CGBE III End semester Question- Answers
1. Differentiate the concepts of Good-bad-evil | Right-wrong-false | Correct-incorrect-erratic
Good and evil are very abstract and subjective concepts of ethics. According to most philosophies,
Good coexists with evil and there can be no thing such as ‘good’ unless there is ‘evil’ and vice versa.
Considering society’s point of view anything or anyone who contributes to the welfare of the general
mankind is classified as good and whatever is against the interests of the general mankind is termed
as evil. Thus, labelling any action as good or evil is clearly based upon one’s perception and
judgment. Society has made laws based on precedents of what it has viewed as good and evil.
Overall to conclude the difference between good and evil is not absolute but is relative and of
degree. It’s often the context and the outcome of the actions which fetches it the class of good or
evil. While an action or a person may be considered good in a certain situation, the same action or
person may be labelled bad in another situation. For instance, fire produces warmth during winter.
When it destroys property or life, it turns evil. Also, something that is good for one person may turn
out to be evil for another. When a soldier fights for his country, he might kill several people during
the war during confrontation. While the soldier will be hailed as a hero in his country, the spouses
and children of the people he has killed will view him as a murderer. Perception of what is good or
evil can also be influenced by religions and culture. Some religions accept polygamy whereas other
religions consider it as a sin. Bad is the antonym of good and reflects poor or inferior quality of things
in our lives. We talk about bad or poor quality of products. You can have a bad egg, bad paper, or
even bad attitude. Bad is also used for something that is inaccurate or incorrect. Though in common
convention bad and evil is used with slight similarity but there are significant differences between
the two. Evil is more wicked or immoral in nature whereas poor or inferior quality is bad. Something
causing destruction or violence or in general any crime is evil in nature whereas bad is anything
that is not good or not high quality
2. Emotions and Unethical activities
Emotions – that is to say feelings and intuitions play a major role in most of the ethical decisions
people make. Most people do not realize how much their emotions direct their moral choices. But
experts think it is impossible to make any important moral judgments without emotions. Inner-
directed negative emotions like guilt, embarrassment, and shame often motivate people to act
ethically. Outer-directed negative emotions, on the other hand, aim to discipline or punish. For
example, people often direct anger, disgust, or contempt at those who have acted unethically. This
discourages others from behaving the same way. Positive emotions like gratitude and admiration,
which people may feel when they see acting with compassion or kindness, can prompt people to
help others. Emotions evoked by suffering, such as sympathy and empathy, often lead people to act
ethically toward others. Indeed, empathy is the central moral emotion that most commonly
motivates prosocial activity such as altruism, cooperation, and generosity. So, while we may believe
that our moral decisions are influenced most by our philosophy or religious values, in truth our
emotions play a significant role in our ethical decision-making.
Moral emotions may be the most important emotions in interpersonal situations. They motivate
group behaviours such as cooperation and competition, provoke interpersonal behaviours such as
gift-giving, advice-taking, and prosocial behaviour, and encourage intrapersonal aspects such as
feelings of empathy and distress. As the two most prevalent moral emotions, shame and guilt
motivate people to act in line with group norms in order to avoid such negative feelings beforehand,
and to eliminate these negative feelings when people do experience them. It may thus not come as a
surprise that shame and guilt also play a vital role in unethical behaviour and well-being in the
workplace. However, while recent research suggests that shame and guilt are emotions that occur
often in the workplace, a general overview of the different influences of shame and guilt on
unethical behaviour and well-being is lacking. This chapter aims to give a clear picture of shame and
guilt. Unethical behaviours in the workplace appear on a daily basis. These behaviours can include
abusive supervision, theft, bullying, unsafe working conditions, discrimination, drug use and drug
testing, and organizational injustice (ibid.), and these unethical and socially irresponsible activities
can be carried out by different parties such as supervisors, employees, direct or indirect colleagues.
Accordingly, multiple parties might be involved and affected by the unethical behaviour: the
perpetrator (the cause) of the unethical behaviour, the victim of the unethical behaviour, witnesses
of the unethical behaviour, and people associated (e.g., by group membership) with the perpetrator
or with the victim. In all of these different parties, shame and guilt feelings can occur and may
influence people’s well-being.
3. Analysis and Ethical Behaviour
Analysis is the process of breaking a complex topic into smaller fragments in order to achieve a
better understanding of it. In terms of ethics, ethical analysis is a systematic approach to figuring
out the right moral decision in a particular situation. By analysing the situation logically, in
accordance with your ethical code, you can figure out which options are both effective and moral.
Ethical analysis principles encourage you to form an accurate picture of the situation and think
through the effect of your decisions before you act. In business, you can use ethical analysis to get
your company back on track when your co-workers or supervisors perform unethical actions. As a
philosophical discipline its purpose is to explore and explicate moral and ethical value and to realize
this critical purpose ethics relies upon logical analysis and argumentation.
