Chapter 9: Developing Good Work Ethic A person's attitude towards work determines the success or failure of one's business or personal enterprise. Work may either motivate or de-motivate a worker depending depen ding on his perception and towards work itself. This chapter examines the human, philosophical and theological meaning of work and their implications to the worker himself.
1. Defin Definit itio ion n of of Wor Work k Work is both a personal and a social activity. activity. As a personal activity, activity, it is aimed at developing a person. As a social activity, its purpose is the preservation of human society. society. Work therefore, has moral and legal implications. Work is the legitimate use of our mental and bodily powers for economic gain or profit. 1. Work is the "use" or application of our physical powers to accomplish certain tasks. 2. The purpose of work is to obtain an economic gain or power.
2. The Meaning of Work in the Holy Bible From the biblical point of view, God is seen as the as the author of work and He also blessed and sanctified work. In the Old Testament, Testament, God did not only create man, He is also the author au thor of work. In Genesis Chapter 1, God creates a pattern of work and rest for us to follow. He created the world for six days and rested on the seventh day. The reason for this respite is for man to appreciate and value the meaning of work. In the New Testament, Testament, the meaning of work can be well understood from the perspective of the master of GOd’s incarnation. When Christ became man, humanity h umanity was blessed and sanctified, including human work. Christ, the Son of God, also worked as a carpenter. Seen from this perspective, work therefore, is not drudgery, not even a curse, but an activity that has been blessed and sanctified and therefore, must also sanctify the worker himself.
3. The Theological Meaning of Work According to St. Thomas Aquinas The angelic doctor of the church, St. Thomas Aquinas enumerates four purposes of work in his treatise entitled Summa entitled Summa Theologica : 1. It provides for one's daily livelihood; 2. It prevents idleness which is a source of many evils; 3. It curbs the rebellious flesh; and 4. It enables man to give aims from his material surplus. For St. Thomas Aquinas, man is called to serve God through his work.
4. The Human Perspective of Work
5. How to Enjoy Work and Create Spiritual Values in the Workplace 1. Practice the Golden Rule; 2. Guard your mouth; 3. Stop the green jokes; 4. Practice ethical behavior; 5. Learn to forgive; 6. Be generous; 7. Respect superiors and coworkers; 8. Be considerate; 9. Perform your work and fulfill your duties to the best of your ability; 10. Be a grateful person; 11. Do not bring the problems at home to the workplace or vice versa; 12. Be an inspiration to others; 13. Read the Bible every day; 14. Develop a personal relationship with God; and 15. Smile and enjoy you work. (Remember: work has been sanctified, it must also sanctify you)
6. Basic Duties of Employers Respect the dignity of the workers; Appreciate their work; Never treat them as a slaves for making money; Never assign them tasks beyond their strength, nor employ them in work not suited to their age or gender; 5. Give them commensurate and fair wages; 6. Provide for their health and social recreation; 7. Provide them time for the practice of their religion; 8. Instruct them on how to use their money wisely; 9. Instruct them to love their family; and 10. Provide them with opportunities for promotion. 1. 2. 3. 4.
7. Basic Duties of Workers 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
Work honestly and comply with all agreements; Never inure capital, nor steal from the employer; Never outrage the person of the employer; Never employ deceit or violence in presenting a cause; and Never consult with "agitators" or men or evil principles.
8. Protestant Work Ethic Martin Luther (1483-1546) who started the Reformation during the Renaissance period as a protest against some of the doctrines of the Catholic Church also came up with a new perspective of work for his followers.In summary, Luther believed that: • People could serve God through their work; • A person should work diligently his chosen occupation and should not try to change from the profession to which he was called. To do so would be to go against God's will; • Work is perceived to be the universal base of society and the cause of differing social classes; and • Each person should earn an income which would meet his basic needs, but to accumulate wealth was sinful. But it was Max Weber who developed further the Protestant Work Ethic, which was founded on Calvinist tenets. in essence, The Protestant Work Ethic believes in the following prin ciples: • Predestination - the belief that God has chosen the elect.
