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by Squ. Lr. J.T.R. Fernando

Today in Sri Lanka there is continuous emphasis on the importance and urgency of National Development. In the print and electronic media with monotonous regularity politicians, religious leaders and social reformers endeavour to exhort the public of the strategies required to be devised and implemented to provide for National Development.

While it is widely accepted that value formation is an essential pre requisite to National Development regrettably adequate priority is not given to value formation in the process of National Development. With the degeneration of ethnical values and the tragic deterioration of standards of our social, economic and political life, the need for a new model of values which will provide for National Development while discouraging behaviour that is detrimental to the country as a whole cannot be over emphasised. This is an essential pre-requisite to National Development.

Loss of ethical values

Presently a whole generation is in danger of becoming trapped in false values. Becoming rich fast and amassing riches is everything. In the pursuit of riches, principles, ethics, values are relegated to the limbo of forgotten things.

Lust has overcome love, selfishness has superseded generosity, apathy for sympathy negative and destructive thoughts for positive constructive thoughts is it indeed ironical that politicians, social reformers while preaching righteousness to the public engage in misconduct and financial rip-offs.

Reputed companies blatantly violate environment safe-guards, deprive even statutory entitlements to the workers and bribe authorities to evade possible prosecution. Corruption in the business sector has increased at an alarming rate in recent years, and there is a steep decline in ethnical values in the business circle. The increasing trend towards contracting out of public services to private firms has triggered an explosion of corruption.

The alarming increase in the crime rate, incidence of violence and corruption and the abuses against women and children have confounded the law makers as well as law enforcers. Escalation of crime in a country, occur due to numerous factors, the chief and the most basic being the lack of cultural and moral values in society. The transformation of society as a whole is an essential pre-requisite to National Development, and this can only be achieved by value formation.

Values and culture

Values and culture are closely intervowen.

Websters dictionary defines culture "as the body of customary beliefs, social forms and some material traits constituting a distinct complex of tradition of a national, religious or social group... that complex whole includes knowledge beliefs, morals, law, customs, opinion, religious etc" while values can be defined as "a set of moral principles".

Often we are rather quick to blame culture or lack of values for our excesses for failures. In which case value formation would consist of straightening and strengthening our culture and our ethics.

Then value formation becomes reformative. Values are the core of every change. At the heart of every change is a set of values and altitudes that produces visions for tomorrow.

Strategies

To ensure value formation, basically to restore the sense of right and wrong, the government will have to employ carefully selected strategies. The importance of education to defend the cultural and historical values and to make our children inheritors of a secure future cannot be overemphasised. We have to formulate strategies to build up a cooperate culture with a genuine endeavour to educate the work forces and the public in general. Shared values define the fundamental character of the nation and certainly helps to accelerate natural development, integration and reconciliation.

Education

All government and business enterprises today all over the world have recognised the importance of education and value formation in National Development. Values are the bedrock of any culture whether national, community, or corporate. Education is the primary conduit for value formation, this is why the primacy of education is enshrined in the basic laws of the land. The type of education that is imparted in our schools and universities seriously influence value formation.

We are aware that unfortunately under the system of formal education, very little is devoted to development of proper social values. While preparation for the examination is afforded priority, value formation, character building, the importance and relevance of ethnical standards regrettably are not adequately covered in the curriculum.

When often observing acts of vandalism, damage to public property, unruly behaviour of students and undergraduates, disregard for authority, disrespect of teachers and parents addiction to drugs etc, and the irresponsible and destructive behaviour of workers we often lament.

The walls of the halls of learning of our universities our premier educational institutions are plastered with posters and slogans sprayed with aerosols cans. Public telephones installed for the use of the public are damaged without any rhyme or reason. Wanton damage is caused to employers machinery and property by workers on strike. A few days ago some vandals who were against the Valentine Day Celebrations damaged the seats around the Lake at Kandy.

It is difficult indeed for the older generation to understand the attitude of the students and workers and even professionals who cause such irreparable damage to public property. In this context we often hear people talking about "values" and statements to the effect that this would not have happened if they knew 'their values' or 'it never happened in our days'. Often persons in authority in various walks of life are rather quick to blame 'culture' or lack of values for these acts of misconduct and excesses.

With a well planned coherent education and training strategies, it is possible to install and implant the value system until they become second nature in our children. Value formation as a determinant or behaviours is very important in Sri Lanka education and value formation have never been more crucial in National Development than at present.

