According to Sylvester (1995),
emotions affect how and what we learn or think.
How we feel, affect how we think, resulting in behaviours which may be
positive or negative depending on how we feel and think. Thus, emotions, thoughts and behaviours are
all interconnected. Mayer and Salovey (2001) consider these relationships provide a foundation for
our learning. For example, if we don’t
like someone because we are threatened by the questions she raised, there is a
tendency that we may exclude her in our company by giving her early retirement or even be prejudiced against
her. The innocent by-stander or third
person who may be listening to all these prejudices may need to ask themselves
questions so that they do not do a disservice to the innocent other party who
is discredited.
This blog will raise various scenarios which many in today’s so-called
advanced and highly sophisticated society are capable of doing. In this highly achievement oriented
environment, there is a tendency that we may be seen as civilly and amiably
dressed but our behavior may be liken to one living in an uncivilized
environment. The difference is that we
use creative, devious means to reap our wants to gain control of our
environment. So, it is timely that this blog
is generated to be our conscience to promote better social emotional
competencies and the right values in us.According to Lawrence Kohlberg’s Theory of Moral Development, there are three levels of morality that guides our moral behavior. He identified the family as the first source of values and moral development for the individual. Woolfolk (1993) found that as one matures so does one’s patterns of moral behavior as one may be influenced by one’s environmental circumstances. Kohlberg highlights the six stages of moral development as follows:
Level
1. Preconventional Morality
Stage 1: Obedience and Punishment Orientation – Our
obedience to rules is to avoid punishment Stage 2: Individualism and Exchange – Actions based on “What’s in it for me?”
Level 2. Conventional Morality
Stage 3: Interpersonal Relationships – Actions based on how we are perceived by those in authority
Stage 4: Maintaining Social Order – Actions based on law and order orientation
Level 3: Postconventional Morality
Stage 5: Social Contract and individual Rights – Actions based on societal rules.
Stage 6: Universal Principles – Actions based upon universal ethical principles
AT THE WORKPLACE
Scenario 1 Moles to Discredit
Ms Aw is an outspoken lady. She has a personality that is liken to an
“open book” as she is a confident, young lady who speaks her mind. Often you can catch her raising ethical
questions with her boss in her department.
Her boss has been found to have favorites in the department. Those who can tow her line are likely to be
promoted. On one occasion, someone
who doesn’t deserve the promotion was given a promotion at the unhappiness of
many others to the extent that some colleagues have left the organization. On another occasion, some others are poorly rated during appraisal because they don't share the views of their boss even though they were active researchers and have published extensively. Her boss
felt threatened by Ms Aw’s constant questionings at meetings and would like her to leave. Moles were planted in Ms Aw’s classroom to
disfavour her. Ms Aw was indeed
discredited regarding her teaching to make her look inefficient. Work goes on as usual with her boss displaying the caring and concern boss in the eyes of her authorities.
1. What values do the following hold: Ms Aw? Her Boss? Her boss’ favourites?
The
authorities who oversees Ms Aw’s boss? The
moles in the classroom?
2. Should
Ms Aw restrain her values and outspokenness to safeguard her job? If yes/no, explain.
3. What
should the boss’s favourites do to ensure that they earn their promotions?
4. What
should the moles do to ensure that their actions are honorable?
5. What
can the authorities do to ensure that there are safety nets for their
subordinates?
6. What
should the boss do to honour her position?
Scenario 2 Should a Contract be Honoured?
Mr Beh’s 30 year old son, Eric, applied
for a highly prestigious scholarship to a well-known university to do his area
of specialization in the medical field.
The scholarship will entitled Eric to pursue his area of specialisation
with a promise of a tenure job offer in the university as well. In March, Eric received a letter stating that
he is among the top few selected for this scholarship. In June, Eric received
another letter congratulating him with the scholarship together with a promise
of a tenure job offer on completion of his specialization area. However, after a
year’s of specialization to obtain his certificate, Eric was rudely shocked to
discover that the Head of the Human Resource Department (HRD) told him that
they had given him the wrong letter. He
was only meant to have the scholarship without the tenure offer of a job. However, if he persisted to pursue the
matter, his staff who was handling the matter may be sacked. Eric complied to the situation because he was
more worried that he may caused someone to lose her job without even being
aware that he would lose his tenure contract and that the matter is legally
binding. In subsequent months, when he
shared the matter with his friends, he was informed that the university should
honour the matter as the letter is legally binding and has been over a
year. When poor Eric raised the issue
with the university again, a representative from the university told him off
that he may be an eyesore to his colleagues if he continued with the
matter. Subsequently, those involved in
this case were unhappy with Eric and tended to ostracized him.
1. What
values do the university, Head/HRD, the representative from the senior
management and Eric
possessed?
2. What
should the university have done to honour the letter?
3. Was
it professional to use emotional blackmail (e.g. a staff will be sacked) to
persuade Eric to return the
letter? If
yes / no, explain.
