Value formation and National Development

Major Rohitha AMARAPALA

With ending of the ethnic conflict and the restoration of peace, today in Sri Lanka there is a continuous emphasis on the importance and need of National Development. During the Presidential Election there was much emphasis on this aspect on National Development, by those aspiring to be President enunciating their strategies to ensure accelerated 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.

Relevance of values formation

While it is widely accepted that value formation is an essential pre-requisite to National Development regrettably adequate priority has not and 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 a massing riches is everything. In the pursuit of riches, principles, ethics and 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Lust has overcome love, selfishness has superseded generosity, apathy for sympathy negative and destructive thoughts for positive constructive thought. It indeed ironical that politicians, social reformers while preaching righteousness to the public engage in misconduct and financial rip-offs.

He who is unable to live in society, or who has no need because he is sufficient for himself, must be either a beast or god - Aristotle

Corporate bodies

Corporate bodies blatantly violate environment safeguards, 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 ethical values in the business circle.

The increasing trend towards contracting out of public services to private firms has also 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.

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 corporate 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 influences value formation.

We are aware that unfortunately under the present system of formal education, very little is given to the development of social values.

While preparation for the examination is afforded priority, value information, 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 aerosol 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.

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 "value" and statements to the effect that this would not have happened if they knew 'their values' or 'it never happened in our days' office 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 effective tanning strategies, it will be possible to install and implant the value system until it becomes second natures in our children. Value formation as a determinant of behaviour is important. Education system as a whole should be restructured and re-orientated to include value formation.

Discipline

The importance of discipline must be gradually instilled. Discipline is the means by which an individual co-operates for the benefit of society as a whole.

Why is there a need for discipline? An individual has within him a very basic instant-self preservation, and it is this instant that causes an individual to fail in it's duty towards the society in which he lives, consequently greed, envoy, selfishness, theft, murder etc. The devastating effects all these failing have a disruptive effect on society and the ability to work for the common good. National Development is not possible in such an environment.

These disruptive forces have to be discouraged and effectively curtailed, and prevented discipline does just this. Education and inculcation of values help to install discipline.

Value formation in human resources development

Certain organizations 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.

It individual and co-operate values are inconsistent, the organization 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 the 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 incorporate in the existing training programs.

Appreciation, undemanding and willingness on part of the Management are only requirements for plementing a value formation program in any origination.

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 great grave responsibility by the country.

Corporate values and human resources development

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 organization. It 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 - 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 the evil, then it is not surprising that we have a confrontational labour - management relationship climate in this county.

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 organization. The Trade Unions too can be effectively made use for this purpose.

Need for change

Values and attitudes have so 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 county admired by their adversaries.

In 1945 Tokyo completely devastated and robbery begging, prostitution, demoralization, and the lack of public service, confronted the Japanese. They began to live under McArthur'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 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 visualized on the context of our own current, social political, religious and economic environment.

Challenge

Political ethics and democratic behaviour are concepts alien to most political parties those concepts have no place in their theory and practice of politics. The norms of responsibility and decency must be manifestly and abundantly demonstrated by action, upholding the principles of integrity and transparency. This is the biggest challenge for our leaders today.

Walter Lippmann maintained "Leaders are the custodians of a nation's ideals of beliefs it cherishes, of its permanent hopes of faith which makes a nation out of mere aggregation of individuals" while John Gardner asserted that "Leaders have a significant role in creating the state of mind that is society."

What is required is action

We should minimize and cut down talk of values and ethics, we need like the Singaporeans and Japanese to act. This requires dynamic and honest leadership giving effect to the practice the ideals and values by example rather than by precept.

Values must be reinforced by various means foremost which is the living example of those in positions of authority. Effective leaders are tough and firm, uncompromising about their and principles and they set high standards for emulation which gradually becomes infectious and contagious. The importance of value formation has never been so crucial as at present, when the country is attempting to reconstruct and rehabilitate and embark on an accelerated program of national development, integration and reconciliation.

With the correct strategies employed to restore and strengthen values; providing for peace, harmony and stability, the country will be prepared for NIC status with the 21st century.

Major Rohitha AmarapalaWho Is presently employed at Coca-Cola Beverages Sri Lanka Limited and also functioning as Vice President of Institute of Personnel Management, Sri Lanka.