Value Analysis Research Paper
Introduction
Employees should undertake their tasks with integrity and honesty. By taking the role of the two virtues, they invoke the respect and trust from their employers. Levy (2000) regards honesty as the best policy at the workplace. An employee should endeavor to be valuable to the company. One needs to be trustworthy and dependable if the employer is to value them. Employers completely lose trust in their employees when they steal from them; stealing can be in terms of money and time. Money theft is however taken with seriously than that of time. Telling lies to the employer or to a senior person at the workplace destroys an employee’s image; this is because employees misrepresent themselves. Working for Revol Wireless was one of the most has been very pleasant experience for me. As a sales manager, my work was to oversee all the operations in the sales department. As a sales manager I had the power to recruit and hire sales staff for the company. I recruited, trained and later on hired my cousin as a sales associate. We had a healthy working relationship until I discovered that he had been giving exaggerated figures on the sales so that he can get a higher commission.
He could forge receipts and afterward use then as ‘evidence’ of the sales made. I had built trust on him hence I did not bother to critically analyze his activities. Sometimes he would just use word of mouth to tell me about his progress, I took his word not realizing that he was a con. When the inconsistencies were large enough, his dirty acts were finally exposed. It was very disappointing to discover that the person I had put my trust on had betrayed my trust. This affected me since this incident could have incriminated me given that he is my cousin. Somehow, this thought made me to feel as if I was responsible for his mistakes; I kept on telling myself that I was to blame. It was even harder to imagine that the person I had worked so hard to train has been taking me for a ride. Looking back, I should have been more careful since some weeks before this shocking revelation, I had noticed some discrepancies but I ignored. This had been going on for some time and it took a while before I discovered his mischief. This act had gone against the company’s ethical code. This completely broke the trust I had in him. Dishonesty destroys a good working relationship between an employer and an employee; it breaks the trust that the employer had on the employee.
Different beliefs and their attempt to solve the problem
Confucianism holds that not all lying is bad; there are good and bad lies. Confucius states that it is okay for a son to protect his father during trial of a non-violent offense through lying (Murphy 2004). Sometimes lying can be regarded as a noble act. These are the kind of lies that people tell to protect loved ones from getting hurt. Supporters of this belief would not forward the sales associate since this would only present a bad image. A straightforward person does what is believed to be right but ends up hurting other people. Covering up for someone we hold dear is the main teaching of this beliefs system. Protocol would have demanded that such a person to be forwarded to the authorities. Using Confucianism arguments, the sales associate should not be taken to the authorities. The management is not aware of this fraud hence it will be easy to fix the problem at the sales department level. Covering up for the sales person would be the ultimate solution for this case. Confucianism will regard this as a good lie.
Upanishadic teachings emphasize on the importance of working earnestly. There is emphasis on the need to undertake all work to our best while we leave God to do the rest. Man is expected to play his role in a proficient manner but no one should try to undertake God’s work. There is need to approach the sales associate and ask him to explain the reason for his dishonesty. It is unwise for man to judge since this is the work of God. The associate need to seek spiritual proficiency since this will help him to become proficient in his work. There is need for spiritual nourishment since this will form the basis for self-assessment. There is no need to worry about the punishment of such an individual since this is the work of God. This is God’s part and He is the only one who can perform it perfectly (Scarry & Scarry 2010).
Hinduism is a belief that teaches people on the importance of integrity. It is believed the dishonest can never escape punishment. Human beings may view dishonesty as a violation of law but time comes when the offenders pay for their mistakes. Every person has a duty to tell the truth if they are to avoid the wrath of Goddess Parvathi. Every dishonest act that we as human being do is legible to punishment. Covering up for the mistakes of the sales associate will mean that the witness is a sinner too and judgment shall fall upon him. Punishment for dishonesty does not have to follow a legal proceeding since a spiritual power makes those who were involved in such acts to suffer for their sins. Dishonest people can never get away with their crime. Confession and telling the truth about what happened can help in solving the problem. The victim should not deny his involvement in the crime since this will only invoke punishment (Hollinger 1999).
