A634.7.4.RB.MelissaBurns

Module 7 Reflection Blog
Explore both forms of egoism discussed in Chapter 18 (LaFollette, 2007) and answer the following questions in your post:
1.    What is your view on egoism?
2.    How do you see ego getting in the way of ethical decisions in the workplace?
3.    Should leaders get benefits others do not receive? 
4.    How could leaders be better rewarded to promote ethical behavior?
Egoism comes in two forms, psychological and moral (LaFollette, 2007).  Psychological egoism is defined as, “the theory that everyone’s actions are always and completely self-interested (LaFollette, 2007).”  Moral egoism is the view that, “although people might be able to satisfy significant moral demands, they should not be required to do so (LaFollette, 2007).  One form of moral egoism is ethical egoism, “the claim that people ought to always and only act to promote their own self-interests (LaFollette, 2007).  
      When considering ethical egoism, I have experienced this mostly with people who are wealthy and have the ability and means to make decisions to promote their own self-interest.  There are plenty of millionaires and billionaires out there whom I would not classify as egocentric and who use their wealth and position to make the world a better place though selfless acts and decisions.  This, however, has not been my experience with everyone.  I have met and befriended several people in their 20s and 30s who have been put into a position of great wealth and position.  I have found that when it benefits them to be my friend, they are one of the truest and most generous friends that I have ever had. On the other hand, when it benefitted them to make decisions that were very selfish and hurt those closest to them, they did not hesitate and even supported their decision based on their claim that they have the right to make decisions that best benefit themselves.  It is interesting reading the definition of ethical egoism and recognizing it in these elitists born of privilege as I did not know to recognize it as this at the time.  Out of respect I will not give specific examples, but I feel that this form of egoism comes from a place of privilege and wealth that allows a person to hold such beliefs.  This is one reason that I believe so many prophets reject the temptations of wealth and power and privilege.  
      Both Buddha and Freud identified “the untrammeled ego as the limiting factor to our well-being (Epstein, 2018)”.  In the same way that these privileged individuals have a myopic view on the world and make egocentric decisions, a person in a management position could hold a similar sense of self-entitlement if kept unchecked.  If leaders and those in positions of management are given benefits that others do not receive, this will add to that feeling of entitlement and being above the fold.  The more equal employees feel treated across the board, the more empowered they will feel to be leaders themselves and to strive to do their best job possible.  I do not believe that it is a good idea to separate out individuals by giving them benefits that other employees do not receive. This sort of favoritism could lead to resentment among employees and degrade working relationships and negatively impact a company’s corporate culture.  By making managers or certain leaders feel better than those that they are working with, they may feel that they do not have to adhere to the same set of rules, ethics or standards that they hold others to.  This is a dangerous precedent to set and perhaps other, more fair forms of reward or incentive practices could be established.  
Recognitions for outstanding performance or for most improved new employee are great ways to encourage employees at all levels to work to stand out.  Rather than creating a larger rift between management and employees, why not encourage everyone to strive to achieve their best performance with the chance of company wide recognition through a certificate or award.  Perhaps extra vacation days, a bonus or being part of a company retreat could be used to incentivize all levels of employees.  This could also spur friendly competition and encouragement bilaterally in an organization.  Leadership should be thinking outside the box on ways to bring employees together to work towards a common goal rather than furthering the vertical divide.      
References
Epstein, M. (2018).  Does your Ego Serve You, or do You Serve it?  What Buddhism and Freud Say About Self-Slavery.  Retrieved from https://bigthink.com/big-think-books/mark-epstein-advice-not-given-freud-buddhism-ego
LaFollette, H. (2007). The practice of ethics . Malden, MA: Blackwell Pub. 

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