Blog Post 1: May 20th, 2020

Worldview. Something that people may not necessarily think about frequently, or even at all. A worldview can subconsciously influence how someone perceives things, their thinking, their knowledge, and their doing. There are seven elements of one's worldview according to Ken Funk, and it can be clearly seen how these elements are interconnected.

My worldview stems primarily from believing in the supernatural. I am a strong believer in God and I feel that influences other elements of my worldview. Theology for me, or "beliefs about the existence and nature of God" can be linked to axiology, "beliefs about the nature of value, what is good and bad, what is right and wrong." Teleology, "beliefs about the meaning and purpose of the universe, its inanimate elements, and its inhabitants," is also related to the other two elements above of my worldview.

I grew up in a Christian household. After hearing about my birth, I believed in a higher being. I was born eight weeks prematurely and the doctors said there was a high chance of me not walking or talking. I undoubtedly defied those odds and ever since then I have been blessed in countless ways.  My faith in God makes me want to do things right, even when it is not easy. I obviously make mistakes like every human does, but I learn from it. However, knowing I have a responsibility to do things right as a Christian on a daily basis influences how I think about business ethics. I am an honest and trustworthy person and I have learned that being deceptive or engaging in amoral acts in order to become successful is not the ethically right way to live or to conduct business. The Bible verse Proverbs 28:6 says "Better is a poor man who walks in his integrity than a rich man who is crooked in his ways." Integrity in business is important because someone is doing the right thing. It does not matter if the truth is ugly or if it would not benefit someone. A successful company has good character and leaders of organizations, along with their employees, should uphold this standard all the time. 

Theology and business ethics may not always go hand in hand. Not everyone will have the same beliefs, some people may believe in more than one God, and some people may not even believe in God at all. Regardless of that, I believe that someone that believes in Divinity incorporates their beliefs with their moral and ethical values. Theological beliefs make people do what they think is right but whatever actions they do should align with their Christian values or religious values as well, to a certain extent.

In the video above, Boyd Clarke, a Pharmaceutical and Vaccine Industry Consultant, said that he left a company because he believed the choices management made was inconsistent with his personal values. I think that if the company I was working with was making decisions that were legal, but did not align with my own values, I probably would not leave the company. Religious beliefs can influence what choices someone makes, but one may not find a company that aligns with their viewpoints one-hundred percent.

Another key element of my worldview is axiology. I think it can be tied to theology since people with a theological ideology place value into their God. Spiritual values do not necessarily relate to religion completely. Spiritual values help one better connect with themselves and influences individual values. It can subconsciously influence the decisions someone makes. People can place different values on different things, for example, placing a high value on materialistic items. Ethics comes into play here since values influence human actions. The bible verse Roman 12:2 says "Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect." In other words, I should not place value in things in this world, and I should have a clean, renewed mind. Since my actions are based on my thinking, renewing my thoughts may be necessary so that it is better aligned with the word of God. Spirituality and morality go hand in hand. For me, I believe that value can fluctuate between being objective or subjective and absolute or relative. Value—referring to the regard something is held deserve or the worthiness of something influences values—"a person's principles or standards of behavior; one's judgment of what is important in life." For me, a lot of Christian values are also moral values. Some of these include respect, honesty, trustworthiness, responsibility, and more. I think that within business ethics, axiology helps with making better decisions and doing what is right because how much one thinks value is worth plays a part in a lifestyle where ethical behavior is derived from.

Teleology focuses on the end result of an action. Relating it to business ethics, this would mean that actions are judged morally based upon their consequences. I agree with this to a certain extent. Yes, there are universal ethical rules that people should follow, such as not participating in malpractices, developing good and happy relationships between the company and its employees, customers, shareholders, etc. and more. However, I think businesses should also go above and beyond to not only benefit their workers and customers but also their community and the environment as a whole. Teleology, business ethics, and corporate social responsibility can all be weaved together. Companies can do what is right for their employees, such as treating employees fairly and right-mindedly. Companies can also do what is right for the environment and their local communities, such as practicing sustainable methods and giving back to the people. I personally believe that businesses have a duty to do the right thing for their owners, customers, employees, society, and the environment. Teleology and ethics combined illuminate how the outcome of principled actions can be derived from one's personal values.

In the YouTube video above, Aristotle said "every action and purpose may be said to aim at some good." Virtues impact how people look at themselves and how to act reasonably to live life in excellence which accentuates good character. Happiness is a continuous, long-lasting state of mind and "can only be found context of a community as we need other people in order to find good tasks." I do not completely agree with that part of the video because I believe happiness begins from within oneself. However, that quote from the video can be linked to corporate social responsibility which involves giving back to society or to a community. One example of this in the video was Ryan Hreljac, who started a well foundation to bring clean water to communities in need. Ryan did not just think about just raising enough money at his school's fundraiser for one well. He went beyond that end result to establish a foundation to continue helping other communities. I think this deed is a great example of illustrating how to achieve a certain outcome through particular actions.

Worldviews surely give insight into one's perspective of the world and different elements about certain aspects of reality tie into it. The elements of my world view—theology, axiology, and teleology, all coincide. I feel that religious faith has a major role in my worldview. However, I feel that I can always learn from other people that have different worldviews and standpoints and adjust mine as necessary. I do believe that my worldview can change, along with others' since societal values seemingly have a large influence on how people act or what they believe in. I think everyone should become aware of their own worldview and be more open-minded and tolerant of other people's outlooks. Worldviews relate to business ethics as it helps one understand their core values. A business's ethical values should be consistent with one's personal values considering that attributes to ethical decisions and moral behavior.

*Images from Google Images—Search Words: "Proverbs 28:6"; "Values"; "Values and Decisions"; "Worldview."