The Parable of the Sadhu

Group 1#46 Shantanu #02 Abinash #05 Anshuman#06 Amitav

- Parable is defined as a statement or comment that conveys a meaning indirectly by the use of comparison, analogy, or the like.

- This case brings about the debate of an Individual Vs the group ethic., super ordinate , subordinate goals and leadership

Preview

The case facts- Author McCoy was on a six month sabbatical.

- He along with his friend Stephen were on "once in a lifetime" trip to Muklinath a place in

Nepal for which they had to cross a 18000ft pass over a crest.

- They were camping at 14500 ft. where they were joined by four New-Zealanders, a Swiss

couple and a Japanese hiking club.

- The New-Zealanders left first followed by Steffen and Mccoy with their porters and Sherpa

followed by the Swiss, and the Japanese.

- They were resting at 15500ft with Stefen suffering altitude sickness also some porters were

suffering from the height.

- The New- Zealanders found a half naked sadhu in the mountains.

- The New-Zealander asked Mccoy to help the sadhu as they had porters and went back to

join his team.

The case facts

- Mccoy found that the Sadhu was suffering from Hypothermia but he was alive.

- Stefen and the Swiss couple immediately clothed Sadhu.

- Mc Coy & the Swiss couple left soon after leaving Stephen alone with the Sadhu

and some of the porters.

- Stefen asked the Japanese to help shift the Sadhu to a village down below as the

Japanese team had a horse with them. The Japanese refused but gave Sadhu

some food and left.

- Stefen asked the Sherpas to carry the Sadhu to the hut but they also refused as

they thought it was not possible to shift the Sadhu to a hut below and crossed the

crest before the snow melted.

- They didn't know whether the Sadhu lived or dead.

Breakdown between individual ethic and corporate ethic

- No one was willing to take responsibility for the sadhu.- Each was willing to do his bit as long as it was not too inconvenient.- No person willing to assume ultimate responsibility.

“We all stopped and gave aid & comfort. Everyone did his bit”- Bowen H McCoy

“You have just described the typical affluent Westerner’s response to a problem. Throwing money, in this case food and sweaters as it, but not solving the fundamentals!”

- Stephen

Where is the limit to our responsibility ?

- No one on the mountain was willing to commit himself beyond a certain self imposed limits.

Individual Vs Group Ethic

- Stress is the real test of personal and corporate values.- Not every ethical dilemma has the right solution. It is essential

that managers agree on a process for dealing with the dilemmas.

- The group reacted instinctively as individuals.- The cross cultural nature of the group added a layer further of

complexity

Ethical Choice- Immediate response- Decision to act.- Action & implementation together.- Not developing consensus.- Group reaction as individual under stress.- Cross cultural group.- No leader identified.- Only Stephen, but not support.- Should have mutually accepted & shared value.- Members need to have preconceived notions.- Correct behavior or business ethics.

Parallel to business situations

- Failure to act was a decision in itself.- Managers come up with answers to problems.- Organizations that do not have mutually accepted , shared values tend to

become unhinged during stress.

Preconceived Notion of correct behavior

“Business Ethic”

Think of it as a positive force, not a constraint

Effective managers can not run away from risk.

- Need to confront & deal with the risk.- Notion of shared value & agreed on process to be at the heart

of ethical issues.- Need leaders to understand, interpret to manage corporate

value system.- Need effective managers, who are action oriented, conflict

resolving, tolerance of ambiguity, stress, change, strong sense of purpose of themselves & the organization.

- One can fulfill the need for individual success along with group support, corporate support. Without corporate support, individual is lost.

The lesson

- Individual requires deserves support of the group.- With support forthcoming, individual can contribute to the

success of the group.- Managements challenge is to be sensitive to individual needs,to

shape them direct focus them for the benefit of the group as a whole.

The Sadhu lives………

- For each of us the Sadhu lives- Whether to stop to comfort him or to rush up towards the high

pass.- Which is more ethical?- Perhaps, the best decision would have been to change the

value of the group and with all its resources,act the otherway.