including views from Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, Plutarch, and Epictetus. Some of the key lessons discussed are encouraging independent thinking, appealing to employees' sense of purpose and fulfillment, being a good role model for others to emulate, and developing a resilient mindset by focusing on what can be controlled. The document aims to give students an essential understanding of the foundations of business ethics principles.

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ERICSON DIAZ
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0% found this document useful (0 votes)
112 views23 pages

SIMSDL BAHR 213 Module WK 4-5

This document is a self-instructional manual for a course on good governance and social responsibility. It provides an overview of classical philosophies that can be applied to business ethics, including views from Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, Plutarch, and Epictetus. Some of the key lessons discussed are encouraging independent thinking, appealing to employees' sense of purpose and fulfillment, being a good role model for others to emulate, and developing a resilient mindset by focusing on what can be controlled. The document aims to give students an essential understanding of the foundations of business ethics principles.

Uploaded by

ERICSON DIAZ
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
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You are on page 1/ 23

College of Business Administration Education

2nd Floor, SS Building


Bolton Street, Davao City
Telefax: (082)227-5456 Local 131

UNIVERSITY OF MINDANAO
College of Business Administration Education
Program: Human Resource Management

Physically Distanced but Academically Engaged

Self-Instructional Manual (SIM) for Self-Directed Learning (SDL)

Course/Subject: BAHR 213 - Good Governance and Social


Responsibility

Name of Teacher: NOREEN J. NATIVIDAD

THIS SIM/SDL MANUAL IS A DRAFT VERSION ONLY; NOT FOR


COMMERCIAL USE, REPRODUCTION AND DISTRIBUTION OUTSIDE OF
ITS INTENDED USE. THIS IS INTENDED ONLY FOR THE USE OF THE
STUDENTS WHO ARE OFFICIALLY ENROLLED IN THE
COURSE/SUBJECT.
EXPECT REVISIONS OF THE MANUAL.

1
College of Business Administration Education
2nd Floor, SS Building
Bolton Street, Davao City
Telefax: (082)227-5456 Local 131

Let us begin!

Unit Learning Outcomes: At the end of the unit, they are expected to:

1. Develop a good criteria for the corporate culture its impacts and implications.
2. Identify how public interest can influence policy of the business organization.
3. Distinguish the relationship of good ethics and good business.

Metalanguage:

Ethics are the moral standards you rely on when you make a decision. They define
what’s right and wrong, and outline the kind of behaviour that businesses should not
engage in. For responsible decision making in a business environment, a good set of
ethics is key.

Ethics means the set of rules or principles that the organization should
follow. While Business Ethics refers to a code of conduct that businesses are
expected to follow while doing business. Through ethics, a standard is set for
the organization to regulate their behaviour.

Belief System of a person or society is the set of beliefs that they have
about what is right and wrong and what is true and false.

Value system- A hierarchy of values that all moral agents possess,


demonstrated by their choices. Most people’s value systems differ, making the
imposition of a singular value system by the state a source of constant social warfare.
This is an individualistic concept. One’s value system is molded by one’s virtues or vices.

Essential Knowledge:

Lesson 4: Foundations of the Principles of Business Ethics

2
College of Business Administration Education
2nd Floor, SS Building
Bolton Street, Davao City
Telefax: (082)227-5456 Local 131

Classical Philosophy Used in Business

Socrates: Dare to disagree

Socrates, one of the first philosophers, insisted on our right to think for
ourselves. Too often, he warned, humans sleepwalk through life, simply going
along with the crowd.

This is dangerous in questions of morality, and particularly in corporate


governance. When corruption is uncovered, too often people say "everyone else was
doing it". But our characters are our responsibility. Socrates was prepared to die
rather than go against his conscience. Does your organization encourage independent
thinkers, and people who follow their conscience? Does it allow people to give critical
feedback to managers? Does it create opportunities for good people to blow the
whistle on bad behavior

Plato: The Power to Rule

Plato was a student of Socrates and adopted many of his master’s


teachings. He founded the Academy of Athens, the first institute of higher learning
in the Western world, which operated until 529BC, when Emperor Justinian I shut
it down as he considered it a threat to Christianity. “Plato” may actually have been
his nickname, as Plato means “a strong, broad build. “Plato originally considered
going into politics, but gave that up after Socrates was executed, which left Plato
feeling dejected by politics. Plato wrote many dialogues on history, philosophy,
science, metaphysics, politics, religion and other subjects, his most famous
being The Republic.