4. Was
it professional for the representative from the senior management to also use
emotional blackmail
(e.g. he was told off that he may be an eyesore to his
colleagues if he continued with the matter).
If yes or
no, explain.
5.
How can the government (e.g. the Ministry of
Manpower) or relevant authorities (e.g. University Council)
prevent staff like Eric
from being disadvantaged in this situation as there is no union to assist
university
staff?
Scenario 3 The World’s A Stage!
Ms Chia is an “I’
personality. She is very eloquent and
has the gift of the gap. She is also
able to impressed those in authority by dicing and mincing her words so
beautifully that even the corpse may be raised back to life. Indeed, she is able to perform well and
impressed her leaders and even flattered them with expensive gifts during
festive occasions. However, within her
department, she is often found to skive and not meet her deadlines. She will indicate that she hoped to complete
the task by a given deadline but will not keep her deadline until the task had
to be assigned to someone else. To make
matters worst, she even got a promotion.
1. What can we learnt from the scenario?
2. What values does Ms Chia and her leaders have?
2. What values does Ms Chia and her leaders have?
3. What
signals will this scenario sent out to hardworking staff in her department?
4. What
can leaders do to ensure objectivity in their appraisal?
5. How
can Ms Chia be guided in her work?
6. What
can Ms Chia do to honour her promotion?
7. What
can the organization do during appraisal time to prevent people like Ms Chia to
escape through the
net?
IN THE CLASSROOM
Scenario 4 Beware of Others’ Perceptions
It is the beginning of Semester
1. Mr Tan was briefed by his colleague,
Ms Eni that John is a difficult student.
He has relationship problems and tends to bully others. He is a fast worker and has such hates to
work in a team. Before Mr Tan stepped
into his new class, he took pains to read each student’s personal records. He found John to be a great organizer who has
much leadership potential until recently.
Mr Tan was puzzled. On further
checking John’s record, he found that John had complained to the principal
about Ms Eni’s unfair treatment in class, resulting in a confrontation with
John in the principal’s office. Mr Tan
felt that it was only fair to observe John in class to see if Ms Eni’s
perceptions of John was real. Mr Tan observed
that even his classmates would interpret their conversation with John in a bad
light e.g. he shouts at them etc. even though it was a mere simple
conversation. Mr Tan was quite alarmed
at such behaviours of John’s classmates.
Mr Tan questioned John’s classmates about their reactions to John only
to discover that he was disliked by Ms Eni and that Ms Eni even told the class
that John was bad. Mr Tan was
disappointed at Ms Eni’s behavior and encouraged John to work with his
team-mates. Slowly, John’s team-mates
accepted John and he was found to be no trouble at all in class. Mr Tan is sad that Ms Eni had actually
attempted to influence the class as well as him against John.
1. What
can we say about the two teachers, Mr Tan and Ms Eni regarding their
professionalism?
2. What
must a new teacher do to ensure that they are not influenced by others especially
on their perception of a student?
3. What
can Ms Eni do to act more professionally?
4. What
should John’s classmates do to ensure that they do not take sides with those in
authority (in this case, Ms Eni) and act fairly and responsibly to John?
5. What
can we learn as teachers in this scenario?
IN THE HOME
Scenario 5 Unrealistic Expectations
Grace is an only child. She is introverted in nature and lacks
confidence as she has been cared since young by maids. Furthermore, her family is highly protective
of her. At P3, she was still unable to
tie her shoelace. As a teenager, she was
encouraged to socialize more with her maid than her peers as her parents fear
that she may meet with the wrong company.
At 25, she was still unsure what career path she should take as she has
no clue regarding her strengths. Her
mother is keen that became a teacher as there may be an opportunity for her to
work in her aunty’s tuition centre.
Grace seems to plod on aimlessly following her parents’ plans for her. She lacks the motivation to persevere in
anything given to her. Recently, she has
completed her teaching course yet she finds no satisfaction in teaching. She is
thinking of changing jobs as teaching seems stressful. She tends to resort to blaming her parents
rather than take personal control of her life.
1. How
can we help both Grace and her parents?
2. What
values must Grace and her parents develop?
3. If
Grace is your child at P3, what would you have done?
4. If
Grace is your child in her teen years, what could you have done?
5. How
can we empower our youths today to recognize their strengths and build their
confidence?
6. How
can we encourage Grace to take ownership of her life?
Scenario 6 Living My Parents' Dreams
Mr Wee has been successful in his business and wishes that his son, Jack would take over his business. Jack is interested in medicine and has difficulty relating to business concepts. However, he doesn't want to disobey or disappoint his dad. He struggles to meet the expectations of his dad.
1. What are the values of Mr Wee and Jack?
2. How are the interest of Mr Wee related to Jack's interest and academic capabilities?
3. What are the likely consequences of fulfilling the dream's of others when our interest is
contradictory to them?
4. What can parents do to ensure that their children's interest relate well to their career
aspirations?
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