Introduction
Dollars for Justice
The study of human spirituality; ethics, conscience, belief systems have held a central interest in my reading and studies for decades. Your spiritual center has an Inner Voice that freely comments on your life throughout the day. It is an interesting exercise to record this voice on paper for analysis over a period of time. Virtually all theologies share their most central tenets which gives us pause to believe that our spiritual core is based on certain universal principles, despite varying evolutions or cultures.
It has become popular in modern texts to refer to ethics and man’s spirituality as “spiritual intelligence,” and in deference to those authors I shall substitute my vocabulary for theirs.
Every organization, like every human, develops its muscle (discipline) and culture and morale around a central core of ethics, whether explicitly discussed or not. After all, actions speak louder than words. Also like humans, organizations are helped a great deal by filtering their actions and policies through a spiritual prism, and to explicitly develop a spiritual core. If they do not, one will be provided for them.
It is also true that industries (like people), for various reasons, are characterized by distinct ethical canons. Common practices in one industry are often frowned on in others. Regulation, industry evolution, technology, market share dispersion, industry association strength, product or service characteristics and leadership are some of the variables which have an affect. I believe regulation, despite its costliness, has a spotty record because of the frequency with which it enables special interest questionable practice as opposed to making law for everyone.
Spiritual Intelligence (SI), like every muscle, can be exercised. Organizations, like humans, ignore the ethical implications of actions at their peril. There is no stronger starting fluid for gossip in an organization than a leader appearing unfair or taking advantage. Company policy and legal regulation is irrelevant. Likewise, a company officer who refrains from unethical behavior even though ‘entitled’ will also quickly generate quiet praise.
See subsequent articles in the series for more in-depth discussion of organizational and personal SI.
References
Image by svilen mushkatov at stock.xchng.
