Imagine a boardroom full of people of different religious faiths – some agnostic, some Christian, some Hindu and so on. The board is attempting to reach a critical decision regarding an initiative which would potentially save the company. However, some of the Christians are having a hard time voting positively on it, because it would violate some of their own religious beliefs and ethics. This is a dilemma that requires the exploration of religion and ethics, and how they tie into working with organizations.
In religion, there is always an ethical component, and vice versa. “For many people, ethics is not only tied up with religion, but is completely settled by it. Such people do not need to think too much about ethics, because there is an authoritative code of instructions, a handbook of how to live” (Blackburn, p. 9). In essence, religion and its relationship with ethics can be extremely intricate and interweaved; people often have a religious and faith-based basis for their own code of conduct.
When discussing how religion and ethics play a part in organizations, it is important to understand people’s beliefs. Obviously, ethics must be maintained regardless of their source, but many derive their sense of right and wrong based on their faith. There are some issues that crop up because of this; some people’s ethics may vary, particularly when you are dealing with others who do not have the same set of ethics you do. This disparity in ethics can become a problem; it is up to the parties involved to resolve it and come up with a shared, universal set of ethics that extends through all people in an organization.
Religion and ethics is a very important role in an organization. Ethics are the means by which we gauge our actions, and are the secret to running a fair and equitable organization; religion is merely one source by which we gain them. However, once one’s religious ethics are established, it can be troublesome to change them, particularly when they do not gel with those shared by the majority of others in the organization, or if they clash with their mission statement. These people can often believe that “without God, ethics is impossible” (LaFave, 2011). What’s more, this is an advantage, as it makes an individual much less reticent to sacrifice their own beliefs or shift it; if they coincide with the beliefs of the organization, they can prove to be a valuable asset (Doomen, 2009).
In conclusion, religion and ethics, while capable of being separate entities, are often strengthened by their combination. It is important to figure out “a way to establish common ground” between religious and secular ethics, especially in the case of organizations, where people of different faiths have to work together (Donahue, 2006). The only way in which members of organizations with religious-based ethics can work together is to recognize the basic sense of right and wrong that they all share, and work their way up from there, allowing compromise to be reached on some of the stickier issues (Torre, 2004). Communication is the best way to reconcile religion and ethics within organizations.
References
Blackburn, S. (2003). Ethics: a very short introduction. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Donahue, J. A. (2006). Does Ethics Require Religion?. Greater Good: The Science of a Meaningful Life. Retrieved July 7, 2011, from http://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/does_ethics_require_religion/
Doomen, J. (2009). Religion's Appeal. Quodlibet Journal, 8. Retrieved July 7, 2011, from http://www.quodlibet.net/articles/doomen-appeal.shtml
LaFave, S. (2011). Ethics and Religion. West Valley College. Retrieved July 7, 2011, from http://instruct.westvalley.edu/lafave/religion.htm
Torre, M. A. (2004). Doing Christian ethics from the margins . Maryknoll, N.Y.: Orbis Books.