Takeaway from Plato: Be kind and courageous, and you will always win
the day.

3
College of Business Administration Education
2nd Floor, SS Building
Bolton Street, Davao City
Telefax: (082)227-5456 Local 131

Aristotle: let people seek fulfillment

Aristotle was a great biologist as well as a great philosopher. He based


his ethics on a psychological theory of human nature, insisting that we are
naturally virtuous, rational, social and happiness-seeking. Governments and
organizations need to build the best systems to let humans fulfill their natural
drives. Aristotle’s philosophy was an influence on Edward Deci and Richard
Ryan's Self-Determination Theory, which suggests that employees will work
harder for you, and perform better, if you give them tasks they find meaningful
and morally worthwhile.

Humans want to believe in something and to serve it. Appeal to your


employees' best nature and they will answer that call.

Your employees will also be more motivated if you give them the
opportunity to feed their natural curiosity through learning opportunities. That
could be vocational training, but it could also simply be learning about the world,
ideas, vocational training, but it could also simply be learning about the world,
ideas, culture. Does your company have an evening or lunch-time lecture series,
such

Plutarch: be a good role model

Plutarch, the ancient Greek historian and educator, understood that


humans are incredibly social creatures, who constantly observe the people
around them and imitate them.

Unfortunately, people often grow up surrounded by bad role models.


However, we can steer people, by providing them with better patterns to
imitate. That's what Plutarch tried to do with his famous work, Parallel Lives,
which offered biographical sketches of some of the great Greek and Roman
heroes – Cicero, Caesar, Alexander the Great, Pericles – to give young people
something to emulate.

4
College of Business Administration Education
2nd Floor, SS Building
Bolton Street, Davao City
Telefax: (082)227-5456 Local 131

In organisational terms, that means what you say to your employees is


less important than what you do. They will watch how you behave, how you
treat others, how you cope with pressure and whether you follow through on
your promises. And they will imitate you. If you talk about ethics and then cut
corners at the first opportunity, they will follow your lead.

Set a good example and they will follow it. Plutarch would also warn that
your best young employees will use you as a bar to aim for and exceed. That's
natural. Let them compete with you and encourage them to go further.

Epictetus: build a resilient mind-set

Epictetus grew up a slave in Rome, and then became a Stoic philosopher.


Both of these positions were incredibly precarious – slaves could be abused or
killed by their owners, while Stoic philosophers were constantly falling foul of
the imperial authorities (Epictetus himself was eventually exiled). Epictetus
coped with this insecurity by constantly reminding himself what he could control
and what he couldn't. We can control our thoughts, beliefs and attitudes, but
everything else is to some extent out of our control – other people's perceptions
and behavior, the economy, the weather, the future and the past. If you focus
on what is beyond your control, and obsess over it, you will end up feeling
helpless. Focus on what you can control, and you will feel a measure of
autonomy even in chaotic situations.

This insight is now part of the US Army's $125m resilience training


course, which teaches soldiers the Stoic lesson that, even in adverse situations,
we always have some choice how we react. We can learn this resilient thinking,
and it will make our organization and employees more capable of reacting to
crises. The environment may be worsening, the economy may be double-
dipping. Focus on doing what you can, on the practical steps you can take to
improve the situation.

5
College of Business Administration Education
2nd Floor, SS Building
Bolton Street, Davao City
Telefax: (082)227-5456 Local 131

Rufus: keep track of your ethical progress

Musonius Rufus was known as the Socrates of Rome. He was another


Stoic, who taught that philosophy cannot just be theoretical. If you want to be
an ethical individual or an ethical company, you can't just study ethics, you have
to practice it, every day, to get into good habits. The ancient Greek word for
ethics is actually the same word for habit.

You also need to keep track of your progress, to see how you're doing.
You can't just rely on your intuitions, because they're often wrong. So, the
ancient Greeks learned to keep accounts of themselves. They would track their
daily behaviour in journals, keeping account of how many times they lost their
temper, for example, or got too drunk. Then they could see if they were really
improving their behaviour, or just going around in circles.