All men must work, even the rich, because to work is the will of God. Key Elements of Protestant Work Ethic - Self-discipline, hardwork and ability to save money. Living ascetically, e.g., frugally, self-denial,taboo pleasures of the flesh. Reinvest the profits of their labor into financing further ventures. Selection of an occupation and pursuing it to the achieve greatest profit possible is perceived as a religious duty. • Other key elements include the following: diligence, punctuality, deferment of gratification, and primacy of the work domain. For the Protestants, working hard is a mark of commitment to their religion. • • • • •
Questions for Discussion 1. What does the Bible team has about the meaning of work? From the biblical point of view, Gos is seen as the author of work and He is also blessed and sanctified. In the Old Testament, God did not only create man, He is also the author of work. In Genesis chapter 1, God creates a pattern of work and rest for us to follow. 2. Explain the phrase: “Man is called to serve God through his work.” A person should work diligently his chosen occupation and should not try to change from the profession to which he was called. To do so would be to go against God's will; Many people have the misconception that being “called” by God is something only missionaries, pastors, nuns, and other church leaders experience. But the Bible says everyone is called to serve God by serving others. God is far more interested in why you serve others than in how well you serve them. He’s always looking at your heart, serving willingly and eagerly out of love for Jesus and gratitude for all he’s done for you. You are most like Jesus when you’re serving others. After washing his disciples’ feet, Jesus said, “I have given you an example to follow. Do as I have done to you.” 3. As an employer, what do you think is your primary obligation to your workers? And why? 1. Respect the dignity of the workers; 2. Appreciate their work; 3. Never treat them as a slaves for making money; 4. Never assign them tasks beyond their strength, nor employ them in work not suited to their age or gender; 5. Give them commensurate and fair wages; 6. Provide for their health and social recreation; 7. Provide them time for the practice of their religion; 8. Instruct them on how to use their money wisely; 9. Instruct them to love their family; and 10. Provide them with opportunities for promotion. 4. As an employee, what do you think is your primary obligation to your employer? 1. Work honestly and comply with all agreements; 2. Never inure capital, nor steal from the employer; 3. Never outrage the person of the employer; 4. Never employ deceit or violence in presenting a cause; and 5. Never consult with "agitators" or men or evil principles. 5. Does religion play an important role in the development of one’s work ethic? Religion is absolutely vital to modern society. Religion is what determines the norms by which a society should operate. Here in America, even though there are many religions within the nation, Christian character, morals, values and integrity are what keeps the peace. We all understand that to take a life or to steal is a sin and should be punished. There are societies where there religion allows them to take the life of someone for no other reason than personal request. Their religion allows for that and therefore, it is their "norm". A lot of the problems in our American society today comes from an attempt to change the Christian values by which this nation was founded upon and therefore change our "norms". One should consider what we are giving up if we change who we are and how we operate to please a minority.
Chapter 10: Values and Virtues 1. Definition of Values In his books, Ethics: The Philosophical Discipline of Action (1999), Professor E. Babor comes up with the following definitions of values: 1. Values are the objects of human desire and striving. They are also the subjective assessment of a particular object insofar as it is good. 2. Values are our beliefs, those beliefs which we hold to be true and therefor values affect our thoughts, decisions and actions. 3. Values also refer to the things, persons, ideas, or goals which are important to life. Thus, they refer to our ideals and our principles by which we live. Values therefore are those principles by which we live. Values therefore are those which we like, approve, enjoy and esteem.
2. Classification of Values In general, values are classified into the following: 1. Intrinsic and Instrumental Values. Intrinsic values are those which are considered as values in themselves. Instrumental values on the other hand, are those considered as good because of their worth to us and to others. 2. Accidental and Natural Values. Accidental values are subject to variability, temporality and impermanence while nature values are those that are permanent in human nature. 3. Primary and Secondary Values. The former refers to values that are obligatory in nature, e.g., values in the family are necessary to the children. 4. Religious Values. These values enable us to encounter God whim we believe to be the absolute good. 5. Cultural Values. These values embrace poetry, painting, music, architecture and literature. 6. Social Values. Some examples of social values are patriotism, freedom of the press, fraternity, economic productivity and politics. 7. Moral Values. Refer to those qualities of an act performed by man freely and knowingly. This entails that moral values are involved in our freedom to choose an action that we would like to perform. The, moral values are characterises as basic values, permanent, universal, absolute, objective and freely chosen by us.
3. Virtues Virtues are good habits while vices are bad habits. Virtues are those habits that can make a person perform well. And there are two areas where a person can be said to perform his functions well as a human being - the intellect and the will. There are three kinds of virtues, to wit: intellectual, moral or cardinal, and theological virtues.
4. Classification of Virtues 1. Intellectual Virtues a) Understanding - is the first intellectual value that the person forms in early childhood. A child understands that the whole is greater than its parts of he understands that something cannot be there and not there at the same time. Understanding is the knowledge of the first principle. b) Science - This is the relationship between the cause and effect and developed further by a person until it becomes scientific. Science is considered as an intellectual virtue. c) Wisdom - is the knowledge of the ultimate or first causes. d) Art - This virtue is developed when a person does something well because of habitual hard work and practice. Art is also a virtue because it is a good habit. e) Prudence - is the virtue of knowing what to do under peculiar circumstances. It is also considered a virtue of the practical intellect.
