Loyalty

Introduction 

Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882), the American writer, philosopher and poet stated loyalty is what you have on your "must have" list as a reference point as to character. No doubt he makes a valid point since it rates highly in what one expects in any relationship in line with such traits as kindness, empathy and strength. Yet it's not usually mentioned as a desirable attribute as we are more likely to reference such attributes as caring, kindness or appreciation and so forth, despite the fact someone being unjustifiably disloyal is highly injurious to any future relationship. Inevitably in the aftermath of what's left is a feeling of unreliability or uneasiness to fracture future trust.   

 

Surprisingly, also in philosophy, loyalty is a subject which is often overlooked, possibly due to the difficulty in determining principles such as whether or not it might be considered a virtue or otherwise.

 

Momentous events throughout history occur when loyalty to the customs and culture are suddenly jettisoned in favour of a new beginning.  One can recall the more recent hideous events such as the Cultural Revolution in China.

 

What has also been missing is the support provisions to individuals desirous of removing unethical practices but lacking the power or influence who then become whistle-blowers.   

 

Definition

 

For the purposes of this paper I will define it as the expression of an affinity or allegiance one feels as a devotion or dedication on a personal level.  Modern day ideas about loyalty have been expanded to include the affinity towards Institutions, group(s) or indeed to a philosophy or brands.

Examples of Loyalty is the devotion to family, the affinity to an employer, to centres of influence or service organisations and so on. Loyalty will always be contingent in the perception it has an intrinsic value of one kind or another, in compensation or in a feeling of satisfaction in terms of existential meaning.    

 

But already one gets the sense as to how loyalties can quickly change when relationships are placed under severe pressure. Then there can be the blind type of loyalty that wants to cover up wrongdoing. In such a culture where there is intransigence towards weeding out unethical practices at the leadership level, there is the loneliness of the whistle-blowers, who can be subjected to persecution, intimidation or retaliation of one kind or another.

 

This discussion paper will talk about the interaction of Loyalty in our culture and the role of the Whistle-blower   

 

The philosophy of Josiah Royce – Loyalty as a virtue

 

Josiah Royce contends loyalty relates to all of the virtues. He asserts that loyalty is linked to all of our causes as a determinant of subsequent choices. Therein we have a duty to our conscience to remain loyal to the

defining existential commitments.

 

Where differences in commitments arise these are to be delineated according to the loyalty principles that hold true to the morally justifiable outcomes. In this respect Biblical references talk about the impossibility of being loyal to two masters. Religious loyalty for Royce is tied to atonement as the saving grace which underpins all meaning. Loyalty is expressed in the normative, duty and consequential ethics in relationships with others to define the choices we make. 

But his idea that our will is totally defined by its loyalties would be challenged by the postmodern philosophers. In fact the will which was a term used to define our consciousness is seen as a floating amalgam of ideas that are influenced but not controlled by past loyalties. A loyalty then would dissipate if the idea of holding such allegiances no longer was perceived as having any intrinsic value. 

 

Changing Cultural loyalty

Cultural loyalty is embedded in societies but can be disrupted by conflict from within and external forces seizing power. More often than not the conquering empire will seek to substitute its own culture. But the more successful will only demand loyalty to the authorities in exchange for a freedom of retention of their culture unless it impinges on their power.   

 

One of the more notable horrendous changes in loyalty was the Great Patriotic Revolution in China of 1966. Mao inspired the Youthful Red Guards to rally against all of the ancient traditions: to tear down old customs, manners or anything connected to old culture. Hence the Cultural Revolution turned against Buddhist monasteries, Taoist Temples, Muslim mosques and Christian churches which were destroyed.

 

Those patriots persisting with the old ways were persecuted, condemned to forced labour, imprisonments and so forth up until Mao’s death in 1976. The attitude to religion subsequently softened but this uneasy truce has been fractured once again under the present regime to give rise to the so called re training camps.  