In organisational terms, keeping track of ourselves means trying to take


an evidence-based assessment of our performance. We might say we're a green
company, but how do we know if we're making progress? We might say we're a
eudaimonic organisation, but how do we know? We can keep track of this, for
example by asking our employees (anonymously) how worthwhile they feel their
job is. Then see if, in a year, we have managed to enhance their sense of
purpose.

Epicurus: the art of happiness

Epicurus was a fourth century Greek philosopher who taught, rather


scandalously, that the aim of life was simply to be as happy as possible here on
Earth, before we die and dissolve back into the atomic universe. He warned that
humans are very bad at being happy, and very good at inventing reasons to be
miserable. Philosophy should teach us how to be happy, he suggested. For
example, it could teach us how to bring our attention to the present moment,
to savour it. It could also teach us to limit our desires to what is easy to get,
not inflating our needs with endless artificially stimulated desires.

6
College of Business Administration Education
2nd Floor, SS Building
Bolton Street, Davao City
Telefax: (082)227-5456 Local 131

Today, some companies are embracing Epicurus' philosophy, and trying


to teach their employees the art of happiness. Tony Hsieh, the CEO of American
shoe company Zappos, is so committed to the company's courses in happiness
that he sold the company to Amazon on the agreement it would be able to
continue with its unique happy culture.

“The person who claims to be studying philosophy must practice it even more diligently
than the person who aspires to the art of medicine or a similar skill, in as much as
philosophy is more important and harder to grasp than any other pursuit.”

Another reason is that if you study skills other than philosophy, you have not
learned much about it before and are less prejudiced. With philosophy it’s different.
You’ve been living already for a couple of years at least, and have learned and done
things opposite to what you think to be right today.

7
College of Business Administration Education
2nd Floor, SS Building
Bolton Street, Davao City
Telefax: (082)227-5456 Local 131

Lesson 5: Belief Systems

Belief systems include both religions and philosophies that help to


explain basic questions of human existence, such as "Where did we come from?"
Or "What happens after death?" or "What is the nature of human relationships or
interactions?" Many major beliefs systems that influence the modern world began
during the Foundations Era (8000 BCE to 600 CE).

ANIMISM

Refers to the belief that non-human entities are spiritual beings, either
intrinsically or because spirits inhabit them for a period of time. Unlike
supernatural forces, animist spirits may be inherently good or evil. Often, these
spirits are thought to be the souls of deceased relatives, and they are not
worshiped as deities.

While animists believe everything to be spiritual in nature, they do not


necessarily see the spiritual nature of everything in existence as being united
(monism), the way pantheists do. Animism puts more emphasis on the
uniqueness of each individual soul. In pantheism, everything shares the same
spiritual essence—there are no distinct spirits and/or souls. Because humans are
considered a part of nature, rather than superior to, or separate from it, animists
see themselves on roughly equal footing with other animals, plants, and natural
forces, and subsequently have a moral imperative to treat these agents with
respect.

In animist societies, ritual is considered essential to win the favor of the


spirits that ward off other malevolent spirits and provide food, shelter, and
fertility. Shamans, also sometimes called medicine men or women, serve as
mediums between the physical world and the world of spirits.

8
College of Business Administration Education
2nd Floor, SS Building
Bolton Street, Davao City
Telefax: (082)227-5456 Local 131

Animism is thought to be the belief system that laid the groundwork for
the notion of a soul and the animation of traditionally inanimate objects,
allowing every world religion to take those basic principles in other directions.
Though earlier philosophers such as Aristotle and Thomas Aquinas discussed
animism, the formal definition was postulated by Sir Edward Taylor late in the
19th century. Examples of Animism can be seen in forms of Shinto, Hinduism,
Buddhism, pantheism, Paganism, and Neopaganism.

SHINTO

Indigenous religious beliefs and practices of Japan. The word Shinto,


which literally means “the way of kami” (generally sacred or divine power,
specifically the various gods or deities), came into use in order to distinguish
indigenous Japanese beliefs from Buddhism, which had been introduced into
Japan in the 6th century CE. Shinto has no founder, no official
sacred scriptures in the strict sense, and no fixed dogmas, but it has preserved
its guiding beliefs throughout the ages.

