Ronnel A.

Deinla
STRATMA V25
Vocation of the Business Leader
Reflection Paper
I believe that the article is some form of Catholic Social Teaching. It is a kind of
teaching directed to not just Catholics, but everyone. Its Catholic because it is inspired
by Catholic teachings that can be applied to anyone regardless of faith. I have
encountered two other readings like this in my previous classes. I have learned many
things from this article, but the bottom line is that our actions should be guided using the
See-Judge-Act Framework. I believe that this framework in a nutshell is a detailed
version of think before you do.
The concept of seeing tells us that we should know the current state of the
environment we are operating in. We should realize that there are many things going on
in the world. As mentioned in the article, there are cases of inequality, economic
dislocation, information overload, financial stability, and others that deprives us from
achieving the common good. The article also says that these are the effects of
globalization, communications technologies, and financializing. I only agree to a certain
extent of this statement. Yes, globalization has affected inequality because certain
countries can do better what their base of operations cannot, but I see it as a challenge
rather than a problem. This inequality only means that the home-country is challenged to
produce a workforce with higher aptitude. Cultural imperialism can also be prevented this
way because the competitiveness drives everyone to be at their best all the time because

in not doing so, they will be economically threatened. This is simply because other races
or cultures can do a certain job better than them, so they get hired instead. As for
information overload, I do not see any problem with it. Its convenient that we have a lot
of information ready. Its just a waste if there is nothing substantial to get from all this
information. Lastly, I have to agree that the financializing of the economy is prevalent
nowadays. People are not taken as people, but as profit-generators. This is very
dangerous. Take the case of Chinese sweatshops wherein there is forced child labor,
unsafe workplaces, and the like. This is all because the cost of labor there is cheap, but
since China is elevating to a higher state of economy, businesses are turning towards
India for labor. This is a pressing issue because human rights are being violated. We are
humans before we are workers.
Judging, in the business contexts means decision-making. This is quite a complex
process. Sometimes, we overlook details which leads to the failure of the next stepaction. Business leaders should take into consideration the possible repercussions of
their decisions. I remember in my ECONONE class that businesses are supposed to
create good goods, good work, and good wealth. Basically, this is a fundamental directive
of all businesses. Business leaders are encouraged to pursue in the creation of such. The
goods being produced should be truly good or even better. Good work should also be
encouraged by business leaders. Good work also means good business. Fines resulting
from violations of work ethics are outweighed by the benefits of treating workers as
humans. Employees engaged in good work will have higher job satisfaction, retention
rate, and productivity. Employees treated as mere instruments for the enrichment of
businesses would most likely slack off and have high turnover. Employees should be in

an environment wherein they can grow as individuals and along with them are their coworkers as they also grow together. Without employees, there would be no business.
Lastly, good wealth. Without the existence of business, there would be no employees.
There would be idle people who could have been doing productive work through
businesses. The business should also concern their decisions around the life of the
business. The death of a business includes the job displacement of people. Without jobs
to feed families, chaos would ensue.
All of the mentioned above would mean nothing if nobody does anything about it.
We must put into action our aspirations. My PRJMANA professor told us that there is such
a thing as analysis paralysis. We think about things too much that it incapacitates us
from doing anything. But his lesson is also accompanied with ready, shoot, and aim.
This means that business leaders could become hasty in taking action that they would
regret afterwards. As I would say it, action without direction is as good as no action at
all. Also, when we do things, we should do it not for the sake of doing, but because it is
the right thing. Acting may look like the easiest thing to do in the see-judge-act
framework because everything is planned out previously. Thats not the case because
our environment right now is changing really fast. What idea we might have thought of
today may not work if implemented the next few days. Business leaders are challenged
to be strategic and stay ahead.
Social enterprises like GK Enchanted has, at least in my opinion, to exhibit the
practice of the vocation of a business leader. They saw a need to provide jobs to people
having little or no skills. GK Enchanted decided that their business model could be the
right step towards their goals of changing the lives of people for the better, and at the

same time generate income for the continuity of the business. They are rooted in the
belief that good things happen because they encourage goodness in the things that they
do.
The See-Judge-Act Framework is quite a reasonable framework to work with
because it speaks to every business leader, but most especially to the Catholic business
leaders. Catholic business leaders are encouraged not to separate their faith from their
everyday activities in the workplace. In the present time, I believe that many people are
being too caught up in the work they are doing, but in a bad way. Business leaders- both
Catholic and non-Catholic are in the business of doing business because that is the
business of doing business. This should not be the case. We are a changed society. I, as
a future business leader would like to create a society that solves inequality, information
overload, and financializing.