| TOTAL ETHICAL MANAGEMENT – A SYSTEMS | | | | Ethical situations are frequently charged with emotion |
| APPROACH | | | | so any attempts to apply quantitative management |
| By | | | | techniques are not advisable. |
| VIKRAM KARVE | | | | System Behavioural Modeling (SBM) techniques which |
| A Manager must possess the requisite proficiency in | | | | establish linkages between emotions and rationality are |
| analyzing and managing ethical situations in the | | | | most apt in the context of Human Activity System |
| contextual scenario which, at times, are quite complex. | | | | (HAS). |
| There is, thus, a need for present day management | | | | Empirical evidence suggests that emotions are not |
| education to prepare future managers to tackle such | | | | inherently irrational, but they can contribute rationality |
| dilemmas and contingencies. | | | | when completely logical solutions are not available. |
| This author’s interactions with faculty, students and | | | | It must be appreciated that emotions, in conjunction |
| practicing managers reveal that very few | | | | with an individual’s stage of moral development, |
| management courses include Ethical Management in | | | | value system and other situational and cognitive |
| their curriculum and even those that do seem to view | | | | mechanisms are a key factor which predispose one |
| Managerial Ethics from a limited perspective restricted | | | | towards a certain ethical perspective. |
| to just three aspects: | | | | Ethical dilemma occurs due to mismatch in ethical |
| (i) Economic Analysis, based on impersonal market | | | | perspectives of various stakeholders involved in the |
| forces. The belief is that a manager should always act | | | | ethical situation. |
| to maximize revenues and minimize costs, for this | | | | TOTAL ETHICAL MANAGEMENT |
| strategy, over the long term, will produce the greatest | | | | Total Ethical Management [TEM] can be distilled into |
| material benefits for society. | | | | five simple steps: |
| (ii) Legal Analysis, based on impersonal social and | | | | STEP 1 |
| political processes. The belief is that a manager should | | | | Identification and categorization of all stakeholders into |
| always act in accordance with the law, and strictly | | | | six groups using the CATWOE model: |
| implement rules and regulations. Relying on economic | | | | C : Customers or clients |
| or legal analyses, either by themselves, or in | | | | A : Actors or agents who carryout the |
| conjunction with each other may help a manger seek | | | | decision of the manager. |
| shelter under the umbrella of “situational ethics”. | | | | T : Transformation process or the manager |
| (iii) Philosophical Analysis, based on rational thought | | | | decision maker |
| process. The view is that a manager should always | | | | W : Weltanschauung or the world-view |
| act in accordance with principles of behaviour or | | | | predominantly held. This includes the moral reasoning or |
| beliefs that are “right” “proper” and | | | | philosophical aspect of conventional managerial ethics. |
| “just”. Such black-and-white moral reasoning | | | | O : Ownership or the economic analysis |
| manifests itself in formulation of codes of conduct | | | | aspects of conventional managerial ethics |
| which, more often than not, are deceivable vessels full | | | | E : Environmental and wider system constraints |
| of promise but empty of intention. | | | | including legal aspects |
| Owing to this non-sytemic perspective of Managerial | | | | STEP 2 |
| Ethics, the management student views the ethical | | | | Analyze the dominant ethical perspective of each of |
| domain as consisting of cut-and-dry unimplementable | | | | the above six groups using system management tools |
| and unrealistic codes of ethics comprising platitudinous | | | | like entity relationship diagrams, N squared charts, |
| moral verbiage at one end of the spectrum, and the | | | | behaviour divergence, et al |
| “loopholes” of situational ethics at the other end. | | | | STEP 3 |
| How then does one equip the management student to | | | | Construct an ethical conflict web [hexagonal |
| make the transition from the domain of codes of | | | | spider’s web] mapping different ethical |
| conduct and situational ethics, which are grossly | | | | perspectives of various CATWOE stakeholders. |
| inadequate to analyze and manage real-life ethical | | | | STEP 4 |
| dilemmas, to a more holistic Total Ethical Management | | | | Identify those strands of the web where no significant |
| [TEM] | | | | ethical conflict exists and remove them from the |
| It is the author’s view that application of Systems | | | | conflict web. |
| concepts is sine qua non for implementation of Total | | | | STEP 5 |
| Ethical Management [TEM] in a holistic manner. | | | | Concentrate on those strands where ethical does |
| The salient aspects of application of the Systems | | | | exist and use conflict management techniques for |
| Approach in the context of TEM are described below | | | | optimal resolution. |
| in a nutshell. | | | | CONCLUSION |
| Any time a human being, or entity, intervenes in the life | | | | It is evident that conventional managerial techniques |
| of another human being, directly or indirectly, an ethical | | | | are woefully in adequate to meet the challenges of |
| situation arises. | | | | Total Ethical Management (TEM). It will be apt to adopt |
| Thus not only human beings, but even entities, tangible | | | | the Systems Approach to tackle modern day ethical |
| and intangible, like technology and philosophy, can | | | | dilemmas and situations with a view to achieve optimal |
| cause ethical situations. For example, Information | | | | TEM. |
| Technology (IT) raises many ethical issues. | | | | |