 

In the modern era China has largely been secularised, spurred on by modern industrialisation and urbanisation inherent in the moves to embrace a market driven economy under the mantle of a communist state. But for the people there remains the remnants of Confucianism and other religions represented in the sense of loyalty to the family, the cosmic unity of Taoism and personal conscience of the individual. Many of the customs and manifestations of old folk style religious practices persist, unable to be squashed by many decades of communist rule. This indicates the strength of resolve that can persist where strongly held loyalties are capable of surviving in a hostile environment.  

 

Changing cultural influences to loyalty in terms of long service.

 

Turning to the west under a democratic system we nevertheless are embracing a change is our attitude to loyalty in the workforce. In the past long periods of service was a cause for celebration but staying too long with one employer today is generally regarded as a weakness. The idea of a company paying for such a celebration with a generous gift is largely related to a past era.  

The question then arises: does loyalty still make good business sense as an essential ingredient to a meaningful existence?

 

Decades ago we are all familiar with many working to retire and receiving typically a gold watch. But for this generation those ideas have all but disappeared and time will become the arbiter as to what benefits, if any, are forgone in the growing trend for there to be an absence of long service loyalty. Notwithstanding, the current rejection of loyalty as a value in the modern sense is already making a modest comeback as its benefits are gradually becoming identified. 

Perhaps their generation will rediscover it as if it never existed before and hail it as a new revelation. 

 

Consumer Loyalty and Capitalism

Value of Loyalty to customers in business

Loyalty to existing customers used to be the hallmark for good management as the cost of acquisition takes a number of years to be recovered. Today new customers more often than not are offered much better deals than existing long term customers which causes angst amongst consumers and damages the previous brand of the particular product or service. The resultant churn of business creates excessive costs and a fall in productivity that ultimately disadvantages not only consumers but investors in entities that embrace disloyalties to long serving customers. 

 

Cheating and unethical behaviours in a high pressure cultural environment  

 

When we consider aspects of human behaviours involving corruption or cheating psychologists have found healthy competition actually reduces its incidence except in very extreme cases. But where the pressure is intense such as the imposition to achieve targets that are totally unrealistic the conditions are likely to act as a catalyst to fracture loyalty and ignore ethical standards.   

 

Systemic Failures and a false sense of loyalty

 

Then there is the extent to which loyalty to ideals of good governance breaks down when a fear arises that the previous goodwill will be dissipated if the truth is revealed of systemic failures. 

 

Examples abound such as where scandals and wrongdoing is covered up protect the previous good name of the institution. Therein the role of the whistle blower assumes critical importance where previous avenues for remedy are not acted upon. This then is exemplified in a bad culture and errant leadership. 

 

Loyalty then is a feature of formative normative, duty and consequential ethics as it defines our relationships with others and ideals that determine the choices we make. Where this breaks down at the top of an organisation it can quickly permeate the ranks and the only escape can be by way of the whistle-blower.   

 

Brand loyalty  

 

The indirect relationships to services or products provided in any economy invoke a loyalty or otherwise associated with recognisable brands.

Loyalty to an institution providing generic goods or services can become sullied if false claims are subsequently proven against it. On a personal level one might say there is a propensity to remain loyal until such time as there is good reason not to be loyal. The importance of loyalty in modernity is critical as rapid changes in technology and obsolescence challenge the allegiance to well established brands of products and services. 

 

Employee Loyalty  

 

A feature of modern day capitalism involving some large or multinational firms become involved in massive layoffs where small towns and even cities can be devastated by the sudden loss of employment. Whilst some reduction in the workforce is inevitable, during downturns, the reactions often are swift and arbitrary which breeds disloyalties.

The questionable nature of these redundancies prompts one to ask how firms can continue to function efficiently in the absence of the skills and knowledge of long serving employees suddenly made redundant. 

The answer is they can’t and the response is often that the same work undertaken by the so called redundant worker becomes assigned to corresponding sub-contractors and consultancy arrangements, particularly in the government sector following continual restructuring.

Genuine reductions in labour as a consequence of productivity are a different matter entirely but their incidence has shrunk dramatically both here and abroad. This is as a consequence of the degradation in terms of loyalty extended to employment and reciprocated by those employed who fail to embrace productivity.  