2. Moral or Cardinal Virtues a) Justice - is the virtue of giving everyone his due. Its s a virtue that resides in the will. b) Temperance - it is the virtue of curbing the sensitive appetites. It is also a virtue that resides in will. c) Fortitude - is the virtue of staying resolute in the face of overwhelming odds. It is likewise a virtue that resides in the will of the person. 3. Theological Virtues a) Faith - is the virtue of believing in God without seeing Him. b) Hope - is the virtue of trusting the Divine Providence. c) Charity - is the virtue of loving God and His creatures.
5. Seven Capital Vices 1. Pride - is the overestimation of the self. 2. Gluttony - is an excess of temperance, e.g., inordinate desires for food. 3. Luxury - is the immoderate love of riches. 4. Avarice - is the inordinate desire for material goods in the form of possessions 5. Sloth - is the deficiency of fortitude. 6. Envy - is an exaggerated justice in favour of oneself. 7. Anger - is an excess of temperance.
6. Importance of Studying Values and Virtues in Ethics • According to Professor E. Quito, ethics sees the importance of nurturing moral habits to enable the human being to facilitate or render easy the task of conforming to the Natural Moral Law. • A virtuous action must be the source of our human act which is the done with right knowledge and proper exercise of freedom • To attain a virtuous life could be difficult but this is the challenge for everyone. The philosopher Aristotle even said, “Vice is easy and virtue is difficult.” He likens the practice of a virtuous life to hitting the bull’s eye: There are several ways of missing it. It is therefore easier to be immoral than to be moral or to be evil than good. This is the reason why Aristotle had written that good man is rare and laudable.
7. Importance of Studying Values and Virtues in Ethics According to Professor E. Quito, the nurturing of habits is related to values. IF a person forms the moral virtue of prudence, it is because he considers it of immense value to his life. If he discards temperance, it is because he considers the value of pleasure greater than temperance. If he cherishes justice, it is because he sees the value of justice to be reciprocal. The same is true of the other common virtues like honesty, truthfulness, and the like. If honesty or truthfulness is important to the person, he will cultivate those virtues this affirming the connection between virtues and values. Every virtue starts with a value. Only when the virtue is considered a value can a person proceed to cultivating it.
Questions for Discussion 1. Why are values important for man? 1. Values are the objects of human desire and striving. They are also the subjective assessment of a particular object insofar as it is good. 2. Values are our beliefs, those beliefs which we hold to be true and therefor values affect our thoughts, decisions and actions. 3. Values also refer to the things, persons, ideas, or goals which are important to life. Thus, they refer to our ideals and our principles by which we live. Values therefore are those principles by which we live. Values therefore are those which we like, approve, enjoy and esteem. 2. Differentiate virtue from vice. Virtues are good habits while vices are bad habits. Virtues are those habits that can make a person perform well. And there are two areas where a person can be said to perform his functions well as a human being - the intellect and the will. A virtue is a generalized pattern of behaviour that is usually somehow beneficial in terms of its outcome. A vice is one that is instead often harmful to the individual or society at large. A virtue is a habit or an acquired human quality of character that allow one to achieve personal happiness. By definition, then, virtue is something good, an "excellence" of human character. There cannot be a bad virtue. Vice is the opposite—a habit that spoils one’s chances of achieving personal happiness. By definition, vice is bad; there cannot be a good vice. 3. Discuss the relationship between values and virtues. Values are ideas signed on to by an individual or group that draw boundaries and patterns for governing intent, attitudes and actions. Virtue is a narrower term that represents a set of selected values that are considered to be good and desirable as prescribed by Religion or Society applicable to all individuals and situations uniformly. Individual values may well consist partly of the prescribed virtues, but can as well have other values which are either outside the ambit of virtues or even could be opposite when one revolts or opposes the norms set by Religion or Society..... well, one can even have negative values. Virtue is supposed to be good whereas value denotes individually set preferences irrespective of whether generally considered good or bad. Both value and virtue are determined and measured by the good or bad qualities of mankind. Undoubtedly, our values control our virtues. The well said proverb is “honesty is the best virtue”. Of course honesty is something that controls our action and definitely there is only one thing that can make us virtuous. And it’s our action. 4. What is the role of moral values in business ethics? Moral values are the standards of good and evil, which govern an individual’s behavior and choices. A value is a belief, a mission, or a philosophy that is really meaningful to the business. An example of a business value is: "Customer Satisfaction.“ Thus a business value is the company’s criteria for achieving a high level of performance. Good reputation of the business leads to higher value. Reputation and good word of mouth advertising is essential to business survival in today's wretched economic climate and no business can afford to ignore an unhappy customer. Unhappy customers have the ability to besmirch your good reputation in a matter of hours. 5. What are the common Filipino values that are practiced in the business and corporate world? 1. Hospitability. It’s one of the most popular traits of Filipinos. We are usually friendly and welcoming to our guests. 2. Adaptability and resilience. Despite of all the calamities that struck our country, Filipinos are persistent enough to get back on their feet, even without the solid help from the government. We can also adapt to any type of environment and mingle with any kind of people all over the world. 3. Resourcefulness and creativity. Filipinos are known for ingenuity. Some of our smartest countrymen can come up with a brilliant idea despite of poverty or lack of financial resources. We are also good in recycling trash and turn them into ingenious products. 4. Faithfulness. The Filipinos are one of the most faithful people in the world. Whatever our religion is, we remain faithful and we don’t lose hope for a better tomorrow. Our faithfulness and hopefulness keep us kind, positive, peaceful and determined to achieve our goals no matter how impossible they may seem.