The Bible teaches Christians that God hates a tongue that lies. In Christianity lying is defined as deliberate falsehood. Christianity teachings state that God hates a lying tongue and a witness who tells false lies. The sales associate has committed a sin according to these teachings because he has been pretending to be something he is not. The Bible recommends that such a person needs to confess his sins so that forgiveness can be granted. If he fails to confess that he has sinned, he cannot be forgiven. The Bible would require the associate to humble himself while asking for forgiveness. Condemnation will fall upon him on the judgment day if he fails to repent his sins. Hypocrisy and deceits are linked together and praying for forgiveness is the only way that the sinner can escape God’s wrath.
Marxism envisages morality as a very important aspect in a society. It regards a society as having transcended morals (Greenberg 2010). A society can only be regarded as moral if the people living within it take their roles seriously. This belief system however holds that there are no rules that can be used to judge morality. The crime in question cannot be regarded as serious or not. There is no scale that can be used to gauge the kind of punishment that is appropriate for certain crimes. The sales associate went against the rules of the company but this should not be used as a basis for judging him; this is not enough reason to prove that he is immoral. This belief system suggests that the rules of morality keep changing hence there is no one definition of morality. There are no rules that can be used to determine the degree of crime that the sales associate has committed. However, there is need to analyze the situation further since the perception of the crime may be different to both the management and the sales director.
Existentialism holds that actions have an inherent moral attribute. There is a common belief among the proponents of this belief that people need to behave appropriately if they are to be regarded as good people. Doing what is right has some advantages since it make us feel valuable. We need to do what is right if we are to be regarded as morally upright. The sales associate should be reported to the concerned authorities since he has broken the rules. Going against the rules of the company is wrong hence it is important for the sales manager to deal with the case in the most appropriate way; this should obviously be guided by the rules and regulations of the company. There is need to do what is expected hence the sales associate’s mistake should not be overlooked because he is the sales director’s cousin. The law should take its course in this case since this is what protocol demands.
Personal basic belief system
The Hinduism belief system is my basic belief system. This belief system gives nature a chance to take its course. Evil doers may escape with impunity but they can never escape the wrath of the supernatural being. The legal processes are an important part of the judicial system but their powers are limited. It is impossible for someone to go through this life doing what is wrong and then live a happy life. Nature has a way of ensuring that such people receive their punishment before they land six feet under. Someone may be jailed for some few years and once they are released, they go back to their former ways of life. The punishment from the Holy one cannot be overlooked since it bears effects that cause much suffering. Whenever someone wrongs others even if it is through stealing from an employer, this selfish act is punishable (Gaskin 2002).
There are various ways in which people can escape such punishment, confessing and asking for forgiveness saves the people from punishment. Deliberate sins are very serious and assailants should be heavily punished. Hinduism acknowledges the power of the Holy one and it is their belief that He is able to revenge for them. Judgment and punishment is God’s work and He is the only one who can undertake his responsibility well. When one’s conscience is dead, it is only the punishment of a supernatural being that can reverse things. Dishonesty is one of the vices that Hinduism opposes and its judgment is serious since one can even die. The court processes are important in ensuring that justice prevails but they are not the ultimate solution to all criminal offenses such as employee dishonesty.
Most basic descriptive value
Honesty and dependability helps to build a strong character. Honesty ensures that many problems within the working environment are solved appropriately. It is an important aspect in business in the same way it is to our personal lives. When someone is honest at work, they tend to win the trust of their employers after a short period of time. Honesty makes one to gain respect and trust within the company. If the sales associate has not lied about the sales, he would not have tainted his name hence the sales director would have continued to respect him. Honesty enables employees to work according to the values that they have set. This is an important aspect since it helps to guide those in lower positions how to conduct themselves. When one is honest at the work place, he or she acquires a clear understanding of the important things and this is a very useful aspect in decision making.
