Application of Ethical Teaching to One Dilemma(WORK ETHIC) in the News

Write a five-paragraph application exercise, following the guidelines attached. Be sure that the introductory paragraph briefly restates the (a) and (b) options of your Dilemma in the News. Be sure that you have “paraphrased” (not re-quoted) the ethical teachings of the Summary that you selected; be sure that you have labeled three body paragraphs 1, 2, 3 where you apply the three teachings from your summary. And be sure that the last sentence in each of the last four paragraphs clearly states what is to be done, (a) or (b).  

An Ethical Dilemma in the News

            Do you want to get in the habit of knowing people are lying to you? You would think when talking to someone, they are more likely to be genuine than dishonest. This is shifting in the business culture where more companies are encouraging their employees to have a fake identity when doing business. This discussion will be discussing the dilemma of whether it is ethical for businesses to conduct business with fake identities and be dishonest to their consumers. This would be considered a we dilemma for it is affecting the ultimate consumers in the United States.
            From the New York Times, on October 19th, discusses the article Is It Ok for My Boss to Use a Fake Identity with Customers?, whether it should be a normal thing in the business world to protect employees identities and use a made-up one when on the job. So how sketchy is your bosss behavior? Is it worse than when Rahul at your banks Bengaluru call center identifies himself to you as Randy? (Appiah) We have been taught all throughout the time that lying is wrong. Even though giving a fake name to people is not a crime or putting anyone in the harm it still brings a dilemma of whether this is okay or not.
             Option A of action is for us (the consumers in America) to be okay with the idea of companies masking employees identities. For a benefit to this, it does provide a safety net for example if a customer was to give the employee a bad review or report them. They can protect themselves along with the companys reputation. A point given in the article was, the example of Rahul from the banks Bengalurus call center being disguised as Randy. The idea is not to be dishonest to customers about who they are talking to, but to deflect them from thinking about where he is and instead be more focused on the objective of the phone call. Conflicting this business strategy, we should ask ourselves, is it right to open a conversation with a lie? The first thing usually stated when greeting someone is their name and if that is not even true, how truthful will the rest of the phone call be?
           Option B of action is whether we should not socially accept the companys lying to us. A benefit of this is it is morally correct to be truthful to people. There are other ways of going without employees revealing personal information. For example, simply not revealing their name to the customer for security reasons. It is when it is making up a pretend identity it is committing an unethical act. Not only that the article it mentions that if a boss were to do this in a business, but it also sets an example to the colleagues. It plants a seed of distrust in the colleagues and interferes with the companys atmosphere. Countering this, if the whole company were to be instructed to give false identities, then this could be a successful strategy. In relation to this, my brother was hired as a consultant in a firm in Houston, and in his first week, he was already instructed to invent a fake name.
           Overall, it is safe to say that there is no right or wrong answer but a single approach to take in this. These actions of giving false identities are already taking place in many industries. It is morally correct, to be honest, and gives people the act of loyalty and trust, however, it is a good strategy to have from the business perspective.

Summary of Ethical Teachings

        The purpose of this paper is to summarize “Letter 53: An order to Malik Al-Ashtar,” written by Imam Muhammad ibn Abi Bakr when his reign was uncertain and on the verge of collapse. Imam Bakr shared his wisdom with the newly appointed Governor of Egypt by emphasizing what to avoid, what to do, and how to manage the new position. Imam Bakr’s words have a far-reaching effect as they not only advise the new governor but can be applied to people’s daily lives. Most importantly, the sayings are crucial for today’s leaders. Imam Bakr insists on various vital aspects of leadership, but the most dominant is to obey Allah, to control personal passions and heart desires, and not to act quickly when angry.
          In the introductory part of the letter, Imam Bakr asserted that he was Allah’s servant and ordered Al-Ashtar to obey Him and follow His commands as outlined in the Holy book submissively. Imam Bakr ordered the incoming Governor of Egypt to “fear Allah, to prefer obedience to Him, and to follow what He has commanded in His Book (Qur’an) out of His obligatory and elective commands, without following which one cannot achieve virtue, nor (can one) be evil save by opposing them and ignoring them.” Here, the speaker wants the leader not to be selective on what commands to follow and ignore as that would amount to disobedience to Allah. The governor should always glorify Allah with his tongue and actions because He is the source of protection and support. Allah helps those who obey, worship, and help Him.
          Additionally, Imam Bakr reminds the new Governor of Egypt of the importance of controlling one’s passions, primarily for a leader. Imam beseeched him, saying, “control your passions and check your heart from doing what is not lawful for you, because checking the heart means detaining it just halfway between what it likes and dislikes.” The Imam understands that the source of evil is an individual’s heart desires and the inability to control the urges. Given that the person in question has power, uncontrolled passions can lead him to misuse his authority by mistreating the subjects. As a result, the leader would lose his reputation and favor from Allah. Hence having unmatched self-control is an essential qualification for being the best ruler.
          Lastly, Imam Bakr warns Al-Ashtar against taking rapid actions while angry. The Imam insists that “Do not act hastily during anger if you can find a way out of it.” Here, the speaker warns the ruler about the harmful effects of anger. Having been a ruler himself, the speaker understands how anger blinds an individual. Once anger takes over an individual, chances are high he can misuse his authority. The subjects would suffer when in reality, there was a better way of solving issues. Thus, anger leads to confusion, weakens religion, and causes ruins.
          Overall, “Letter 53: An order to Malik Al-Ashtar” is sincere advice from Imam Bakr to Al-Ashtar, Governor of Egypt, on being an effective and good leader. Imam Bakr reminds the new leader of the importance of obeying Allah, controlling personal desires, and refraining from acting during anger. The sayings carry significant lessons not only to the new governor but everyone, especially current leaders. Imam Bakr’s wisdom applies to everyday life.