5. Unity in bayanihan spirit. We are in close relationship with our neighbors. In barangays and most subdivisions, the people in the neighborhood know each other, talk each other, help each other, and protect each other. Our communities are organized. 6. Thriftiness . There may be Filipinos who are living beyond their means. But on the brighter side, there are also many Filipinos who are frugal. We shop wisely to save our money for future important uses. 7. Politeness . Filipinos are courteous people. Moreover, Filipino workers will always address their customers with “sir” or “ma’am” to show humility and honor to serve them. 8. Family-oriented . Filipinos are willing to make big sacrifices just to make sure that their loved ones will have a good life. 9. Bravery . There’s a hero’s blood running on our veins. We have the most fearless heroes who only think of defending our homeland. 10. Jolliness and sense of humor. The Philippines is a country of smiles. Nothing can take away the humor and jolliness of many Filipinos. 11. Discretion and dignity . Perhaps many of our politicians don’t have a delicadeza. But our people, especially the Filipinas, still observe delicadeza. Despite of the growing number of Filipinos who are giving up their delicadeza, there are still many Filipinos who always think twice before they make a decision that can affect their dignity and honor. Thanks to their parents who raised them up with high moral standards. 12. Gratefulness . Aside from being hospitable, Filipinos are also thankful. We don’t forget anyone who helped us, whether he (she) is a Filipino or not. We even build monuments to show our utmost respect and gratitude to our heroes and other foreign personalities who helped the Filipino people. We show our warmest gratitude to the international communities who helped us rebuild our lives after Haiyan and other disasters struck us. 13. Honesty and commitment. Perhaps “palabra de honor” is not evident among our politicians, but it’s still evident among the common Filipinos. When we make a promise, we try our best to fulfill that promise even if it will undermine ourselves. For us, to fulfill a promise to others is a great self fulfillment. We are also candor. What we see in you, we will tell you frankly. 14. Helpfulness . Finally, even if the Philippines is not a big and rich country, we still grant aids to other countries in need. We also send our brave soldiers to protect other nations from threats and to preserve world peace. 6. Cite some Filipino values that have become disadvantageous to the Filipino culture. • Hiya (shame): it contributes to peace of mind and lack of stress by not even trying to achieve. • Filipino Time , which means things get done whenever they get done. Official Timing of The Philippines. Filipino hosts deliberately set the time and hour or so earlier, knowing that the guests will arrive an hour or so late. • Mañana or Bukas na (procrastination): something that we have learned from the Spaniards. The word "Mañana" means ‘tomorrow’ or ‘specified future time’ also known as “procrastination” in plain English, “mamaya na” in Filipino. • Ningas-cogon (procrastination): refers to the unnerving attitude of starting an initiative but fails to continue it, or the lack of a follow-up. • Patigasan (test of strength): it is assign that we know our rights and are not easily cowed into submission. It is Occidental in spirit, hence in keeping with Nietzsche’s "will to power.” • Kasi (because, i. e., scapegoat): one can see both sides of the picture and know exactly where a project failed. One will never suffer from guilt or self-recrimination. • Another value of the Filipinos is lack of a “Palabra de Honor” which means a verbal commitment by one person to another agreeing to do (or not to do) something in the future. • ANTI-FILIPINOS say that Filipinos, because of their colonial mentality , always prefer foreign talents and products to local ones. This mentality does exist, but it is wrong to accuse us Filipinos as always practicing it. Colonial mentality is the thinking that foreign talents and products are always the good, the better, and the best, and that the local ones are of poor or no quality at all. • Crab mentality , sometimes referred to as crabs in the bucket, describes a way of thinking best described by the phrase "if I can't have it, neither can you.” • Dignity and social status is important. Therefore, some Filipinos tend to lead lifestyles that do not match their income, just to keep their statuses as high as possible. • Speaking of gossip, this is the unofficial national sport of Filipinos. We gossip about everything: from this politician's latest girlfriend to an actress' alleged hairy armpits.
