It is disturbing to see how an entire generation has come to accept the lack of integrity in personal and professional dealings as routine. In fact, the rotten fruits of unscrupulous transactions are even flaunted, as ostentatious wedding celebrations stand proof
Honesty and integrity are as old as business competition. And so are corruption and duplicity. These attributes seem to almost coexist. Many routes for beating competition are fashionable and, like any shortcut, they are vulnerable to foibles. That has not discouraged significant numbers from repeatedly going down those paths. The assumption seems to be “the other person got caught because he was ‘silly’ but I am smarter, therefore, I get away with it”. In spite of this glib belief, many don’t get away.
Two factors bring forth the significance of honesty and integrity. One, that even falsehood has to masquerade as truth to gain acceptability. Two, for even among those who fall out of the legal frame, the binding force of their relationships is honesty with each other. Indeed, if there is any violation of honesty in their relationship, retribution is non-negotiable.
Therefore, it is difficult to understand how corruption acquires its currency and how the spoils of corruption are increasingly being applauded. Illustratively, if someone throws a lavish banquet during a wedding celebration or does up festivities in an extravagant manner, there is little disapproval; indeed, there is gushing admiration at the scale of lavishness. This tendency has increased over time.
This is not good for the collective well being. It leads to a progressive corrosion of the credibility process and there is no value addition in the through-put stage.
This is a dangerous situation. If not checked immediately, it has the potential of achieving cancerous dimension. One may like the BJP’s prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi or run a tirade against him. In the popular psyche, he represents a popular movement of financial uprightness and administrative acumen. Trying to entrap him and using dated symbols to browbeat him may not be the same as containing him. It should always be remembered, that in a wrestling contest, one attacks the opponent at his weakest point, but in an intellectual contest one has to attack strengths of the person.
One of the most frequently asked questions during my sessions on creativity is if it is possible to do honest business. The participants don't respond well to a ‘yes’. They parade their local and personal experiences with great conviction.
Yet, all seasoned people know that nothing enduring can come about without honesty and integrity. We could well be poised to lose a generation to darkness because it may genuinely believe that dishonesty and falsehood is not that evil. Those in the domain of decision-making are responsible for recognising this and responding with foresight, realism and social consciousness.
More work needs to be done on the facts of the case and what destination the road of dishonesty and lack of integrity lead to. Cases of financial impropriety such as the Enron or Satyam scandals or those involving Harshad Mehta and Rajat Gupta need to be built in to the learning and development design.
There are successful organizations which have perfected insights into the integrity of business dealing. They have extensive rules and regulations governing matters of conflict of interests or integrity of client dealing. Everyone, irrespective of rank, is assessed on his understanding on these issues and their practices are monitored. The same applies to intellectual integrity. The citation is to establish that successful business and integrity in decision-making are not mutually exclusive. They coexist for enduring business success.
Indeed it is plausible to argue that business success, like political success, is often a factor of branding and positioning. It is simple to realise that consistency of thought, word and deed may be difficult to reach, but nevertheless, remains a goal to aspire for. The only way to success is to say what you do and do what you say.