TAOISM (DAOISM)

The founder of Daoism is believed to have been Laozi, a spiritualist who


probably lived in the 4th century BCE. The religion centers on the Dao
(sometimes referred to as the "Way" or "Path"), the original force of the cosmos
that is an eternal and unchanging principle that governs all the workings of the
world. The Dao is passive - not active, good nor bad - but it just is. It cannot be
changed, so humans must learn to live with it. According to Daoism, human
strivings have brought the world to chaos because they resist the Dao. A Chief
Characteristic is wuwei, or a disengagement from the affairs of the world,
including government. The less government, the better. Live simply, in harmony
with nature. Daoism encourages introspection, development of inner
contentment, and no ambition to change the Dao.

9
College of Business Administration Education
2nd Floor, SS Building
Bolton Street, Davao City
Telefax: (082)227-5456 Local 131

Both Confucianism and Daoism encourage self-knowledge and


acceptance of the way’s things are. However, Confucianism is activist and
extroverted, and Daoism is reflective and introspective. The same individual may
believe in the importance of both belief systems, unlike many people in western
societies who think that a person may only adhere to one belief system or
another.

LEGALISM

The third belief system that arose from the Warring States Period is
legalism, and it stands in stark contrast to the other beliefs. It had no concern
with ethics, morality, or propriety, and cared nothing about human nature, or
governing principles of the world. Instead it emphasized the importance of rule
of law, or the imperative for laws to govern, not men. According to legalism,
laws should be administered objectively, and punishments for offenders should
be harsh and swift. Legalism was the philosophy of Shi Huangdi, the first
emperor, whose Qin Dynasty rescued China from chaos. However, when he
died, the Han emperors that followed deserted legalism and established
Confucianism as the dominant philosophy.

POLYTHEISM

The earliest form of religion was probably polydaemonism (the belief in


many spirits), but somewhere in the Neolithic era people began to put these
spirits together to form gods. In polytheism, each god typically has responsibility
for one area of life, like war, the sea, or death. In early agricultural societies,
quite logically most of the gods had responsibility for the raising of crops and
domesticated animals. The most prominent god in many early societies was the
Sun God, who took many forms and went by many names. Other gods
supervised rain, wind, the moon, or stars. Greek polytheism stands out because
the gods were anthropomorphic, or, they had human qualities and
temperaments.

10
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2nd Floor, SS Building
Bolton Street, Davao City
Telefax: (082)227-5456 Local 131

Religion was extremely important to the river-valley civilizations, and


most areas of life revolved around pleasing the gods. And pleasing the gods was
invariably connected with the political order, whether it be a pharaoh, king, or
emperor. Monotheism was first introduced about
2000 BCE by Israelites (Hebrews), but monotheism did not grow substantially till
much later. Each of the classical civilizations had very different belief systems
that partially account for the very different directions that the three areas took
in succeeding eras. Rome and Greece were polytheistic, but Christianity had a
firm footing by the time the western empire fell. Hinduism dominated Indian
society from very early times, although Buddhism also took root in India.
From China's early days, ancestors were revered, a belief reinforced by the
philosophy of Confucianism. Other belief systems, such as Daoism, Legalism, and
Buddhism, also flourished in China by 600 CE.

HINDUISM

The beginnings of Hinduism are difficult to trace, but the religion


originated with the polytheism that the Aryans brought as they began invading
the Indian subcontinent sometime after 2000 BCE. Aryan priest recited hymns
that told stories and taught values and were eventually written down in The
Vedas, the sacred texts of Hinduism. One famous story is The Ramayana that
tells about the life and love of Prince Rama and his wife Sita. Another epic story
is The Mahabharata, which focuses on a war between cousins. Its most famous
part is called The Baghavad Gita, which tells how one cousin, Arjuna, overcomes
his hesitations to fight his own kin. The stories embody important Hindu values
that still guide modern day India.

