Chapter -5

Human values and Contemporary Issues

5.1 Values in Business Practices:

Successful business organizations all over the world practice selected human values in the form
of Organizational Values which are followed in letter and spirit by all the employees. The organizational
values reflect the collective personal and societal values. Organizational values are the criteria by which
employees make decisions about ethical standards and goals. They are stable, enduring and enable the
organizations people to perform using common behavior. A set of values statement becomes the cardinal
rules of conduct in the organization. Usually the values statement is prepared using collective wisdom of
management and workers.

Over the years values have been considered as an important component of the organization
culture and now there is perceptible shift from management by instructions (MBI) and objectives (MBO)
to management by values (MBV). The management by values (MBV) is also known as value based
management (VBM), the purpose and utility of VBM is to create a conducive work culture in which all
employees perform and contribute independently for achieving the goals of the organization. Some such
organizations which have adopted VBM are Microsoft, AT&T, Wipro, Wall Street, Network etc.

Traditionally the organizational values are established by the founders and nurtured by the
successors. Bernthal a famous social scientist proposed a model of hierarchy of values for management
decisions based on rational reasoning by which a manager could become aware of the consequences of
his decisions with respect to values implementation. The model includes following four welfare criteria
levels for the decision making.

The business firm level: The decision makers seek profits, survival and growth to ensure
ownership welfare.
The economic system level The decision maker estimates value for allocation of resources,
production and distribution of goods and services to pursue consumer welfare.
The Society level The decision maker seeks good life, culture, civilization, order and justice to
preserve social welfare.
The individual level- The decision maker emphasizes on freedom, opportunity, self realization
and human dignity to pursue individual welfare.

Value based Management:

 Value based management is an important component of any business. It ensures that the business
is conducted as per the value-system, evolved for the organization. It identifies and includes the values as
per value-system, implements them and takes a feedback. The objective of the value based management is
to ensure that every stake holder contributes to fulfill the mission, follows the corporate strategy and its
culture, takes rightful decisions and becomes proud for the performance. Value based management
depends to a great extent on the business objectives and its value system. It adopts the value system for
attracting all the stake holders and satisfies their interests, and at the same time increases the credibility of
the organization. Sustainable and successful value based management requires strategic planning while
adhering to basic human values. Necessary steps are taken to optimize the value system by continuous
evaluation and performance based compensation system.

There are more than 70,000 multinational companies in the world which contribute about 25% of
worlds production. These companies have enormous impact on the value system in the societies. The
management of the MNCs has become instrumental for creating global economy for a prosperous and
sustainable world.

In addition there are other business organizations including banks, corporations, public sector
undertakings and enterprises dealing with men, money and materials. History shows that only those
business organizations have survived and flourished, which had been following the valuesystem, in other
words- the ethics in business. Peter Drucker, cautioned that there is no such thing as businessethics.
He said that the same moral rules apply in business just as they do in other areas of life. Some business
organizations formulate so called business-ethics which do not nurture the basic human values, resulting
into scandals about bribery, insider trading, false advertising and other undesirable traits.

Human values are also helpful in personnel management in the business organizations. All over
the world today the management has become result oriented. Therefore the managers look for the
following in the organizational system.

Awareness about the knowledge at the individual, group and organizational level.
Beliefs or values which people should adhere in their personal and professional life.
Conduct or ethical behavior at all levels according to values and beliefs.

5.2 Human Values at Work Place:

Human values become internal motivators at the work place for accomplishing the
desired goals. They foster important attributes for work such as:

Trustworthy and honest communication.

Harmonious approach for resolving the work related problems.
Productive collaboration.
 Respect for dignity of labor.
High quality work.

Ethical behavior becomes a by-product of practicing human values at work place. Strong
value-system creates the kind of work culture which enhances productivity and provides satisfaction to
stake holders. It brings a positive change in thought process and reduces the drudgery of work. Human
values combined with vision and foresight help in appropriate planning, efficient implementation and
careful monitoring resulting into money and time saving and enabling the project completion as per
schedule. The values of patience and tolerance leads to completion of a job without conflict. Kindness and
compassion lead to mutual satisfaction and help. Sharing of experience and knowledge leads to work
being done faster with better quality.

