Discursive Ethical Framework
Wen
SlidesforClass5July2020191.pptxGlobalization and Virtue
Communication, management and Ethics
July 20, 2019
Communitarian Ethics
Communitarianism as developed by Alasdair MacIntyre, Charles Taylor and others, suggests that morality can only be identified within the language, practices and experience by which individuals view their world.
Deontology and Social Contract Theory (ISCT) among others try to abstract morality from lived experience. This provides clear moral dictates, but they don’t always fit the situations in which moral quandaries arise.
Communitarian ethics presume that “morality is always embedded in historically and communally shared meanings” (Macklin and Mathison)
Ethical Praxis
Being ethical is acting virtuously-Praxis
For Aristotle, this is relatively simple because society is assumed to be homogenous and consistent
For communitarians, praxis is complicated because it requires reflexive observation of complex social systems.
The Dialogic Stance
Organizations as social units form community through reflexive dialogue.
Dialogue means interchanges between stakeholders using language, body, numbers, emotions and geist (spirit).
It is reflexive because there is no beginning or end to the dialogue and we are always both in it and observing it.
Organizational praxis occurs through the circulation of meaning through dialogues
Ethical praxis, therefore, also must be dialogic
Ethical Panels
Ethical Panel- a space for reflexive dialogue that will lead to ethical praxis in the organization.
The panel is observing values, virtues and priorities and at the same time creating them and modeling them
Praxis is an ongoing dialogic process
Confucius
Born 551 BCE Died 479 BCE
Philosopher, teacher, politician
Far-reaching influence on Chinese ethical culture
Currently in renaissance in China
孔子
Confucianism as virtue ethics
Ren- The capacity for compassion, empathy
Yi- A sense of moral correctness
Li- social etiquette, norms and practices both personal and institutional (only legitimate if they correspond to Ren and Yi.
Zhou shu—each person is obligated to help others to develop their moral self
The five cardinal virtues of humanity: Ren, Yi, Li, Zhi (Wisdom) and Xin (trustworthiness)
Junzi-The person who possesses the cardinal virtues and acts virtuously
Ip 2009
The Confucian Family
Importance of filial piety
The most important relationships
Emperor-Official
Father-son
Older brother-younger brother
Husband-wife
Friends
Family and Hierarchy
Problematic side to this model
The Confucian Firm
The goals, strategies and practices of the firm should be defined by the principle of ren-yi-li.
The structure, processes and procedures of the company should conform to ren-yi-li
The major stakeholders should be treated with ren-yi-li
The leaders should conform to the thoughts and deeds of Junzi
Members of the firm are obligated to be virtuous and act in accordance with ren-yi-li.
Ip (2009)
Communitarian Ethics and the Problem of Fetishism (An Interlude)
How can we be open to integrating, for example, Confucian Ethics without simply appropriating them?
Avoid Ethics as sloganeering.
Friendship?
Relationship
Closest relationships
Strangers
Family
Business
Friends
Guanxi 关系
Develops from family/clan relationships
Give and take of favors builds bonds and prevent immoral behavior via the threat of shame.
Repaying favors is linked to Yi
Can also be a source of corruption and prevent level playing field for business
Rent-seeking Behavior
“Rent-seeking” (a term coined by the economist Anne Krueger), is defined as looking to earn money without creating or contributing any value. One of the most common examples is lobbying the government to give a private firm a tariff or subsidy. This simply distributes money from the government to the firm.
Or requiring that a fee be paid to a broker even though she had nothing to do with the deal.
Organized crime often uses rent-seeking schemes such as protection rackets based solely on the fear of retribution for not paying.
The Ethics of Rent-Seeking
Rent-seeking can add costs to consumers without offering any value.
But it also may help to fix social problems that flow from a free market (i.e. crop subsidies that help prop up prices by forcing scarcity).
Lobbying and Guanxi can both be rent-seeking behavior. Are they ethical?
