Learning journal

Nadeeka Rathnayake

This article refers to the five of the lectures that I have learned during the Responsible
Enterprise course. The article reviews that what I have learned during the course and how it is
the applicability of the knowledge in real situations. 

Lecture 2
Giving voice to values (GVV)
GVV is a phenomenon that people experience in private and professional life. Sometimes 
people are reluctant to stand for their opinions.  However, it is important to consider the
consequences coming after telling stories or not telling stories. 
Sometimes people experience ethical dilemmas in taking decisions. In such situations, people
make decisions based on different grounds. Ex -outcomes, obligations reasons characters
descriptions, and possibilities. Most of the time people reluctant to GVV. However, the start
can be a microlevel and people and developed. In developing employee voice Hirschman’s
(1970) studies are very useful for the practitioners. He emphasizes that better try to change
the situation rather than escape. 
There are important facts has found with studies about GVV. 
One of the important findings is that giving a voice together is rather effective than giving a
voice alone. Therefore, it is better to create allies or join allies.  
Also, studies show that making effective and meaningful conversations and present in a
timely manner also an important fact that practitioners must concern. 
Assuming possible dilemmas and preparing for those in advance plays a considerable
important role in GVV. There are seven pillars that encourage GVV: namely 
Values, Choice, Normality, Purpose, Self-knowledge, Voice, and Rationalizations.

Responsibility and voice. 

studying about responsibility and voice is very important for the employees as well as the
manager and all practitioners. Corporate responsibility is deliberately taking part in the long-
term economic, social and environmental impact of the firm. Voice is that the 9capability of
convincing or expressing the ideas, values, and conversations with are important to the
firms /employees/society. etc… 
Employee voice and whistleblowing
Whistleblowing express that the action taking against illegal or harmful activities such as
violating human rights, pollution, etc…There are some facts that motivate whistle-blowers
such as the public interest, concern of the marginalized stakeholders, professional
responsibility, values, etc. 
However, some firms, managers, or responsible lead the firm to a silence model due to the
fear of negative feedback. and disagreement with the employees. Therefore, it is important to
know that which facts lead the firm to a silence model and the facts that are caused for the
climate of silence. 
In conclusion, the most important session of GVV is that focuses on how to develop the
voice. Therefore, that practitioners need to focus on more questions, use the own values,
considering story and bias, creating and joining allies, being empathetic, giving alternatives,
be aware and do research, being prepared in advance effectively. The Tale of the two-story
provides effective insights into GVV. In that expertise practitioners consider the
consequences coming after raising the voice and not raising a voice and analyse the effects of
each action.
Lecture 3 
Responsible decision-making, Rationalisations and Cognitive Biases
 Individuals can experience different situations within the organization or firm. Once
individuals experience frauds or conflicts, they face dilemmas in making decisions. 
Cognitive Biases
Cognitive bias means that individuals perceive facts that support his/her assumptions rather
than facts/Date in front of eyes (real facts). There are three main cognitive biases, namely
Information bias, social bias, and emotional bias. These cognitive biases lead individuals to
make wrong decisions or keep silent in dilemmas.
Information bias means that individuals looking for the shortcut of taking decisions fast with
the information. Nevertheless, those decisions can be wrong, illegal, and irrelevant.
Emotional bias leads individuals to make decisions based on emotions regardless of it leads
to right or wrong decisions. Social bias means that individuals’ decisions can be affected by
peers or colleagues. and forced to take wrong decisions. However, it is important to identify
how to overcome these biases. Being aware and getting knowledge individuals can avoid
cognitive bias which is led to make wrong decisions. Further, individuals can inquire, do
research, and analyse the potential biases. Diversity building, collaborating, and multi-
perspective taking plays important role in an individual’s decision-making ability to avoid
biases. Preparing in advance for potential biases and the potential dilemmas improv the skill
of taking appropriate and correct decisions. 
As practitioners, it is important to identify cognitive biases and focus on how to defuse them.
Within the firms, Individuals meet dilemmas due to the lack of enough skills to make the
right decision at right time. 
Moral Disengagement Theory. 
Moral Disengagement Theory helps practitioners to reflect their self. During the firms as well
as workplaces individuals justify the unethical/ wrong or illegal situations by thinking it
doesn’t harm anyone. Some individuals always pass the responsibility to others by saying ins
out of individuals responsibility. Further individuals morally justify the situations considering
the potential consequences of actions.
For example, once individuals identify shortcomings of the firms, they are reluctant to talk
about the matters considering that they will lose their job, it will be a waste of money to fix it,
etc. Most of the individuals in the firms tend to take bribes thinking it is not a bribe but a
“facilitation payment” (reframing). Further practitioners /individuals can experience that
organizations are acting irresponsibly considering they are not humans (dehumanization).
Also, firms pass the blame to the client (attribution of blame – they deserved it). Also, once
individuals play as a team, they think that revealing shortcomings is troublemaking to the
team(loyalty)
These are the real situations practitioners might face in their workplace or organization.  

