L01 Ethics or excellence? Conscience as a check on the unbalanced pursuit of organizational goals. Goodpaster, K.E. (2004).

Question 1

Three symptoms of the hazard:

Answer 1

Fixation, rationalization and detachment

Question 2

Teleopathy

Answer 2

The unbalanced pursuit of purpose in either individuals or organizations. This mindset or condition is a key stimulus to which ethics is a practical response. The principal symptoms of teleopathy are fixation, rationalization and detachment.

Question 3

Rationalization

Answer 3

They point out that behaviour is easily rationalized by subtle distortions of judgment stemming from our views of ourselves, others and the world around us.

Question 4

detachment

Answer 4

Obsessed with winning, the gamesman views all of his actions in terms of whether they will help him succeed in his career. The individual’s sense of identity, integrity and self-determination is lost as he treats himself as an object whose worth is determined by its fluctuating market value. Careerism demands (emotional) detachment.

Question 5

Convergence of the three symptoms

Answer 5

“These three symptoms – fixation or singleness of purpose under stress, rationalization and detachment – form a pattern. The kinship among these symptoms stems from the fact that they reinforce one another – in other words, fixation calls for rationalization, and the iteration of these two symptoms eventually leads to detachment. Together, these symptoms point to a syndrome that I call teleopathy.

Question 6

From fixation to perspective.

Answer 6

How do we avoid fixation without suppressing the virtues with which it can be confused (such as courage, determination and perseverance)? We must understand that the goals and objectives that we set for ourselves and our organizations are part of a larger mission, the common good. We need perspective. And perspective comes from habits of thoughtful reflection. Professional lives steeped in reflection are less vulnerable to fanaticism and misplaced devotion.

Question 7

From rationalization to frankness

Answer 7

Avoiding rationalization takes practice – practice in telling the truth when exaggeration or denial appear attractive. Accepting that hypocrisy is part of the human condition – individual and organizational – allows us to address the gaps between our walk and our talk. This kind of honesty comes alive in candid conversations with trusted friends and workplace colleagues. It is alive in organizations that encourage constructive cultural criticism rather than blind allegiance.

Question 8

From detachment to engagement

Answer 8

Avoiding what we have called detachment amounts to keeping the head and heart in healthy communication with one another. This can be achieved in two important ways.

(1) First, by emphasizing the mission of the company in human terms
(2) Second, by encouraging effective service to the community as a whole