The human values impact ones work at the work place in the following manner:

Bringing positive attitude.

Doing good behavior
Taking right decisions.
Improving relations with co-workers
Developing sense of responsibility.
Doing future planning.

A question may be asked that Why do some people behave contrary to human values at
the work place? The answer is that the tendency to practice human values during the work can sometimes
be suppressed by dishonest workers having negative attitude. In order to enhance the productivity at the
work place, observance and practice of human values is desirable. Table -5.1 shows the human values
desirable in a successful work place.

Table 5.1

Human Values at Workplace

Appreciation Friendship Perseverance
Awareness Generosity Right Conduct
Broad-mindedness Gentleness Sacrifice
Brotherhood Gratitude Satisfaction
Calmness Happiness Self-confidence
Caring Harmony Self-respect
Compassion Healthy living Selfness Service
Contentment Honesty Sharing
Co-operation Humanity Sincerity
Courage Humility Sympathy
Dedication Initiative Tolerance
Determination Justice Transparency
Devotion Kindness Trust
Discipline Love Truth
Empathy Loyalty Understanding
Enthusiasm Non-violence Unity
Equanimity Optimism Wisdom
Fairness Patience
Forgiveness Peace

5.3 Capacity building with Human Values:

Capacity building is the process aimed at imparting and developing the skills of individuals,
organizations, and institutions to improve the performance in terms of their key functions.The sequential
process starting from awareness to intention, followed by motivation and action is very important in
capacity building with human values. There is a common apprehension that it is difficult for adults to
change. It is important to note that human values are fundamental to our existence; a natural part of our
being therefore, every individual possesses the hidden urge for development of human values. Capacity
building with human values requires unleashing and evoking the urge for sustainable human
development, which has become the main developmental challenge of 21 st century. Capacity building is
an answer to the question as to how can we improve our abilities to help ourselves? For finding out the
answer, the values and patterns of social behavior need to be geared up keeping in view the global peace
and prosperity. This is certainly an uphill task comprising of co-operation, equality, fearlessness,
compassion, self-confidence etc.
 The United Nation Development Programme defines capacity as, The ability to perform
functions, solve problems and achieve the objectives at three levels: individual, institutional and
societal.

The capacity of an individual, an organization or an institution keeps changing with time because
it depends on the process which involves human factors- the values when appropriately applied will yield
the desired results towards development. As such the process requires continuous monitoring and
evaluation. The assessment regarding capacity development will always be made by the external
examinations, which in real world are the stake holders in society. However, an organization may develop
its own capacity building programme to address its own needs and assess itself how far the programme
has fulfilled the needs. There are various sectors in which capacity building can be undertaken such as
education, health, social welfare, business etc. For every sector there has to be a clear understanding
about the aims and objectives and the tools employed for the process. Such tools will necessarily be the
human values, the adaptation of which will enable the successful completion of the process.
5.4 The Effect of e-culture on Human values:

E-culture or digital culture corresponds to the new era of information technology

associated with transactions in all spheres of human activity. It originated during later half of 1990s.
Nowadays, e-culture is an interdisciplinary concept involving sociology, philosophy, humanities,
economics and science and technology. The most important characteristics of e-culture are globality, easy
availability and communicability. Being a part of global internet community, there is free exchange of
ideas and information on every aspect of human life and behavior. The ease of virtual interaction with a
nick name tempts a person to spend substantial time in virtual space. The mind and body sensations are
carried away in a world of virtuality.

The electronic form of being offers an individual a free virtual life, according to ones
choice. He can log onto or out of the net at his own convenience, save or change himself, accept or
discard the terms of others, communicate or be alone, follow or violate the rules, display or hide the facts
and likewise act in any manner. Thus there is utmost freedom of action in virtual world. This is in
contrast to the real world. The unrestricted, unavoidable and sometimes fantasy filled actions of the
virtual world becomes obsessive and addictive.