An ethical behaviour is the application of moral principles in a given situation. It means to behave
according to the moral standards set by the society which we live in. Ethical behaviour is
characterized by honesty, fairness and equity in interpersonal, professional and academic
relationships and in research and scholarly activities. Ethical behaviour respects the dignity, diversity
and rights of individuals and groups of people. This definition is not a denial of the existence of other
ethical duties with respect to practice, professional service delivery, and research. Ethical behaviours
can be identified in both individual relationships and work relationships. The concept can also be
applied to corporations as entities. It evaluates the moral implications of actions being taken on each
of the previously mentioned contexts. An ethical behaviour is essential for a society to function
properly. Individuals that behave unethically will normally loss other people’s confidence and their
unethical behaviour should be also punished by the law.
4. Differentiate: Choice, Decision, Action
Although it might appear that the words “choice” and “decision” are just synonyms for the same
thing, there is actually a difference between the two. Effective decision making can only flow from a
place of choice. The place of choice is the crossroads between feeling fulfilled and aligning with your
own values. Only after you have identified the place of choice can you move on to the point of
decision, which is where you finally consider all options and decide what to do.
Say for an example with your remote, you have the freedom to choose from an endless list of shows
and channels. You could choose a simple sitcom, a TED talk on physics, or a golf tournament. You are
at the place of choice. But, you don’t make decisions in a void. Your decisions are influenced by a
myriad of factors, both external and internal, such as habit, culture, education, goals, etc. It’s when
you start taking these factors into consideration that you move to the point of decision. Thus, if
you’re watching TV just to relax, then a simple sitcom or reality show might be just fine. However, if
you want to be able to participate in office small talk the next day, you should probably choose a
program you know your co-workers will be talking about.
We don’t think about this decision-making process. We just automatically do it. However, I am
suggesting that you will achieve better results if you slow down and analyse the process, not just in
choosing which TV show to watch, but with the important decisions in your life.
Another example: You are about to hire a new employee and have several suitable candidates. At
the place of choice, you can choose among any of them. One is just as good as another. However,
we need to take into account the company’s needs, each candidate’s skills, experiences, etc. This is
the place of decision — where we have limited our possible choices by all relevant factors. This is the
core distinction between choice and decision. Choice connects to the place of desired intention,
values and beliefs. Decision connects to the place of behaviour, performance and consequences. You
might say that choices are connected to reasons and decisions are connected to causes.
Understanding the difference between the place of choice and the point of decision helps you
practice identifying your feelings, whether positive or negative, so you can make inspired choices
and clear, robust decisions. By visiting the place of choice first, you can obtain the confidence
needed to stay motivated and take bold, life-changing actions.
By understanding the difference between choosing and deciding, you can avoid having regrets about
what you have done or not done in life. Utilize your full human potential and be the best version of
yourself. Understand and appreciate the difference between choosing and deciding.
There is a close link between decision making and action. By making a decision a person commits
herself to act in a certain way. However, in a contrast to decisions preferences are not necessarily
linked to actions. An individual may prefer alternative x to alternatively y without committing herself
to any action. That is, the alternatives in preferences need not be action alternatives.
5. The Mental Traps
Sometimes we can fall into our own mind's trap, and we make decisions that can go completely
wrong. And we don't even realize it. Sometimes such decisions are harmless, but some of them can
lead to bad consequences.
Dual standards- We often try to explain other people's behaviour with the help of such arguments
as life troubles and problems. But when we justify our mistakes, we use circumstances that don't
depend on us. Such mistakes sometimes make us think that we all have similar lives, and that's why
it's easy to blame the people around us.
A dispute for the sake of victory- Modern society depends on how to argue so as to have an
opportunity to influence each other which is why people can't stop disputing even if they've run out
of arguments. In ancient times, to lose a debate meant to reduce your chance to live. That's why
we always argue until the end.
Comparing the incomparable- We often compare things that are totally incomparable, and that's
why a causal relationship becomes disrupted. For example, there is a belief that the bigger a dog is,
the angrier it becomes. But let's agree that a dog's size doesn't affect its character or behaviour.
Trusting only "your" people- Since ancient times, we wittingly or unwittingly divide people into
groups. We trust the people who are in "our" group more: friends and colleagues, for example. And
we trust the people who are outside of this group less, treating them with caution and suspicion.
This phenomenon is called "in-group favouritism" where people overstate "their" group's value and
its members' abilities and underestimate those they don't know well.
Excessive generalization- If you think that one thing that turned out to be true once will be true
again on another occasion, you've fallen into a trap. If a random cashier cheated you, it doesn't
mean that each cashier is going to short-change you.