Hinduism assumes the eternal existence of a universal spirit that guides


all life on earth. A piece of the spirit called the atman is trapped inside humans
and other living creatures. The most important desire of the atman is to be
reunited with the universal spirit, and every aspect of an individual's life is
governed by it. When someone dies, their atman may be reunited, but most

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College of Business Administration Education
2nd Floor, SS Building
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Telefax: (082)227-5456 Local 131

usually is reborn in a new body. A person's caste membership is a clear indication


of how close he or she is to the desired reunion. Some basic tenets of Hinduism
are:

 Reincarnation:

Atman spirits are reborn in different people after one


body dies. This rebirth has no beginning and no end, and is part
of the larger universal spirit that pervades all of life.

 Karma:

This widely used word actually refers to the pattern of


cause and effect that transcends individual human lives. Whether
or not an individual fulfills his/her duties in one life determines
what happens in the next.

 Dharma:

Duties called dharma are attached to each caste position.


For example, a warrior's dharma is to fight honorably, and a wife's
duty is to serve her husband faithfully. Even the lowliest caste has
dharma attached to it. If one fulfills this dharma, the reward is for
the atman to be reborn into a higher caste.

Only the atman of a member of the highest caste (originally the priests)
has the opportunity to be reunited with the universal spirit.

The universal spirit is represented by Brahman, a god that takes many


different shapes. Two of Brahman's forms are Vishnu the Creator, and Shiva the
Destroyer. Hinduism is very difficult to categorize as either polytheistic or
monotheistic because of the central belief in the universal spirit. Do each of
Brahman's forms represent a different god, or are they all the same? Brahman's

12
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2nd Floor, SS Building
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Telefax: (082)227-5456 Local 131

forms almost certainly represent different Aryan gods from the religion's early
days, but Hinduism eventually unites them all in the belief in Brahman.

BUDDHISM

Buddhism began in India in the Ganges River are during the 6th
century BCE. Its founder was Siddhartha Gautama, who later became known as
the Buddha, or the "Enlightened One." Siddhartha was the son of a wealthy
Hindu prince who grew up with many advantages in life. However, as a young
man he did not find answers to the meaning of life in Hinduism, so he left home
to become an ascetic, or wandering holy man. His Enlightenment came while
sitting under a tree in a Deerfield, and the revelations of that day form the basic
tenets of Buddhism:

 The Four Noble Truths

1) All of life is suffering;


2) Suffering is caused by false desires for things that do not bring satisfaction;
3) Suffering may be relieved by removing the desire;
4) Desire may be removed by following the Eightfold Path.

 The Eightfold Path to Enlightenment


The ultimate goal is to follow the path to nirvana, or a state of
contentment that occurs when the individual's soul unites with the universal
spirit. The eight steps must be achieved one by one, starting with a change in
thoughts and intentions, followed by changes in life style and actions,
that prelude a higher thought process through meditation. Eventually, a
"breakthrough" occurs when nirvana is achieved that gives the person a whole
new understanding of life.

Note that Hinduism supported the continuation of the caste system


in India, since castes were an outer reflection of inner purity. For example,
placement in a lower caste happened because a person did not fulfill his/her

13
College of Business Administration Education
2nd Floor, SS Building
Bolton Street, Davao City
Telefax: (082)227-5456 Local 131

dharma in a previous life. Higher status was a "reward" for good behavior in the
past. Although Buddhism, like Hinduism, emphasizes the soul's yearning for
understandings on a higher plane, it generally supported the notion that anyone
of any social position could follow the Eightfold Path successfully. Buddhists
believed that changes in thought processes and life styles brought
enlightenment, not the powers of one's caste. Although the Buddha actively
spread the new beliefs during his long lifetime, the new religion faced
oppression after his death from Hindus who saw it as a threat to the basic social
and religious structure that held India together. Buddhism probably survived
only because the Mauryan emperor Ashoka converted to it and promoted its
practice. However, in the long run, Buddhism did much better in areas where it
spread through cultural diffusion, such as Southeast Asia, China, and Japan.

CONFUCIANISM

Three important belief systems (Confucianism, Daoism, and Legalism)


emerged in China during the Warring States Period (403-221 BCE) between
the Zhou and Han Dynasties. Although the period was politically chaotic, it
hosted a cultural flowering that left a permanent mark on Chinese history.