This tendency gives rise to disregard to ones own health, reduction of cognitive and
creative activities and disability to solve the real life problems. It further develops into self-destructive
behavior. Neurological studies conducted on human beings show that virtual world intensifies the
excitement and enhance depression of the user at the same time. The famous neurologist P.Whybrow has
said, The Computer is electronic cocaine for many people. Our brains are wired for finding
immediate reward. With technology, novelty is the reward. You essentially become addict to
novelty.
In China, South Korea and Taiwan, the internet-dependence is being recognized as a
nationwide crisis. In these countries millions of people have become internet addicts. According to an
estimate over 2 billion people from every country are on line at the same time. It may be said that the
world is moving from the reality to virtuality. The human values such as truthfulness, friendship, love etc
are changing under e-culture. Perhaps in near future new form of human values may emerge. The
technocratization and virtualization of human beings may lead to losing the real identity with the social
world and affecting the moral behavior of the people in the real world.

5.5 Global Ethics and Human Values:

After the 2nd world war, a consensus has been emerging globally that survival of the
mankind and prosperity in future will depend upon the mutual respect and understanding amongst the
nations of the world. Thereafter towards the end of 20 th Century, most of the nations realized that opening
the doors for international trade and commerce has become the necessity for co-existence. The
information and communication technology brought all the nations on a common platform to search for
the moral code of conduct which can be called as global ethics. It was based on the premise that all
human beings irrespective of their nationality, culture, religion and beliefs have a right to contribute to the
global ethics. Now the global ethics has become a separate subject of study by the social scientists and
philosophers all over the world. The subject includes various functionalities which are critical and at
times non-affirmative. The global ethics deal with the response to the injustices and inequalities
prevailing across the globe. The philosophers of the global ethics seek to use the arguments to
demonstrate that those who are in a position to do something about the wrongs happenings have an
obligation to make them right.

In the documents of UN Charter, Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the sovereignty

of people and rights of individuals have been clearly defined. The framing of international laws is one of
the land mark of the global ethics. However, there exist considerable contradictions and limitations due to
which fulfillment of the human rights as well as other aspirations do not occur. Ethical norms of various
religions come at variance leading to distrust and disharmony. There are opposing views about whether
the global ethics are derivable from spiritual and religious values. Ideally, the global ethics would mean
one world in which all human beings enjoy equal moral rights and share common responsibilities to the
habitat. As of now one world perspective has not yet become a reality, due to selfish national interests.

Today, the prime need is to acknowledge values which can be shared commonly and the
ethics generated for the proper functioning of the economic, political and social network. The world we
live in is changing at an unprecedented pace driven by technological developments and globalization. The
speed, depth and scale of the change taking place is also changing the value system.

One of the human aspects of globalization is the enormous increase in migration from the
developing countries to developed countries. According to estimates of the International Organization for
Migration, there are more than 200 million emigrations in the world. They carry with them their own
beliefs which are different than those of the people of the country where they intend to settle.

The scientific and technological revolutions which are taking place are also raising new
ethical questions. Elvin Stakmans famous maxim says, Science cannot wait until ethics catches up
with it, and nobody should expect scientists to think of everything for everybody. This is not a
constructive approach. In its place, the statement of Heinz Pagels, Science cannot resolve moral
conflicts but it can help to better formulate the debates on conflicts seems to be more applicable.
The Global Ethic Foundation www.global-ethic.org declares that a strong ethical framework supports
both the operation and the effects of the global markets and the extra-market institutions. The foundation
identifies following two basic principles underlining the ethical values.

Humanity: Every human being must be treated humanely and not inhumanely.
Reciprocity: What you do not wish done to yourself , do not do to others- the famous quote of
Confucius,

Based on the above two principles, the values mentioned below forms the global ethics:

A culture of non violence and respect for human life.

A culture of fairness and equality.
A commitment to truthfulness and tolerance.
A commitment to equality of human rights for men and women.

