A634.9.5.RB - A Reflection of Our Learning

There are three key lessons I take away from this course MSLD 634 Leadership Ethics and Corporate Social Responsibility: virtues values, corporate social responsibility and the golden rule. 

Some philosophers believe that the ancient Greeks, specifically Plato and Aristotle, developed the first ethical theory, which was based on values and personal character. Continuously referred to as virtue ethics, it focuses on character traits that a good person should possess, theorizing that moral values will direct the person toward good behavior. Virtue ethics is based on a way of being and on valuable  characteristics rather than on rules for correct behavior. Moral virtues are habits that enable a person to live according to reason, and this reason helps the person  avoid extremes. Aristotle argued, "Moral virtue is a mean between two vices, one of excess and the other of deficiency, and it aims at hitting the mean in feelings, desires and actions." (Lawrence and Weber, 2014) 

I have learned values during my life at home from parents, church, Boy Scouts and also from sports leaders and role models: Tom Landry, Roger Staubach, John Wooden and Larry Bird. Tom Landry "The Man of Character" was a man who by his very character inspired those who knew him to be better people in every facet of their lives. Roger Staubach "Captain America" and Heisman Trophy winner led the US Naval Academy and Dallas Cowboys football teams. John Wooden, the legendary basketball coach from Indiana State and UCLA, created the "Pyramid of Success" for his players, education and business. And Larry Bird "Mr Basketball" from Indiana State and the Boston Celtics led by example. They all were values-based and lived them.       

The Golden Rule states, "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you" or "treat others as you would like to be treated." Many people have claimed that many of the world's religious and cultural systems includes something like the Golden Rule. John Hick argues that, "all great traditions teach the moral ideal of generous goodwill, love, compassion, epitomized in the Golden Rule. Every religion emphasizes human improvement, love, respect for others, sharing other people's suffering. On these lines, every religion has more or less the same viewpoint and the same goal." Mohandas Gandhi even made a similar point. (MacKinnon and Fiala, 2015)

I learned the Golden Rule early in life at home from parents, church, Boy Scouts and also at my employers. The learning lesson is: always help others (not expecting anything in return). The Boy Scout saying "do a good deed daily" is powerful to live by and to apply too.   

Corporate social responsibility (CSR) means that a corporation should act in a way that enhances society and its inhabitants and be held accountable for any of its actions that affect people, their communities, and their environment. This concept is based in the root of the term responsibility, meaning "to pledge back," creating a commitment to give back to society and the organization's stakeholders to have a positive social impact. In a worldwide survey of CEO's, for example, 72 percent of executives polled said they sought to embed social and environmental issues into the organization's core strategies and operations. (Lawrence and Weber, 2014) 

 

For example, some of the wealthiest business leaders became great philanthropists who gave much of their wealth to education and charitable institutions. For example, the steelmaker Andrew Carnegie founded Carnegie-Mellon University in Pittsburg with the motto "My heart is in the work" and donated much of his fortune to charity. Other examples are the "Giving Pledge" made by 16 billionaires, including Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg and Oracle's Larry Ellison, who publicly pledged to give away a majority of their wealth to charitable causes or organizations. And promoting well-being and health, automaker Henry Ford developed paternalistic programs to support the recreational and health needs of their employees. These business leaders believed that business had a responsibility to society that went beyond or worked along with their efforts to make profits. (Lawrence and Weber, 2014) 

 

Several charities that I am involved active with at work and in Washington state include Northwest Harvest (hunger relief and food bank), World Vision (Books & Backpacks) and Goodwill. The learning lesson is: become active and involved in your organization,  the community and make yourself and the world a better place.   

 

References

Lawrence, Anne T. and Weber, James (2014). Business and Society: Stakeholders, Ethics, Public             Policy (14th ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.

MacKinnon, Barbara and Fiala, Andrew (2015). Ethics: Theory and Contemporary Issues (8th ed.). Stamford, CT: Cengage Learning.