Confucius contemplated why China had fallen into chaos, and concluded
that the Mandate of Heaven had been lost because of poor behavior of not only
the Chinese emperor, but all his subjects as well. His plan for re-establishing
Chinese society profoundly affected the course of Chinese history and
eventually spread to many other areas of Asia as well. He emphasized the
importance of harmony, order, and obedience and believed that if five basic
relationships were sound, all of society would be, too:

 Emperor/Subject - the emperor has the responsibility to


take care of his subjects, and subjects must obey the
emperor

14
College of Business Administration Education
2nd Floor, SS Building
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Telefax: (082)227-5456 Local 131

 Father/Son - the father takes care of the son, and the son
obeys the father

 Older Brother/Younger Brother - the older brother takes


care of the younger brother, who in turn obeys him

 Husband/Wife - the husband takes care of the wife, who in


turn obeys him

 Friend/Friend -The only relationship that does not assume


inequality should be characterized by mutual care and
obedience

Confucius also defined the "superior man" - one who


exhibits ren (kindness), li (sense of propriety), and Xiao (filial piety, or loyalty to
the family).

Confucianism accepted and endorsed inequality as an important part of


an ordered society. It confirmed the power of the emperor, but held him
responsible for his people, and it reinforced the patriarchal family structure that
was already in place in China. Because Confucianism focused on social order and
political organization, it is generally seen as a philosophy rather than a religion.
Religions are more likely to emphasize spiritual topics, not society and politics.

LEGALISM

The third belief system that arose from the Warring States Period is
legalism, and it stands in stark contrast to the other beliefs. It had no concern
with ethics, morality, or propriety, and cared nothing about human nature, or
governing principles of the world. Instead it emphasized the importance of rule
of law, or the imperative for laws to govern, not men. According to legalism,

15
College of Business Administration Education
2nd Floor, SS Building
Bolton Street, Davao City
Telefax: (082)227-5456 Local 131

laws should be administered objectively, and punishments for offenders should


be harsh and swift. Legalism was the philosophy of Shi Huangdi, the first
emperor, whose Qin Dynasty rescued China from chaos. However, when he
died, the Han emperors that followed deserted legalism and established
Confucianism as the dominant philosophy.

JUDAISM

As noted earlier, Judaism was the first clearly monotheistic religion. At


the heart of the religion was a belief in a Covenant, or agreement, between God
and the Jewish people, that God would provide for them as long as they obeyed
him. The Ten Commandments set down rules for relationships among human
beings, as well as human relationships to God. Because they were specially
chosen by God, Jews came to see themselves as separate from others and did
not seek to convert others to the religion. As a result, Judaism has remained a
relatively small religion. However, its influence on other larger religions,
including Zoroastrianism, Christianity, and Islam is vast, and so it remains as a
very significant "root religion."

Zoroastrianism is an early monotheistic religion that almost certainly


influenced and was influenced by Judaism, and it is very difficult to know which
one may have emerged first. Both religions thrived in the Middle East, and
adherents of both apparently had contact with one another. Zoroastrianism was
the major religion of Persia, a great land-based empire that was long at war with
Ancient Greece and eventually conquered by Alexander the Great. The religion's
founder was Zoroaster or Zarathustra, who saw the world immersed in a great
struggle between good and evil, a concept that certainly influenced other
monotheistic religions.

16
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Telefax: (082)227-5456 Local 131

CHRISTIANITY

Christianity grew directly out of Judaism, with its founder Jesus of


Nazareth born and raised as a Jew in the area just east of the Mediterranean
Sea. During his lifetime, the area was controlled by Rome as a province in the
empire. Christianity originated partly from a long-standing Jewish belief in the
coming of a Messiah, or a leader who would restore the Jewish kingdom to its
former glory days. Jesus' followers saw him as the Messiah who would cleanse
the Jewish religion of its rigid and haughty priests and assure life after death to
all that followed Christian precepts. In this way, its appeal to ordinary people
may be compared to that of Buddhism, as it struggled to emerge from the Hindu
caste system. Christianity's broad appeal of the masses, as well as deliberate
conversion efforts by its early apostles, meant that the religion grew steadily and
eventually became the religion with the most followers in the modern world.

