Corporations have had to deal with all sorts of new situations with their employees over the past few decades, for instance they cannot discriminate because of race, religion, ethnicity or age. More recently, they cannot take a person's sexual orientation into account, nor can they discriminate because of a disability. "Whistleblowers" are protected by law. Ramadan has become an issue in many places.
It is my hope that a new peculiarity arises which employers are forced to respect. Let me lead into it with this analysis; corporate America, in general, has fallen into a "profits are the only thing that matters" mentality. The officers of these corporations have purposely distanced themselves from everyone below them in that they set their goals at the beginning of the year and nothing, 'come hell or high water' is an excuse for not achieving them. The vice-presidents below them are given the task of accomplishing this. Managers in the various locations know that their jobs are on the line. Supervisors and first line foreman, who at one time had much wider authority...and goals that also included concerns for the general welfare of those below them...have been relegated to being disciplinarians. The employees, who played a great part in building the company, are now mere numbers. Safety remains important because it has monetary implications but the mental and physical health of the employee is only given lip service.
Unions, in far too many cases, have jettisoned any concern for the health of the nation and are on a sole quest for getting "what they deserve." The law profession, well you have heard the jokes, have tunnel vision for winning cases irrespective of what implications they might have to other humans. Higher education has a political agenda and politics, well just read the daily paper. The entertainment industry is oblivious to the concept that movies have to become more and more outrageous. Finally, journalism has lost much of the sense of purpose in informing the public in order to have a well informed citizenry. This has been the general trend for some time as I see it.
All these things result from the abandonment of ethics as a necessary ingredient in keeping a free society. I am not saying this as an ethical person that decries the unethical conduct of others. Rather, I am placing myself firmly in the middle of a society that must change in this area or see total collapse. Who, or what, is to blame for bringing this about? I have ideas, others probably have ideas but the "blame game" will only put off the inevitable. I am hoping for a day, and soon, when there are so many people that are questioning ethical lapses in our workplace that corporations are forced to deal with them with respect. This financial crisis hopefully has shown many of us that accumulating money, as if it alone could insulate us from the hazards of an increasingly troublesome world, is chasing an elusive and gilded dream.
I would like to recommend a movie that can be rented for some cold and snowy winter evening, it's THE WINSLOW BOY, a David Mamet film made about five or six years ago. It takes place in London as the Victorian Age has come to a close. Based on a real story, it concerns a father and son, honor, the law, society and a tinge of romance.
It is my hope that a new peculiarity arises which employers are forced to respect. Let me lead into it with this analysis; corporate America, in general, has fallen into a "profits are the only thing that matters" mentality. The officers of these corporations have purposely distanced themselves from everyone below them in that they set their goals at the beginning of the year and nothing, 'come hell or high water' is an excuse for not achieving them. The vice-presidents below them are given the task of accomplishing this. Managers in the various locations know that their jobs are on the line. Supervisors and first line foreman, who at one time had much wider authority...and goals that also included concerns for the general welfare of those below them...have been relegated to being disciplinarians. The employees, who played a great part in building the company, are now mere numbers. Safety remains important because it has monetary implications but the mental and physical health of the employee is only given lip service.
Unions, in far too many cases, have jettisoned any concern for the health of the nation and are on a sole quest for getting "what they deserve." The law profession, well you have heard the jokes, have tunnel vision for winning cases irrespective of what implications they might have to other humans. Higher education has a political agenda and politics, well just read the daily paper. The entertainment industry is oblivious to the concept that movies have to become more and more outrageous. Finally, journalism has lost much of the sense of purpose in informing the public in order to have a well informed citizenry. This has been the general trend for some time as I see it.
All these things result from the abandonment of ethics as a necessary ingredient in keeping a free society. I am not saying this as an ethical person that decries the unethical conduct of others. Rather, I am placing myself firmly in the middle of a society that must change in this area or see total collapse. Who, or what, is to blame for bringing this about? I have ideas, others probably have ideas but the "blame game" will only put off the inevitable. I am hoping for a day, and soon, when there are so many people that are questioning ethical lapses in our workplace that corporations are forced to deal with them with respect. This financial crisis hopefully has shown many of us that accumulating money, as if it alone could insulate us from the hazards of an increasingly troublesome world, is chasing an elusive and gilded dream.
I would like to recommend a movie that can be rented for some cold and snowy winter evening, it's THE WINSLOW BOY, a David Mamet film made about five or six years ago. It takes place in London as the Victorian Age has come to a close. Based on a real story, it concerns a father and son, honor, the law, society and a tinge of romance.
