Journal Entry # 2

Sessions 4 & 5 - June 2 & 4, 2014

For this week, we tackled two different concepts on CSRGOVE: Values and Ethical Dilemma. Our classroom activity for the topic Values was very memorable to me because I had to rank which of the values is most important to me up to the least important.  It was very difficult because all of the listed values seemed pretty important when one is pursuing the “ideal”.  I have never put that much thought about what the most important value is for me but after our activity in class, I realized that fulfilling “contentment” and “genuine happiness” tops my list.  And in pursuit of those two, I have also realized that giving great importance to my family becomes an unconscious act.     

On the other hand, tackling ethical dilemma reminded me that not everything that is “right” is automatically “ethical”. Just like how the saying, “just because something is legal does not mean it is also ethical”, goes. As a student majoring in the field of business, business ethics is definitely not something that is I am not yet familiar with.  I have had subjects where business ethics has already been discussed in-depth so having another lesson about it in CSRGOVE class honestly felt like a drag.  However, one line caught my attention during class: “no one cares, why should I?” We were talking about unreported misconducts then and I was able to relate to it when I heard that phrase the first time. And I confess that I am guilty of thinking that way sometimes. Because really, where would be the motivation to take an action when everybody else is not taking any? And more often than not, it is simply because I prefer not to get involved with a lot of issues so I tend to “not care” at all or in tagalog, “patay malisya”. I am not proud of it but I am only telling the truth. And frankly, I think a lot of people also do the same thing. Because most, if not all, choose to avoid problems and being involved with issues could lead to difficult situations.  However, having learned that not reporting misconduct just to avoid having problems made me realize how selfish act it was. And I am not happy that I have been selfish a couple of times myself. So at the end of the day, going through another lesson of business ethics wasn’t that much of a waste actually. Because I am now more aware of my actions and its consequences—the same with the actions I refrain to partake in and its own set consequences.