Cultural Values and Personal Ethics
...ially my organizational way of life, I try to anticipate such a rush and will prepare myself to the best of my ability. In my attempt to quicken the process and often to be more cost-efficient, I will hasten my decision. The quality of my work that I turn in will suffer and so will my pride. Hemingway and Mclagan write: The bulk of the evidence suggests that the values of managers have a strong organizational orientation. Therefore it seems rather doubtful that in the event of a conflict of values, the personal values of the manager would take precedence over organizational values. It is more likely that the manager would accommodate his personal values to the purposes of the organization in such a way as to further his [or her] own aspirations. (2004, p. 33). As long as I can remember, my father has always taught me to be very organized. He always said, “Put your things in the same place and you will never forget them”. I not only do this at work but at home as well. I am organized to the point where I have been labeled a Type-A personality. Personal values can often conflict within the organization of my company. At times, my priority is in developing long-lasting relationships with customers, vendors, and clients. I believe that these relationships need to be cultivated in order for future endeavors to be met. The company I work for does not always have that priority at the top of its list. Often they are dictated by financial gain as its motivation. The business transaction at that moment is paramount. The culture that we exchange with is often vastly different from ours. Pharmaceutical companies for example, are focused on obtaining FDA approval for their medication not only for monetary gain but for medical distinction. Our company’s precedence is to land the contract and deliver on that contract for repeat business. As Joyner, Payne & Raiborn state, “Values, ethics, and corporate social responsibility are not mutually exclusive; rather, they are interrelated and somewhat interdependent “(2002, p. 113). How I treat my staff at work is often a reflection of how I was treated in my past. My behavior towards them is usually a direct correlation to my experience as a subordinate or even as a son. My experience started with my parents, but I also remember how all of my teachers, principals, bosses and colleagues treated me. There is even a correlation with how I treat my wife and vice versa. The saying goes, “if you want to see how a woman relates to a man, look at her relationship with her father”. We are all fueled by our upbringing, social status, religion, race, and environment. These cultural values are the very fabric from which we are all shaped. Even without our realizing it, the decisions we make on a daily basis are influenced by these cultura...