TheParableoftheSadhu- assignment - Coursework Example

The Parable of the Sadhu Mr. McCoy and other members of the group decided not to be concerned about the sadhu, beyond a point. To elaborate further, all of them arrived at a decision to leave the almost unconscious sadhu to his fate, after providing him with clothing, food stuffs, etc. When the situation is viewed strictly from the perspective of ethics, it can be said that the group’s approach towards him (sadhu) was improper. Everyone chose to desert the sadhu and that too in the midst of adverse weather conditions and this is just unacceptable to an ethical mind.

But this is just one side of the interpretation, for the various other key factors also have to be considered. (1) All the members of the group were fully exhausted and still had to cover a fair amount of distance, at such a high altitude. Had they decided in favor of taking the sadhu along with them, their progress on that treacherous snowy path would have been hindered. Their very lives would have then been endangered. Perhaps, the most vital factor, based on which, the group’s decision cannot be totally termed as being an unethical one is attributable to a key fact.

Both McCoy and Stephen were vulnerable to altitude sickness, and in fact, the former already started to feel some of the symptoms, by the time the sadhu came into the picture. Overall, it (the decision) can be rated to be an intense dilemma related to ethical choice. (1) Owing to the decision of deserting the sadhu, the group went on to promptly finish their trek with minimal hassles. But that is just one side of the coin, and there indeed was something that can be described as a kind of loss, for the group.

All of them would have surely been bogged down by guilty feeling. As a matter of fact, McCoy himself admitted that the approach adopted towards the sadhu went on to prick his conscience, for a very long time. It is evident that the tranquility of the mind was severely disturbed, and this is tantamount to the loss resulting from the experience on the Himalayas. (1) 2) It has to be noted that there was no consensus amongst the group members, with regard to providing a concrete help to the sadhu.

All the trekkers were from diverse cultural backgrounds, and each viewed the situation from their personal perspective. Most importantly, the absence of a dynamic leader, who could have aptly guided the group in face of the dilemma, can be clearly seen. Except for Stephen, everyone else was reluctant to take the sadhu to the nearest village. The trekkers were concerned solely about their own well-being. (1) The situation can be compared with an organization that is not having any shared values and shared belief system.

In such an organization, each individual employee would endeavor only to keep themselves safe, when there is some crisis. Even when an employee is inclined to a particular course of action, they would be rendered helpless for lack of cooperation from other personnel. In these organizations, each employee is driven by an individualistic mindset. On the Himalayas, Stephen could not execute his noble intentions only because of lack of support and encouragement. And it needs to be highlighted that, during any adverse circumstances, it is only organizations with a good corporate culture of shared values that manage to survive. (1) 3) People who are recognized as leaders are expected to uphold the cultural values of both the business and also its employees.

It is the leader who shoulders the responsibility of properly interpreting the value system of the business, as well as aptly communicating the same to employees. They (leaders) are necessitated to arrive at right decisions when confronted with ambiguous and stressful situations. And the leaders just cannot afford to allocate too much time for deciding about the right thing to do. For, by doing so, the very existence of the corporate could get imperiled. It needs to be conceded that, while dealing with some specific issues, the leaders in organizations cannot avoid some risk, and they should be willing to face it.

Last but in no way the least, a business leader has to strive to bring about a balance between the commercial motive and business ethics. (1) Source 1) “The Parable of the Sadhu”, academia-research.com/filecache/instr/t/h/535943_the_parable_of_the_sadhu.pdf, Internet, Bowen H. McCoy, October 1983.