In human resources development

Certain organisations had at random time in the past and probably without being consciously aware of it, used education and value formation for their own sake not so much with a view of developing the staff. This they apparently did without fixed purposes of ensuring that it would be beneficial for managing human resource towards achievable and determinable goals in productivity, efficiency, discipline and group effectiveness.

The average worker believes in values only to the extent it serves his personal interests and needs. The moment the values conflict with his self, to him the values are not important. If individual and co-operate values are inconsistent, the organisation must intensify training discreetly emphasising the positive aspects of Sri Lankan values. An attempt must be made to create a corporate culture of excellence that can provide a high moral environment for employees to realise their potential as individuals and as employees.

We have moved a long way from Harrod Domar Model of considering finances as the only tangible investment. Now we are investing on Human Resources and technology. It takes only the guts of the Management to implement value formation in an enterprise because this can be incorporated in the existing training programme. Appreciation, understanding and willingness on the part of the Management are the only requirements for implementing a value formation programme in any organisation.

The Sri Lanka business environment is one of intense competition. The quality of products, service excellence, speed of delivery, and the affordability of prices are of importance more than ever before. All these areas of competition have an aspect in common. They are dependent on quality, flexibility, adoptability of the work force.

Availability of manpower is dictated by how relevant these resources are educated in the discipline required by the business environment, and how values are shaped and moulded to ensure that manpower resources are used and harnessed to improve production and build a corporate culture.

Trade unions

In the context of the spate of wild cat strikes we have experienced from time to time with paralysing essential services, causing considerable inconvenience and hardship to the public and the irreparable damage to the national economy, there is an urgent need to restore the sense of right and wrong among the workers. In this respect Trade Unions have a grave responsibility by the Country.

Corporate values

In a corporate environment, values provide a sense of direction for all employees as well as guidelines for their behaviour.

Shared values define the fundamental character of an organisation. It is one of the Human Resources Managers roles to help, shape, enhance such values in a manner that influences the corporate and national destiny.

It is the Human Resources Managers enviable task to be at the nerve centre of the Company's value systems - and to be one of the prime movers in the quest for value-driven excellence. Regrettably many Human Resources Managers and Union Leaders assume their positions with little or no preparation in the field of labour management. Training if ever is heavily tilted towards confrontation and distrust and this type of education seriously influences value formation.

When one party in a relationship is made to believe that the other party can do no good, and therefore must learn how to fight that evil, then it is not surprising that we have a confrontational labour-management relationship climate in this country.

When people are virtually trained to fight they look for a fight. Unfortunately under the present system of formal education, very little is devoted to development of proper social values to enable parties in labour management relationship to live in harmony. What is now needed, on a macro level, is to examine on a national level, what value systems are and should be developed and inculcated in the minds of the employees to attain clear and concise national goals. On a micro level, corporate, industrial and agricultural enterprises, a prolonged and consistent education and training should be pursued to implant these value systems until they become second nature in the work force.

This should be complemented and practised in schools, vocational institutions, civic and social organisations. The Trade Unions too can be effectively made use for this purpose.

Need for change

Values and attitudes have to change and the sense of right and wrong has to be restored if there is to be meaningful National Development, reconciliation and integration, corruption, graft and nepotism have to be eradicated and there must be honesty and transparency in all transactions. Can the government bring about this change? If so how? Yes it is possible by effective strategies formulated and directed to build "Values" and promote ethnical behaviours and conduct.

When Japan was brought down to ashes during the Second World War and when everything seemed impossible and doomed, as a nation they rose to become a country admired by their adversaries.

In 1945 Tokyo completely devastated. Robbery, stench, begging, prostitution, demoralisation, lack of public service, confronted the Japanese. They began to live under Mc. Arthur's occupation. Yet today Tokyo is among the most affluent, progressive safe and orderly cities in the world.

How did they graft new values to their traditional culture? They placed faith in their people whom they considered to date to be their most valuable asset. The humiliating and ignominious defeat in the war and the dire economic consequences placed Japan in an unenviable political and economic predicament.

In its efforts to rebuild, the concept of the four D's Diligence, Dexterity, Discipline and Dedication which attributes were deep rooted in Japanese Society, were significantly instilled in the Japanese mind.

The significance and relevance of such a concept and its effect, can only be visualised in the context of our own current, social, political, religious and economic environment.

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