Lecture 5: 
Workplace Bullying and The Responsible Enterprise
Workplace Bullying is a commonly experienced issue within organizations. Workplace
bullying means harassment that harms the well-being of workers. Individuals can be harassed
by the co-workers physically, emotionally as well as socially.  Most of the time bullying and
workplace abuse/harassment can be taken place regarding physical disabilities, ethnicity,
gender, or many more grounds. As practitioners, it is very important to make aware of the
nature of bullying, reasons for bullying within the firm/organization as well as the effect of
the bullying on the organization. 
Bullying is appeared within the organization as spreading rumours, social isolation, silent
treatment, verbal aggression, attacking an employee’s performance, attitudes, and private life,
undermining one’s professional status, or even physical violence. Bullying plays two roles
within the organization as direct/immediate bullying and indirect/context bullying.
Individuals can affect direct bullying with visible actions such as aggressive reactions and
verbal expressions. Further targeted person or group can be affected several times. indirect
bully is invisible or anonymous although behaviours made someone hurts, harms, or
humiliates. Individuals fail to identify indirect bullying at the first hand. They take time to
take it as a real experience. 
There are different reasons that can be courses for bullying within the organization. Possibly
individuals can be affected by the bullying regarding their ethnicity, physical disabilities,
gender, or sexuality. Nowadays in workplace/ organization or firm treated differently to the
individuals considering nationality. For example, foreigners in the organization can be
illustrated or not having enough opportunities to socialize with others. These are realistic and
practical situations as practitioners we might be experienced. Further social status also might
be caused to affect for bullying. For instance, regarding the dress code or the equipment used
to show the status (vehicles/mobile phone.) 
The bullying within the organization badly affects the organization’s performance. 
Individuals who might be affected by bullying can result in burnout, post-traumatic
stress disorder, anxiety, fatigue and paranoia, sleep difficulties, and consequently increased
job insecurity and intention to leave. It is a financial loss for the firm as well as harm to the
reputation of the organization. 
Since bullying is a commonly appearing practical issue in the organization practitioners (we)
need to carefully study bullying and how to respond to the bullying within the organization
with the perspective of team player as well as a manager. Therefore, responsible authorities
need to act against the bullying. It really needs to collect the information from the firm and be
aware of” what’s going on?” and made formal actions penalties against bullying. It can be
done by conducting frequent surveys and keep recording results for further reference. 
Moreover, is it important to be aware and made aware others about the anti-bullying laws and
acts. Discussing with co-workers and motivating them to inform bullying around them, is a
good way we should focus.  