Jesus was a prophet and teacher whose followers came to believe that
he was the son of God. He advocated a moral code based on love, charity, and
humility. His disciples predicted a final judgment day when God would reward
the righteous with immortality and condemn sinners to eternal hell. Jesus was
arrested and executed by Roman officials because he aroused suspicions among
Jewish leaders, and he was seen by many as a dangerous rebel rouser. After his
death, his apostles spread the faith. Especially important was Paul, a Jew who
was familiar with Greco-Roman culture. He explained Christian principles in
ways that Greeks and Romans understood, and he established churches all over
the eastern end of the Mediterranean, and even as far away as Rome.

Christianity grew steadily in the Roman Empire, but not without clashes
with Roman authorities. Eventually in the 4th century CE, the Emperor
Constantine was converted to Christianity and established a new capital in the
eastern city of Byzantium, which he renamed Constantinople. As a result, the
religion grew west and north from Rome, and also east from Constantinople,
greatly extending its reach.

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Telefax: (082)227-5456 Local 131

By the end of the classical era, these major belief systems had expanded
to many areas of the world, and with the fall of empires in the late classical era,
came to be major forces in shaping world history. One major religion - Islam -
remained to be established in the 7th century as part of the next great period
that extended from 600 to 1450 CE.

ISLAM

Islam, major world religion promulgated by the Prophet Muhammad in Arabia


in the 7th century CE. The Arabic term islām, literally “surrender,” illuminates the
fundamental religious idea of Islam—that the believer (called a Muslim, from the active
particle of islām) accepts surrender to the will of Allah (in Arabic, Allah: God). Allah is
viewed as the sole God—creator, sustainer, and restorer of the world. The will of Allah,
to which human beings must submit, is made known through the sacred scriptures,
the Qurʾān (often spelled Koran in English), which Allah revealed to his messenger,
Muhammad. In Islam Muhammad is considered the last of a series of prophets
(including Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, Solomon, and Jesus), and his message
simultaneously consummates and completes the “revelations” attributed to earlier
prophets.

Lesson 6: Filipino Value Systems in Business

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Filipino value system is defined by the way of people live their family as an
influence of one’s culture.

The Filipino value system includes their own unique collection of consistent
ideologies, moral codes, ethical practices, etiquette, and cultural and personal values
that are encouraged by their society.

Bahala Na

Trust in God or the concept of Bahala na is a principle used does not know
what to accomplish or is too slothful to do anything at all. This belief to put fate
in God’s hands maybe in a sign of how religious Filipinos may be. Further, it may
show that the Filipinos are Free- spirited and that they put their life in fate’s
hand.

Utang na Loob

Gratitude or utang na loob is very fashionable Filipino characteristic. One


does not fail to remember the fine actions that others may have done
particularly at a times of great need. This debt of gratitude is at times abused by
those who have done well to others. With this system people are forced to do
something in exchange for what others do in favor.

Ningas Cogon

Ningas is a noun which means flame, blaze or combustion, while cogon


is a grass which can be easily with its presentation. Ningas cogon means fast
burning of cogon, which signifies Filipinos’ way of eagerness only at the
beginning but the quickly losing enthusiasm soon after to continue it, or the lack
of follow-up.

Padrino System

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College of Business Administration Education
2nd Floor, SS Building
Bolton Street, Davao City
Telefax: (082)227-5456 Local 131

Padrino system, or patronage in the Filipino culture and politics is the


value system where one gets support, endorsement, or political appointment
through family affiliation (nepotism) or friendship (cronyism), as against to one’s
worth. The Padrino system in the Philippines has been the root cause of many
controversies and corruption.

Amor Propio / Self – Respect

Amor Propio is Spanish word which means self- love. It is a sense of self-
esteem or self-respect that stops a person from swallowing his pride. It includes
sensitivity to personal insult or offends. Using the padrino system can get a
businessman easily started if the padrino would stand as go between for
introducing and vouching his character in order to get the business deal.

Manana Habit

The word manana means tomorrow or specified future time. It is also


known as procrastination in plain English and mamaya na in Filipino. It could also
means putting something off until another time. This habit has made Filipinos
become lazier and less efficient in doing task.

Delicadeza

Delicadeza is a Spanish term which means daintiness when translated in


English. It is defined as an act of being refined or delicate in tastes or manners.
It could also mean proper decorum or strict adherence to what’s right, moral or
ethical. Perhaps it can be better understood by saying that those who don’t have
it meaning walang delicadeza or makapal ang mukha or thick-faced.

