ethical values terminal and instrumental values appear in this case study

Question

Sipho Dlamini was born in a small rural village in Swaziland. He spent his childhood years looking after his family’s livestock. The community upheld high values, such as honesty and respect, but the people were desperately poor. He realized that he would have to go to South Africa and apply for a job at a gold mine.

As a young man he left his village in the mountains and took on the difficult job of getting to South Africa. He went in search of one of his distant family members who was working for a gold mine near Johannesburg. He managed to find his relative who was working as a personnel assistant. Sipho’s relative found him a job as a general mine worker plus accommodation at the mine hostel.

Sipho was dedicated to his new job and kept sending the majority of his wages to his family in Swaziland. One day, Sipho’s relative called him announcing that he did some efforts to recommend Sipho for a promotion. The relative who is working as a personnel assistant asked Sipho for paying him $500 for his “efforts”.

Sipho returned back to his room and battled in his mind that night with the options before him. Sipho had grown up with strong personal values that includes honesty and hard work which make him consider this promotion illegal but on the other hand his family needs the extra wage he will get of this promotion.

Next day, Sipho decided to accept the promotion and to pay his relative the required $500. Few days later Sipho got promoted but inside his mind he was regretting his decision.

Suddenly the auditors of the company discovered Sipho’s relative unethical and fraudulent behavior not only with Sipho but also with many other employees who have been promoted after paying huge bribes.

After the investigation, Sipho was found guilty and dismissed from the service of the company.

QUESTIONS: From your point of view,

1. Was it fair of the mine management to dismiss Sipho from service?.. Explain

2. What should Sipho have done differently?

3. Explain the difference between the terminal and instrumental values appear in this case study

4. As HR professional, how could you prevent having a conflict between the personal values

and ethical values at your organization?

Answer 1

1. From an ethical standpoint, it was fair for the mine management to dismiss Sipho from service because he had knowingly paid a bribe to his relative to secure a promotion. Bribery is an unethical practice that undermines the principles of fairness and meritocracy, and it goes against the values of honesty and integrity that the company and society uphold. Therefore, Sipho's actions were in breach of the company's code of conduct and could have undermined the reputation of the company if it had been exposed.
2. Sipho could have chosen not to pay the bribe and report his relative's unethical behavior to the appropriate authority, such as the HR department or the anti-corruption unit of the company. By doing so, Sipho could have upheld his personal values of honesty and integrity while also adhering to the ethical standards of the company. Alternatively, Sipho could have sought advice from a trusted mentor or counselor on how to navigate the ethical dilemma he faced.
3. Terminal values refer to end states or goals that a person desires to achieve, such as happiness, peace, freedom, or wisdom. In this case study, Sipho's terminal values appear to be supporting his family and achieving a better life for himself. Instrumental values, on the other hand, are means or behaviors that a person uses to achieve their terminal values, such as honesty, hard work, loyalty, or fairness. Sipho's instrumental values of honesty and hard work conflicted with his desire to achieve a promotion through bribery, which compromised his personal values and ethical standards.
4. As an HR professional, there are several ways to prevent conflicts between personal and ethical values in the organization. First, the company should establish a clear code of conduct that outlines the ethical standards and values that employees are expected to uphold. This code should be communicated effectively to all employees and enforced consistently. Second, the company should provide regular training and awareness programs on ethical behavior and the consequences of unethical conduct, including bribery and corruption. Third, the company should create an environment that encourages ethical behavior and reporting of unethical conduct by providing a safe and confidential reporting mechanism. Finally, the company should recognize and reward employees who uphold ethical values and report unethical behavior, while taking appropriate disciplinary action against those who violate the code of conduct.