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Viktor Frankl (1905–1995) once said: “Everything can be taken from a man but one thing; the last of the human freedoms—to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way.” Dr. Viktor Frankl was a Jewish Austrian neurologist and psychologist who survived the concentration
camps during World War II. Frankl had his opinion on human freedom. Respond to the following questions:
Explain whether you agree with Frankl’s opinion that it is important for a person to have the freedom to choose one’s attitude in a given set of circumstances
and to choose one’s own way.
Describe a personal example in a business setting that supports your explanation. For instance, you might want to discuss how people deal with edicts from
“on high” in a given organization vs. situations where employees have a voice in the decision making process.
To what extent you believe that freedom or the right to choose is important from an ethical perspective and how does this choice impact business success?
How might one’s culture influence his/her attitude toward a decision?
I agree with Dr. Frankl’s opinion that it is important for a person to have the freedom to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances and to choose one’s own way (Frankl, 1995). Having the ability to make decisions autonomously, rather than having them dictated from higher authorities, allows individuals the opportunity to exercise their autonomy, control over their lives and creativity which can ultimately lead to better outcomes.
A personal example from a business setting that supports this idea is when employees are encouraged and allowed to come up with innovative solutions on their own or collaborate with colleagues on projects without needing approval from higher-ups (Khan & Iqbal, 2016). This kind of autonomy provides opportunities for employees’ self-expression and encourages collaboration as well as job satisfaction which can result in better productivity levels within an organization leading successful outcomes.
From an ethical perspective, I believe that having the right to choice is essential as it gives individuals the opportunity to reflect on their values and beliefs when making decisions so they don’t cross moral boundaries (Mayer & Salovey, 1993). Furthermore, allowing employees autonomy also helps build trust among colleagues within an organization which can foster communication between departments leading improved decision making processes that result in shared successes in achieving organizational goals (Khan & Iqbal 2016).
As far as culture is concerned, attitudes towards decisions may vary depending on where someone grew up or what kind of environment they were exposed to growing up (Shamir et al., 2005). For instance, people who lived under oppressive regimes may view certain decisions differently than those who grew up with more freedom because they know first hand how much difference choice can make in life outcomes. Therefore it’s important for businesses today understand cultural differences when making decisions so they don’t lose out on potential customers or alienate current ones due moral choices made by the company (Dunn et al., 2017).
References:
Dunn III J., Dunn G., Foldes HJ. 2017. Business Ethics: A Cross Cultural Perspective – ResearchGate Available at: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/320827785_Business_Ethics_A_Cross-Cultural_Perspective?enrichId=rgreq-6592a2eaf4620189554c1f7ca23d9025-XXX&enrichSource=Y292ZXJQYWdlOzMyMDgyNzc4NTtBUzo3ODU5NDk2MjAxMDQxNUEmcGFnZT0w&el=1_x_3&_esc=publicationCoverPdf [Accessed April 27th 2019]. Khan P., Iqbal MZ . 2016 . Human Resource Management Practices and Organizational Performance – Evidence From Service Sector Of Pakistan – International Journal of Business And Social Science Available at : http://ijbssnet.com/journals/Vol._7_No._12%2C_December_2016/45%20Human%20Resource%20Management %20Practices%20and%20Organizational %20PerformanceEvidence% 20From% 20Service %20Sector %20Of%.pdf [Accessed April 27th 2019]. Mayer JD.. Salovey P.. 1993 . The intelligence of emotional intelligence– New York Times Sunday Magazine Available At: https://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:-h6slGwhiFoJ:[https://www.nytimes com/books /9780684834057 /excerpt]-intelligence -emotional -intelligence -psychology&hl=sv&ct=clnk&gl =se[ Accessed April 28th 2019] Shamir B , Erez M , Breinin E , Popper M . 2005 . The nature of managerial work orientations : Whence innovation ? Academy Of Management Journal 48(5) : 763−781