BUSINESS ETHICS

Module 1
INTRODUCTION TO HUMAN VALUE ETHICS
Nikhil VP
Birla Institute of Technology

VALUES
Values are an enduring set of emotional or
feeling level dispositions in a person, which
underpin the choice of his/her goals and
determine the kind of means used to achieve
those goals.
Values are standards to guide your action,
judgments, and attitudes.
Our values affect our decisions, goals and
behavior.

VALUES - TYPES
Human Values(HVs)
Dis-Values(DVs)

HUMAN VALUES
HVs may be usually understood as those value
which nurture Good Human Beings(GHB) from
within.
HVs are different from other values such as
economic values, political values etc. The latter
can be pursued while ignoring human values.
HVs are distinguished from valuables also, which
are the external objects of want and desire.
Some of the HVs can be: kindness, Gratitude,
Sincerity, Honesty, Compassion, Courage etc.

DIS-VALUES
DVs are impure feelings or emotion.
If the DVs dominate HVs in one
person, then the person declines on
the scale of GHB.
Some of the DVs can be: Greed,
Envy, Anger, Cruelty, Hatred, Fault
finding, Fear etc.

ETHICS
Ethics is the branch of philosophy that focuses on morality and
the way in which moral principles are applied to everyday life.
Ethics has to do with fundamental questions such as What is
fair? What is justice? What is the right thing to do in this
situation?
Ethics involves an active process of applying values, which
may range from religious principles to customs and traditions.
Human Values (HVs) are the cause, Ethics the effect. If one is
stimulated by a DV emotion, the external act will tend to be
unethical.

Values & Skills

Concept of Doing and Becoming
Skills are those external methods and
techniques applied to perform a given
task-from cooking and eating to
accounting and marketing, from carpentry
and surgery to teaching and dancing.
Such skills are generally subject to
change over time and place, which are
the basis of doing.

Values & Skills

Values on the other hand are the
internal motives and impulses,
feelings and emotions, behind every
external action.
They are the basis of either
becoming or not becoming.
Values are relatively constant,
compared to skills.

Universal Vs Local Values

HVs-kindness,
Gratitude,
Sincerity, Honesty,
Compassion,
Courage etc.
DVs- Greed, Envy,
Anger, Cruelty,
Hatred, Fault
finding, Fear etc.

A local value can be

either a pure local value
or varying modes of
practice of the Universal
value.
In India, a common social
value like greeting or
welcome is conveyed by
a NAMASKAR joining
together the two palms
on the chest. Hand
shaking is the mode in
the west.

Durable Vs Changing Values

Most of the
Universal values
are seen as
durable.

Most of the local

values are being
vanished slowly
from different
cultures and
religions.

Assignment I: List and write short

notes on at least five values in
each of the following areas.
Social
Moral
Intellectual
Family
Career

End of the Module 1