Yet economists continue to scratch their heads as to why productivity is falling in the midst of a technology boom predicated on the reverse in terms of more efficient outcomes. Much of the massive rework that relates to the technology industry relates to the continual churn of employees and redundancies where technical skills and human capital is eroded.    

 

The Whistle-blower

Despite recent discussions outlining the importance of whistleblowing, many employees continue to be subject to retaliation after revealing wrongdoings. Once exposed the penalties imposed and loss of respect may damage many organisations whose investors bear the brunt of subsequent poor returns.

 

In Whistling While They Work 2 the Australian Research Council and 23 partners, and led by Griffith University's Centre for Governance and Public Policy, the three-year project surveyed 700 organisations and more than 17,000 employees, managers and governance professionals. The report comes at a time when new laws and protections are being introduced. It confirms there is still much to be done to improve how whistleblowing is managed.

“Despite the importance of whistleblowing in uncovering wrongdoing, we found continuing levels of poor outcomes for whistle-blowers and the prevalence of informal, collateral impacts such as stress and isolation,” says associate professor Eva Tsahuridu, an industry fellow at the School of Accounting RMIT University, and a researcher involved on the director side of the study. “More than 80 per cent of the reporters of wrongdoing experienced some form of informal repercussion, while almost half of them suffered some form of direct retaliation.”

Sylvia Falzon FAICD, chair of Cabrini Health, says the new laws can be viewed in two ways. “The improved protections can be seen as a regulatory stick to enhance whistle-blowers protections and looking to bolster corporate responsibility — or, for those boards with a strong culture and a supportive, open and honest environment at its core, the new law is an extension to what already exists... enabling and encouraging a culture of continuous improvement.”

Tsahuridu also warns directors that organisations can suffer from overconfidence. “This overconfidence may lead boards to mistakenly think they do not have anything to be concerned about or need to improve. Governance and oversight of whistleblowing is necessary in all organisations.”

Whistle while you work  

https://www.whistlingwhiletheywork.edu.au/

 

QUOTES TO CONSIDER

“I used to advertise my loyalty and I don’t believe there is a single person I loved that I didn’t eventually betray.” – Albert Camus, the fall

The scholar does not consider gold and jade to be precious treasures, but loyalty and good faith.

CONFUCIUS, the Wisdom of Confucius

“Hold faithfulness and sincerity as first principles.” – Confucius, the Analects

“Strength may win a kingdom, but loyalty holds it together.” – Elizabeth D. Marie, Seeking Giants

Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882), American writer, philosopher and poet:  

Loyalty is what you have on your "must have" list as a reference point to character.

I'll take 50% efficiency to get 100% loyalty. “Samuel Goldwyn (1882-1974), American film producer.

We have to recognize that there cannot be relationships unless there is commitment, unless there is loyalty, unless there is love, patience, persistence.

CORNEL WEST, Breaking Bread

 

Conclusion

Loyalty is the ingredient that underpins our culture and in the modern context involves indirect devotions or affinities to brands as well as institutions and personal relationships. That culture will be exposed to continuous pressures from internal and external sources so that safeguards to maintain ethical outcomes need to be included and strengthened by provisions to support whistle-blowers where this action is justified.

Loyalty needs to be justified by normative, duty and consequential ethics as it defines our relationships with others and ideals that determine the choices we make. 

Josiah Royce contends loyalty relates to all of the virtues. He asserts that loyalty is linked to all of our causes as a determinate of subsequent choices, whether they be small or large. Therein we have a duty to our conscience and to remain loyal to the commitments that provide a meaningful life. But one might also argue there is a need to question loyalties regularly. Over the centuries we have discarded loyalties as they have turned out to be based on false beliefs. In the postmodern world many would believe they are a continuing work in process as defined by our ongoing narrative and the moral compass we seek to follow. 
Modern day capitalism is undergoing a transformation towards improved governance which needs to continue to rediscover the benefits of establishing a committed workforce who can remain justifiably loyal.