Lecture 4
Sustainability & Responsible Enterprise
Sustainability and corporate social responsibility are commonly appearing concepts today in
different contexts.  However, sustainability can be defined as development that meet the
needs of the present without compromising the ability off future generations to meet their
own needs (Brundtland report, 1987, Our common future). Corporate social responsibility
can be defined as Enterprises should have a process in place to integrate social,
environmental, ethicalhuman rights and consumer concerns into their business operations and
core strategy (European Union, 2011 Sweden, 2013). However, both concepts focus on
society and welfare rather than only focusing on making financial profit. Corporate social
responsibility and sustainable development both come to action with the perspective of
Human rights, Working conditions, environment, anti-corruption, equality, diversity and
business Ethics. Therefore, different countries make different acts, and commitments
regarding the corporate social responsibility and sustainable development. Further it has
globally established 17 goals with 169 targets in order to lead organizations/countries to
sustainable development related to the economic, social and biosphere perspectives. In the
perspective of the biosphere, it is important to consider emitting greenhouse gases, and
contamination. In the perspective of society, it is needed to make sure a sustainable
organization for everyone. Ethical and moral values are highly valued in order to make
sustainability within the organization. Therefore, it is important.  So, the firm's/organization
or institutions need to practice individuals for GVV. Moral and ethical organisations lead the
co-worker’s satisfaction and satisfaction could -workers devote and contribute more. In terms
of economics the organization can earn profit with satisfied co-workers. Further in order to
ensure the economic growth along with the social and environmental impact it has suggested
a model/framework called Doughnut model Consolidative model and the natural step.
Circular economy 
By recycling materials, it can get financial profit and save the environment from harmful
substances. Therefore, firms/organizations must consider up-word cycling instead of down-
word cycling. Today Number of organisations are practicing sustainable development within
their existing organizations. In order to establish sustainable organization, it is necessary the
participation of every stakeholders and communication worker. The government plays a big
role as well. 
In a competitive society it is very important to focus on sustainable development and
corporate social responsibility.  So as prospect managers/practitioners it is really needed to
learn those concepts. 
 
Lecture 6 
Responsible Leadership
Leadership can be defined with different words in different contexts.  However, according to
Wikipedia, it is simply defined as a practical skill that encompasses the individual, group, or
organization's ability to "lead", influence, or guide other individuals, teams, or entire
organizations
As practitioners and prospect managers, studying leadership courses is important. Nowadays
there are several programs in order to build leadership qualities and offer knowledge of
leadership.  Leadership can be considered as a great key to organizational development. 
In order to be a good leader, it is important to have good character and virtues. Wisdom,
Courage, humanity, justice, temperance, transcendence are such good qualities individuals
must have in order to be a good leader. Virtue Based Model (VBO) of Ethical Decision
Making (EDM) is a model which encourages individuals to keep the balance of the
situational pressure with the Virtues, Values and Voice (traits) with the reflection, awareness,
judgement, intent and behaviour relationship. 
Leadership can be divided into two forms. One form is transactional leadership where the
leaders identify the others needs and make well structured organization.  In return the leader
and organisations can get a good contribution from subordinates. The other form of
leadership is transformational leadership where the subordinate's wishes come first than the
own wishes. Their leadership is proactive and innovative. 
In order to move from transactional leadership to transformational leadership it needs to
move from knowledge to wisdom. 
PETER KOESTENBAUM has emphasized that humanity, ethics and values can generate
money and it can be further explained as a self-selling. 
The Leadership Diamond is a model that is proposed by PETER KOESTENBAUM, which
shows facts such as ethics, reality, courage and vision that leads to personal/individual
greatness.  When each fact (ethics, reality, courage and vision) expands the diamond gets
expanded and leads to expanded individual greatness). According to KOESTENBAUM
humanity (individuals’ greatness) generates cash. Therefore, it is good to have an expanded
diamond.
There are different stages of sustainable leadership.  The Lowest stage is the rejecting stage
that there is no sustainable leadership. The next stage is the avoidance stage where
sustainability is ignored.  The third stage is complaint, where sustainability needs to take out
with a force. The next stage is efficient, and, in that stage, sustainability is considered as a
business matter. The fifth stage is the strategic stage where CSR comes to action in the
organization.  The higher sustainability is in the sixth stage namely the sustaining stage. 
Their whole organization injects sustainability to all levels. 
In conclusion all the above topics and studies are practical and appear in day today life at
organizations. All the concepts and topics are concrete and give a good and practical
assistance to the students (us) to sustain as successful prospect leaders/managers/team player