View on egoism
Among the three types of egoism, psychological, ethical, and rational, psychological egoism is the most widespread. Egoism, in general, is about satisfying self-interests. However, psychological egoism broadly includes all human activities that pivot on self-benefit. Ethical egoism is often referred to as a normative theory and is recalled as a type of egoism that gratifies others' favors and self. Rational egoism discusses that promoting one's interests is always based on a particular reason. Unlike ethical and rational egoisms that partially consider other parties' benefits, psychological egoism is all about a person's actions, behaviors, or decisions motivated by self-interest.
From an ethical viewpoint, egoistic behavior is flawed and contradicts moral standards. The practice of ethics is regarding broadening individuals' perspectives, enhancing human analytical thinking, and enabling them to act and make decisions that favor everyone, not only the self. Therefore, egoism is not an ethical practice since it mainly revolves around self-interests as the foundation of morality, leading to ignorance of others' welfare and selfishness.
How does the ego get in the way of ethical decisions in the workplace?
Egoism is toxic to the workplace. Ego obscures individuals from non-biased observations and comprehension. Egocentric views are far from reality since they are validated by one's own logic that can be different from the truth. As mentioned above, egoism often leads to selfishness and prevents individuals from critical thinking, which is essential for having a productive workplace. Egocentric individuals often don't listen to others' suggestions and critical feedback since they find their own ideas more beneficial - not for the entire system, mainly for that particular individual. Egoism is the essence of over-estimating own capacities and underestimating others' capabilities.
All these adversities prevent managers, or any authority in the workplace, from connecting with others, hearing their opinions, seeing their efforts, providing team members with opportunities, establishing trust, and increasing productivity, which collectively dooms an operation.
Should leaders get benefits others do not receive?
The answer is no. It is critical for a business willing to succeed to establish an environment where everyone, from a line-level employee to an executive, feels equal. The only benefit that managers should receive is a higher remuneration than their employees, which is to compensate for extra workload and responsibility. Other types of additional benefits would cause resentment within the workforce. For instance, proving company-owned vehicles to executive-level employees for personal use. If the fact were due to accomplishing the company's tasks, that would be different. But, because the benefit satisfies an individual's personal need, it becomes an issue.
How could leaders be better rewarded for promoting ethical behavior?
In order for managers to promote ethical b
ehavior, they need to be role models and be more visible. Employees follow their top managers to find out what behavior is acceptable to them as the company's representatives. "Senior management sets the tone for ethics in the workplace" ("Managing Ethics in the Workplace," 2019). Managers should explicitly communicate ethical expectations and eliminate vague signals and gray areas in understanding ethical codes. An organization's moral standards play a significant role in reducing ethical ambiguities. Ethical codes communicate a firm's immediate values and the moral standards that workers are expected to follow. It is substantial that leaders follow the same principles. Codes of ethics become worthless if employees observe their managers' failure to comply with the ethical regulations of the company. Furthermore, it is beneficial for its leaders if they visibly reward righteous acts and punish unethical practices. Rigidly enforcing this policy offers positive effects on the teams' performance.
"Managing Ethics in the Workplace | Alvernia University Online." Alvernia Online, 20 Feb. 2019, online.alvernia.edu/articles/ethics-in-the-workplace/.
Lafollette, H. (2007). The practice of ethics. Blackwell.
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