In a work environment, dependability entails giving the employer a reason to trust the employee’s ability to undertake a certain task (Paloutzian & Park 2005). This is an important aspect since it ensures that the employee can be entrusted with certain tasks. When someone is dependable, there is no need to have a supervisor since such people can perform their roles with minimum supervision; their proficiency does not depend on whether they are being watched or not. People need to be honesty and dependable if they are to escape the punishment of the supernatural being. The two values are emphasized in the Hinduism belief system since they form character.
The most basic moral values
The most basic moral values that emerge from Hinduism concerning the issue of honesty are the need for patience and man’s acknowledgement that God is the ultimate judge. There is no way that man’s judgment can compare to God’s. I am a relativist since I believe that it is my personal traits that enable me to judge situations. In this case, it is advisable to let God play his role since He is the overall determinant of how our lives will be tomorrow and the days to come. He has the power to decide the most appropriate time to punish wrongdoers. Human beings may rush to judge these people but this judgment may not have a huge impact as that of God. Supernatural powers are not to be joked around with since their punishment is real.
As a deontologist, stealing from an employer is wrong not because the employer is unknowing but because stealing is a vice (Waardenburg 1999). The moral rightness of an act is considered in terms of the outcomes it brings about. It is wrong to steal from an employer even if the salary or commission is low; there are better ways to solve such an issue such as engaging in a dialogue. It is wrong for man to undertake God’s role in judgment since He is the only judge who is allowed to make final judgments. Local tribunals may try criminals but God’s punishment is ideal. It has the power to make an individual to make a u-turn in his life. Deontologists define morality in terms of following the set rules and regulations. The rules establish actions that have been recognized as true. Since the sales associate’s act deceived the sales director intentionally, this person is moral wrong. It is important to follow a set of rules so that rightness can be upheld.
Teleology does not present convincing arguments. The arguments that someone can just endeavor to be happy for no reason at all is illogical. People strive to be happy for various reasons. A person can work hard to attain financial independence so that they can enjoy the fruits of their hard labor later in life (Gaskin 2002). We all strive to be happy for various reasons and among them is attaining a sense of belonging. The sales executive did not just steal for the sake of it; he had an undisclosed reason for stealing from the employers.
Resolving the problem
Dishonesty at the workplace is one of the vices that break the good working relationship between employers and employees. Ethics is a very important part of the workplace. In resolving this problem appropriately, to start with it is important to get the sales person to confess the sins he has committed. Next, it is important to get into the bottom of the problem by asking the sales associate why he was dishonest. The reason provided will form good grounds for proper judgments to be made. If the reasoning is not convincing, the person needs to face the law. It is important to note that it would be unwise to refuse to listen to the reasoning given since it may point to some loopholes within the organization. Listening helps the employer to critically analyze the situation; this helps in determining the kind of decision will be made to determine the fate of the suspect.
Conclusion
At the work place, honesty forms the basis of a good working relationship between the various staff of different levels. The moment dishonesty sets in; the good working relationship is destroyed. Stealing from the employer is one of the most common mistakes that employees make. Most of them steal with the hope that the employer will never find out. When discrepancies are discovered, the trust that employers had on employees is destroyed. The case in question involves a sales associate who steals by lying about the amount of sales made with the aim of earning a higher commission. There are several religious beliefs that have attempted to solve this problem depending on the unique beliefs of the religious group. The ideas of world views such as Marxism and Existentialism have also been applied in solving the case. My basic belief system is Hinduism, its way of dealing with the issue of honesty reasonable. This beliefs system presents such moral values as the importance of allowing God to be the overall judge and the fact that God’s judgment is inevitable. The ethical problem in the case can be solved best if the reason behind such misconduct is identified. This will ensure that the sales director will decide on the way forward.
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