Hiya

Shame or hiya I a very common Filipino value. It is a sense of social


propriety and conforming the societal norms of behavior. Filipino believes they
must live up to the accepted standards of behavior and if they fail to do so they
bring dishonor not only upon themselves, but also upon their family. If someone

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College of Business Administration Education
2nd Floor, SS Building
Bolton Street, Davao City
Telefax: (082)227-5456 Local 131

is publicly embarrassed criticized, or does not live up to the expectations, they


feel shame and lose and self-esteem.

Pakikisama/ Pakikipagkapwa –Tao

Loyalty or pakikisama is another Filipino value. This is shard sense of


identity and consciousness of the other person. It is trading others with respect
and dignity as an equal and not someone below individual. Basically, in business
it is a practical translation of one’s pakikipagkapwa-tao because the intention is
to offer things and services to others to get better their standars of living.

Family Orientation

The Philippine is known to be a family centered nation. The Filipino


recognized their family as an important social structure that must take care of.
They give importance to the safety and unity of one’s family. The Filipino is so
intact that is common for members of the same family work for the same
company. The Family is always of vital importance in the Philippines. Not
surprisingly, most business organizations have the Filipino Family as their model.

Hospitality

It refers to the relationship between guest and host. Their attitude


towards other people is said to be exceptional. The host entertain and
gives relieve to the guest while staying the house of the host. For Filipinos
serving other people the best of what they have is an honor and promise
of true friendship.

Joy and Humor

This famous trait is the ability of Filipinos to find joy and humor in
everything. Filipino have a cheerful, optimistic and fun-loving approach
to life and its ups and downs. Joking and laughing at everything perhaps
give them relief and make see things more positively.

Flexibility, Adaptability, Creativity

21
College of Business Administration Education
2nd Floor, SS Building
Bolton Street, Davao City
Telefax: (082)227-5456 Local 131

They are known to follow a natural clock or organic sense of time- doing
things in the time they feel is correct. This allows the Filipino to adapt and be
flexible in doing the tasks at time not bound to a particular schedule or
timeframe. This allows them think on their feet and be creative in facing
whatever challenge or task they have even when it is already right in front of
them.

Faith and Religiously

Filipino businessmen placed God as the center of their business. A


business man with faith and religious for instance serves not just his customers,
but all of humanity and the planet. Managers also demonstrate servants-
leadership which is an attitude and set of practices that deepens the lives of
individuals, creates better organization and eventually builds a more just and
caring humanity.

Ability to Survive

The Filipinos as a people who have been constantly under the rule of
numerous powerful countries has over times developed a sense of
resourcefulness or the ability to survive with whatever they have. They have the
extraordinary ability to make something of basically nothing.

Hard-work and Industry

Filipinos are very determined and preserving in accomplishing whatever


they set their minds to. Filipinos are over the year having proven time in time
again that they are people with an industrious attitude.

Filipino Time

Filipino time is a coined phrase for the embarrassing affliction of


tardiness among Filipinos. It has become a phenomenon impression for Filipinos
schedule, making it a characteristic of Filipinos to be generally late. Obviously,
this trait was also an influence from the Spanish occupies for people would

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College of Business Administration Education
2nd Floor, SS Building
Bolton Street, Davao City
Telefax: (082)227-5456 Local 131

rather give more attention to their amor propio (hiya) in some events than going
there as early as possible. This trait is also a root of the manana habit.

Self-Help: You can also refer to the sources below to help you further understand the
lesson:

Business Ethics, Australia: Wadsworth Cengage Learning


Peterson, M. (2013). Sustainable Enterprise: A Macro marketing Approach, Los Angeles:
SAGE
https://www.athensinsiders.com/blog/the-top-10-ancient-greek-philosophers
https://www.njlifehacks.com/musonius-rufus-practice-beats-theory/
https://www.enkivillage.org/list-of-religions.html
https://medium.com/intercultural-mindset/belief-systems-what-they-are-and-how-
they-affect-you-1cd87aa775ff
https://contemporaryfamilylife-pnu.weebly.com/filipino-values-system.html
https://opentext.wsu.edu/carriecuttler/chapter/moral-foundations-of-ethical-
research/
https://contemporaryfamilylife-pnu.weebly.com/filipino-values-system.html

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