The majority can't be wrong- People are inclined to believe something if they know that someone
else already believes it and that's how generally accepted rules that are treated as normal inside a
group appear. A person's tendency to accept a group's opinion is the reason why we should treat
statistical data critically.
We remember only our best traits and actions- People will be people. Almost every person
remembers only their best features. Sometimes we even have a tendency to exaggerate, but we
don't notice it. Daniel Kahneman, a Nobel Prize winner, said, "It's surprising how rarely people
change their opinion. What is more, when they do that, they don't even understand that. Changing
their opinion, many people correct their previous mind-set by trying to persuade themselves that
they've always thought that way."
Our brain thinks that we are different people in the future- Different studies show that when we
start thinking about ourselves in the future, the parts of our brain that work when we think about
different people become active. In other words, if we're asked to think about ourselves in the
future, we imagine a stranger who has almost nothing in common with our present self.
The Peltzman Effect- The idea of this effect is that an abundance of different protective devices and
safety instructions leads to the feeling that a person is invincible — and the risk of an accident
increases. For example, if we take away a motorcyclist's helmet or another piece of equipment,
they'll ride much more safely than if they were fully equipped.
The "positive expectation" trap- Such a trap is common among people who like to gamble:
they're sure that after a series of fails, their good luck will appear, and the next game's going to
bring a great prize. Misconceptions about lucky streaks work in the same way.
Rhyming phrases- When people see rhyming slogans, they treat them as more trustworthy. These
phrases "stick" to us. That's why companies often use such methods to make their goods and
services recognizable and their ads memorable.
There is always more bad news- People tend to notice bad news, and it's not a sort of deviation.
Scientists think that we subconsciously treat bad news as more important. Moreover , bad news
causes more trust: it may happen because the good news seems to be too suspicious and not so
interesting.
The IKEA effect- We always treat ordinary gloves or mittens knitted by Granny with a warm smile,
though we wouldn't notice them at a store. It's a great example that is called the IKEA effect. It
means that we often highly appreciate an item's value if it's related to us, our relatives, or our
friends.
The "superiority over others" trap- people who drive a car were invited to compare their driving
skills to other drivers' skills. Almost all of the experiment's participants thought their skills were
"above average." In most cases, people have a high opinion of their skills. They overestimate their
abilities and skill level, which is why they can't rate themselves objectively.
6. Moral Principles
Moral principle are basically the principles of right and wrong that are accepted by an individual or
a social group. Five moral principles that have been identified and are viewed as the cornerstone of
our ethical guidelines. Ethical guidelines can not address all situations that a counselor is forced to
confront. Reviewing these ethical principles which are at the foundation of the guidelines often
helps to clarify the issues involved in a given situation. The five principles, autonomy, justice,
beneficence, nonmaleficence, and fidelity are each absolute truths in and of themselves. By
exploring the dilemma in regards to these principles one may come to a better understanding of the
conflicting issues.
1. Autonomy is the principle that addresses the concept of independence. The essence of this
principle is allowing an individual the freedom of choice and action. It addresses the responsibility of
the counselor to encourage clients, when appropriate, to make their own decisions and to act on
their own values.
2. Nonmaleficence is the concept of not causing harm to others. Often explained as "above all do no
harm", this principle is considered by some to be the most critical of all the principles, even though
theoretically they are all of equal weight.
3. Beneficence reflects the counselor's responsibility to contribute to the welfare of the client.
Simply stated it means to do good, to be proactive and also to prevent harm when possible
4.Justice does not mean treating all individuals the same. formal meaning of justice is "treating
equals equally and unequals unequally but in proportion to their relevant differences" . If an
individual is to be treated differently, the counselor needs to be able to offer a rationale that
explains the necessity and appropriateness of treating this individual differently.
5 .Fidelity involves the notions of loyalty, faithfulness, and honoring commitments.
When exploring an ethical dilemma, you need to examine the situation and see how
each of the above principles may relate to that particular case.
7. Creativity as a Value
Creativity isn’t something one can conjure on demand. It is more of something that a person must
foster by way of culturing their environment and frame of mind. Creativity is not as much of a skill as
it is character and personality - we all have it. We are wired for creativity - the skill that separates us
is learning how use it, learning how to take hold of our internal creativity and give it energy.
Creativity is the fruit of wanting and expecting the better idea - of being a dreamer. Creativity is
unashamed and is brave; it has the courage to speak ideas out loud. Creative thinking is "thinking
outside the box" - it is the normal way of thinking for believers and dreamers who are not satisfied
with following the crowd and will not be copies. The creative mind believes that the best ideas have
not yet been thought of, that excellence is a journey on a never-ending road, that uniqueness and
originality are the domain of the pacesetters that are willing to lead.