5.6 Human Values and Environment:

Environment is the surrounding within and with which humans live. There is always a
close relationship between humans and the environment. The environment consists of air, water, earth
and all living and non-living beings on earth. When the protection of environment is considered, it
becomes the sustainability. The respect and love for nature and the spices on the earth is one of the
fundamental human values of Indian culture. The respect and regard is even to the extent of addressing
the planet earth as mother earth. These values are enshrined in holy scriptures. An example can be quoted
from Rig-Veda which says, Heaven is my father, brother atmosphere is my navel and the great
earth is my mother (Richa 12). The earth is my mother and I am her son. The person who pollutes
water of ponds, wells or lakes goes to hell, O Air you are our father, the protector. (Richa 13)
 When the question arises as to how the human values can protect the environment? The
answer lies in understanding the environment as exemplified above. Unfortunately, we consider
environment as a property which is abundantly available and can be used in any way. The values such as
selflessness, tolerance, sensitivity, belongingness and gratefulness which are necessary for good behavior
in the society are also required towards protection of environment. But it is not so in practice. On the
other hand, selfishness in place of selflessness prevails when it concerns environment. Similarly,
intolerance in place of tolerance, insensitivity in place of sensitivity and non- belongingness in place of
belongingness cause harmful effects on the environment. Cutting of trees, utilization of plastics,
inefficient use of fuels, putting the domestic garbage into water bodies are some of the example of
disregard to the environment in terms of violation of the values mentioned above. The environment can
be protected by changing our attitude towards it, and practicing the values of selflessness, tolerance,
sensitivity, belongingness and gratefulness.

During the last century man has developed a typical relationship with the environment
through science and technology. The natural resources have been tapped for making the physical world as
comfortable as possible. Due to use of various kinds of technologies and the waste produced out of
excessive consumption, the environment has been polluted and ecological imbalances are being observed.
The human values have been forgotten while using science and technology for materialistic benefits. The
questions regarding the sustainability which means, Capability to meet the needs of the present
without compromising the ability of the future generations to meet their own needs have arisen.
The sustainability today has become the world wide issue and a problem of ethics in terms of human
values. Environmental ethicists consider questions such as what role the human beings should play in
determining the fate of natural resources and other living beings on the planet earth? This aspect of
environmental ethics has become important because of the impact of the activities which are degrading
the environment. A new approach needs to be evolved which will have respect for human and non-human
life on this earth.

5.7 Human Values and Terrorism:

Terrorism may be defined as all sorts of criminal acts directed against a Government, or
general public or a group of persons to create a state of terror in the minds of people. It can occur in any
form ranging from kidnapping to killing or damaging public property. It is characterized by spread of fear
through violence among people and causing major economic losses.
 Sri Sri Ravishankar has said, The act which is only destructive and inflicts suffering
both on oneself and others is terrorism. In such an act, human values are lost in the process of
achieving a goal, instead of solutions the terrorist looks for destructive as an answer.

Dalai Lama has said, Non-violence is the counter measure for terrorism. Retaliatory action or
military attacks cannot solve the problem, Terrorism is the result of hatred, and it is very important
to prevent this hatred from spreading.

When we talk of human values such as fearlessness, commitment to a goal, and sacrifice
these are found in a terrorist, but here they are being misused for destructive purposes, since terrorist have
no respect for human life, they do not respect any human value. One of the ways to prevent a person
from becoming a terrorist may be to inculcate following identities in sequence. These are five identities in
order of existence:

i. A part of Divine
ii. A human being
iii. A male or female
iv. Belong to a particular nation
v. Belong to a particular religion.

If the sequential order is reversed, then all sorts of problem arise. Terrorism is also an off
shoot of the reversed sequential identity. The realization that every person is a part of the same divine
may perhaps reduce the existing gap in form of different cast and creeds.

