Page 98 - The Ethics of ASEAN

The Ethics of ASEAN

Link to webinar https://youtu.be/7wuCInC4QG4

Le Hong Phuc: human development defines people at work as an
end as well as a means of production

What is human development exactly? Le Hong Phuc, the Chair of ASEAN Human
Development Organisation (AHDO) opened the session with a definition from the AHDO
founding declaration.

Human development defines people as agents and not
resources. This means the human resource management
function is to not manage people as a resource. Instead,
human development in the workplace means people are an
end as well as a means of production. Human development
organisations ensure freedom, support, and opportunity to
develop capabilities for their people and even to stakeholders.

This is in contrast to the traditional term “human resources” which regards humans or
people as a resource for the organisation to manage, basically a means of production.
Human development in the workplace regards humans not only as a resource in the
pipeline of work production but more importantly as agents of their work, capable of
autonomy, growth and aspirations whose humanity as an end rather than a means is
protected by universal human rights ethics.

According to Mr Phuc, in order to fulfil the region’s need for developing people we
need the collaboration of world-class companies and stakeholders following rules-based

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