Take a generous amount of creativity, add relevant experience, add passion and excellent skills - you
get Effective Creativity. Not just new ideas, but ideas that work. Not just cool ideas, but ideas that
separate you from the pack in your marketplace. Effective Creativity is relevant. Effective Creativity
sets higher goals and finds ways to meet them. Effective Creativity makes you better than your
competitors.
8. The core pillars of Corporate Governance
The pillars of successful corporate governance are: accountability, fairness, transparency, assurance,
leadership and stakeholder management. All six are critical in successfully running an entity and
forming solid professional relationships among its stakeholders which include board directors,
managers, employees, customers, regulators and most importantly, shareholders.
Accountability: Accountability embraces ownership of strategy and task required to attain
organisational goals. This also means owing reward and risk in clear context of
predetermined value proposition.. When the idea of accountability is approached with this
positive outlook, people will be more open to it as a means to improve their performance.
This applies from the staff all the way up to top leadership embracing Risk management
within defined formal appetite for risk. This also include fostering culture of compliance to
create real and perceived believe that the entity is operation within internal and external
boundaries
Fairness: Fairness means “treating all stakeholders s including minorities, reasonably,
equitably and provide effective redress for violations. Establishing effective communication
mechanism is important in ensure just and timely protection of resource sand people asset
as well correcting of wrongs
Transparency: Transparency “means having nothing to hide” that allows its processes and
transactions observable to outsiders. It also makes necessary disclosures, informs everyone
affected about its decisions. Transparency is a critical component of corporate governance
because it ensures that all of entity’s actions can be checked at any given time by an outside
observer. This makes its processes and transactions verifiable, so if a question does come up
about a step, the company can provide a clear answer
Independent Assurance: In progressing transparency it is important for non-direct actors to
obtain confidence that that executive actors are leading the entity towards pre-defined
intent and not using it for self and obtain expert advisory on how applied approached can be
improved. Assurance services provide independent and professional opinions that reduce
the information risk (risk that comes from incorrect information). Independent assurance is
the verification by a third party (not directly responsible for QA and acceptance of the
product/deliverable and/or the reliability of test results obtained from quality control and
acceptance testing. This independent assurance insures that (1) the representation or
acceptance test results are accurate and provide a fair and equitable basis for construction
acceptance and (2) quality control testing is accurate and thus will properly indicate process
quality.
Leadership; Direction “defining and offering leadership on organisation’s agenda within the
values and principles that frame the way business should be done. Those charged with
governance are responsible for these key strategic issues and for proving leadership in
establishing the right culture to drive the performance of the business. Without clear
direction, policy and procedures, the organisation will flounder and likely never to realise its
long term goals and potential. This should include leadership and core expertise renewal to
both retains knowledge/experience, ensure appropriate representation and continuity.
Stakeholder engagement: Those charged with governance should identify the key
stakeholders and how they interact with the business and how they are engaged with to
ensure the best outcome for the organisation. Stakeholder engagement included in the
annual agenda and strategic plan.
9. Your ideas about the world, especially India, post-global breakdown [due to Covid-19]
The outbreak of the pandemic in form of Covid-19 across the world has caused severe destruction
and damage to the entire global fraternity.It has literally put the world into an unwanted halting
situation hampering all kinds of growth and development activities taking place
internationally.Powerful and leading countries such as United States and Russia have also failed to
control and restrict or minimise the loss of lives caused by this virus.US,Italy,Russia were amongst
the countries with best medical infrastructure and top class facilities but they didn't manage to get a
hold of this virus which cost them the lives of thousands of their citizens.
Talking of India,our country also couldn't escape from the hazardous and deadly
consequences of this pandemic.As per the current data more than 9 lakh people have been tested
Corona +ve and almost 25 thousands have lost their lives.The terrifying fact is that we have landed
into this disheartening situation despite the national lockdown which persisted for more than 3
months.Although lockdown was the need of time to stop the chain of infection but it also brought
with itself lots of pain and uncertainity.Labours who were working far from their homeland into
other states were badly affected and within a span of night they turned jobless and had to reach
their homes state which was again a difficult task during the lockdown as trains were
stopped(probably for the 1st time in Indian history). The positive aspect and a news to cheer for is
the assistance and support shown by the central and State governments for the convenience of
these labours.
Economically also the pandemic has badly influenced the growth of India
and the declining GDP rate are significant indicators of this fact.Private sector has been seriously
hurt which has led to the employees working for these firms to loose their jobs.The results of the
injury caused by this pandemic will have a long term negative impact for the next few years on the
economic infrastructure and system of India.
Above all this the biggest challenge is to safeguard our lives in a situation where
getting infected is as simple as anything and the risk to our lives is massive.Another worrying scene
is the lack of proper medical structure and facility which has failed to match the striking increament
in number of patients.Hope the vaccine for this virus is developed as soon as possible and things are
restored to normal.
