The Parable of the Sadhu, Essay Example

Why do you think McCoy and the other travelers made the decision they did regarding the Sadhu?  Do you think they acted ethically? What did they gain and what did they lose by this decision?

McCoy and the other travelers made the decision they did regarding the Sadhu because they were operating under stressful circumstances and wanted to cross the slope to the pass at 18,000 feet before the ice steps melted due to the sunlight. Since their minds were preoccupied with their goals, they didn’t give much thought to Sadhu’s situation once they all have left and Sadhu is left on his own. In addition, they were short on time so the situation demanded quick response without looking at all aspects of the problem. This is why everyone went for the solution that quickly came to their minds. Moreover, everyone didn’t see any benefit for himself in treating the Sadhu, thus, they didn’t invest much energy and effort into it. Researchers have determined that individuals spend more time and effort in decisions to which they feel committed (Dietrich).

The benefit to everyone was that they were able to accomplish their goal of crossing the slope. By giving Sadhu only minimum help, they saved both the time and energy. Crossing the slope also gave them sense of achievement and thus, psychological satisfaction. The downside was the moral guilt of not properly helping Sadhu to ensure his survival. Because there was no way of knowing whether the Sadhu survived or not, everyone would have to live with the guilt their whole lives.

What relevance do you think this situation has in relation to leadership and organizational ethics?

This situation shows that the organizational leaders play an important part in developing organizational ethics. In this case, there was no clear leader and thus, ethical response was not a priority for anyone. Organizational leaders should make organizational ethics an important aspect of everyday operations and reward employees for upholding ethical values. An organization may adopt a Code of Ethics or Standards of Conduct (Sims, 1992) to provide guidance to the employees and leaders can strengthen the organization commitment to ethics by setting personal examples. In addition, leaders can also preach the benefits of ethical behavior from their experiences so that their followers know that ethical behavior is not only desirable but also brings tangible benefits to the organization (C. Verschoor, 2001).

What are the implications and considerations for people in leadership roles?

McCoy tries to justify his response by claiming that he did what he was supposed to do given the circumstances. This shows that people in leadership roles do have the tendency to engage in self-deception to quench their moral guilt. A number of philosophers including Kant have suggested self-deception influences our moral reasoning (Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy). Thus, leaders should do a more comprehensive analysis of the circumstances to ensure they do all that is possible to fulfill their ethical obligations. Ethical dilemmas often arrive when there is a perceived conflict between the corporate goal of profit maximization and the overall desire for increased social welfare (Klein, 1991). Thus, organizational leaders should make it clear that unethical behavior will not be tolerated despite financial implications. Organizational leaders should take into account the ethical impact of their important strategic decisions. They should promote people that have proven themselves to be ethical employees in their business conduct without affecting their productivity.

References

Verschoor, C. (2001, May 1). Ethical Behavior Brings Tangible Benefits to Organizations. Strategic Finance , p. 20.

Dietrich, C. (n.d.). Decision Making: Factors that Influence Decision Making, Heuristics Used, and Decision Outcomes. Retrieved May 14, 2011, from http://www.studentpulse.com/articles/180/decision-making-factors-that-influence-decision-making-heuristics-used-and-decision-outcomes

Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy. (n.d.). Ethics and Self Deception. Retrieved May 14, 2011, from http://www.iep.utm.edu/eth-self/

Klein, L. S. (1991). Ethical Decision Making in a Business Environment. Review of Business .

Sims, R. R. (1992, July). The Challenge of Ethical Behavior in Organizations. Journal of Business Ethics .