Recognizing that terrorism is one of the greatest evil of the modern civil society and
threat to peace and security all over the world, there is a formidable challenge to human values. India
which upholds the human values since good old days is unfortunately also one of the oldest victims of
terrorism. Success in fighting terrorism can be achieved only by global approach. The global counter-
terrorism strategy adopted by United Nations General Assembly expresses that, Effective counter-
terrorism measures and the protection of human rights are not conflicting goals but complementary
and mutually reinforcing. We can be successful in the fight against terrorism if we stay true to the
universal core values namely: non-violence, righteousness, truth, peace and love.

5.8 Crisis of Human Values:

In all over the world, the crisis of human values has become a phenomenon. The five
fundamental values namely Righteousness, Truth, Peace Love, and Non-violence have become distorted.
In a maddening pursuit to acquire wealth, power and status, people have forgotten the right, conduct and
truthfulness. The life is marked by violence and greed, corruption and drug addiction. Torture and
terrorism are being used as tools for meeting unlawful demands. Selflessness has been overpowered by
selfishness. Due to urbanization and mobility, the joint family system which used to uphold the personal
as well societal values has become almost defunct. The nuclear family system in which husband and wife
mostly remain outside the house to earn the livelihood leaves the children unattended and subject to
various vices. The educational institutions are unable to nurture values in the students due to inadequate
attention. People are undergoing sufferings and sorrows and leading the life full of tension and worries
due to non-adherence to the value system. The leadership is engrossed in power politics. It has no more
remained a platform for social service but is being used as a launching pad for self aggrandizement. The
youth find themselves in the state of frustration and confusion and do not know whom to follow and what
to do. The prevailing scenario does not provide them the programmes or opportunities to showcase their
potential and follow the ideals of humanity. Thus they are becoming prone to march on the way to
destructiveness. Under such circumstances what kind of values do we expect to be cultivated among the
children and youth in their formative years? Is there any way to overcome the crisis of human values? The
answer is obviously yes. There is always a silver lining in the dark clouds. There are people and
organizations in every country that have sincerely devoted themselves in the task of national resurgence,
societal reforms and character building. It is the efforts of such people and organizations that can
withhold the fundamental human values that can enrich its prestige and honour of human beings of the
world. In India, there is a growing awareness amongst some of the philanthropic educational institutions
which are imparting the value based education and education for values to the students and young adults.

The crisis of values needs to be tackled at individual, societal, national and global level. There is inter-
connectivity and interdependency between all the levels. Some scholars in India say that the crisis of
human values has been caused due to the following factors:

Modernization
Westernization
Materialism

These factors cannot be eliminated. They will continue to exist, and have to be accepted
in todays global village in which everybody lives. Therefore a new culture needs to be evolved and
synthesized. A new paradigm shift needs to be made to accommodate realities with rationality. The
angularities of modernization, oddities of westernization ought to be identified and eliminated. The
materialism is to be balanced with spiritualism. The Bhagvad Gita says, Spirituality means diving deep
into inner-self and realizing ones true-self. One of the important values in spirituality is
responsibility. It is related to self with the society. In order to lead a purposeful life the materialism need
to be coupled with self realization. However, this is not so easy. Osho Rajneesh has said, You have to
walk, and create the way by your walking; you will not find a ready-made path. It is not so cheap,
to the ultimate realization of truth.
 Questions for Learners
1. How do the human values affect business practices of today?
2. What do you understand by the term organizational value?
3. What is meant of value based management?
4. Name three most important human values that are practiced in a business organization.
Support your answer with reasons.
5. Why is it necessary to practice values in business organization?
6. What is meant by the term capacity building and how is it achieved by means of human
values?
7. What is the effect of e-culture on human values?
8. Will the human values change in future due to e-culture Yes or No? Give reasons for
your answers.
9. What is meant by the term Global Ethics?
10. How the human values affect global ethics?
11. In your opinion which of the three human values can meet the objectives of global ethics?
12. What do you understand by the term environmental sustainability?
13. How human values can protect the environment?
14. Which of three values can help in maintaining sustainability of environment?
15. What is the cause of terrorism?
16. How can human values prevent spread of terrorism?
17. In your opinion, which are the three most important human values can control terrorism?
18. Is it possible to eradicate terrorism from the world - yes or no? Give reasons in support of
your answers.