Term Paper on "Cultural Values and Personal Ethics the Role"

Term Paper 4 pages (1181 words) Sources: 1+

[EXCERPT] . . . .

Cultural Values and Personal Ethics

The Role of Values in Decision Making

We live in a highly interdependent and interconnected world, which is able to function in relative harmony because it is governed by mutually, agreed codes of conduct. Indeed, without the prevalence of such codes of conduct, human civilization would probably degenerate into being ruled by the law of the jungle or the "survival of the fittest." Thus, it is evident that human civilization is both a function of and dependent on decisions and actions that are guided by established ethical standards. This observation holds true for all aspects of life, be it personal or professional.

The fact that human civilization is grounded in ethical behavior also explains why social units such as the family, educational and religious institutions, organizations and government devote so much attention and energy towards inculcating individual citizens in widely accepted tenets of ethical behavior. for, by doing so, human society can ensure that the personal, organizational, and cultural values learned will lead to ethical behavior or "those rules of conduct that direct us to act in a manner consistent with the values we profess." (Mattison, cited Lewis, 2000)

Yet, as Mattison (2000) points out, it is virtually impossible to pick up a newspaper, magazine, or professional journal today and not find attention being drawn to present controversies about moral or ethical issues. These controversies arise because the ethical dimensions of decisions are often complex (Sims, 1994, p. 39), involving not just a straightforward distinction between right and wrong but a choice of alternatives that may give rise to conflicting values or ethical dilemmas (Mattison, 2000). Such ethical dilemmas occur because an individual's ethical behavior is influenced by his or her cultural, personal, and organizational values (Sims, 1994, p. 3), which may conflict with each other in any given situation or differ from that of other individuals.

Thus, it is evident that while ethics refers to the rules or principles that define right and wrong conduct, it is not always that easy to identify the right answer. However, there are ethical positions such as the utilitarian, rights or the justice view that can help provide guidance in evaluating the moral consequences of decisions (Sims, 1994, p. 5-6). Indeed, my own personal worldview that decisions should be guided by the principles of social justice has, I believe, helped resolve some of the ethical dilemmas that I have so far faced in my professional and personal life.

In the first instance, my personal worldview has facilitated the resolution of any conflict between my cultural background and that of others. This is because I hold the view that universal values such as peace, goodwill, compassion, understanding, tolerance, liberty, equality, and human individuality supercede any and all other considerations. Thus, this worldview has led to the development of a personal value system, which embraces the concept of world citizenship and encompasses all cultures and religions.

The ethics view of justice that I hold has also particularly come in handy whenever I am faced with professional decisions that involve conflicts caused by multicultural issues. In other words, being a firm believer in equality and non-discriminatory practices, I ensure that my decisions and recommendations are not influenced by any cultural, racial or gender bias. In fact, I am highly conscious of the need for multicultural competence in an increasingly globalized but culturally diverse workforce and world. for, as Morales observes, "A multiculturally competent person is aware of and knowledgeable about cultural differences.... They also examine how social context, power, and systems… READ MORE

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