Altruism as a pathway to unethical action

2020 ◽  
Vol 36 (2) ◽  
pp. 235-247
Author(s):  
Michael Babula ◽  
Max Tookey ◽  
Glenn Muschert ◽  
Mark Neal
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Decision Maker ◽  
Unethical Behavior ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Ethical Decision ◽  
Ethical Decision Making ◽  
Self Esteem ◽  
Decision Makers ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Poor

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to answer the question, “Can particular types of altruism influence people to make unethical decisions?” The purpose of seeking to answer this question is to better understand those cases in personal, public and commercial life whereby a decision-maker is influenced by what is widely perceived to be a positive thing – altruism – to make unethical choices. Design/methodology/approach An experiment was designed to test the influence of different categories of altruism on decision-making about whether to find another guilty for a regulatory transgression. This involved the establishment and running of a student panel at a UK university, which was given the task of determining the guilt or otherwise of two students accused of plagiarism – one from a poor background; one from a rich background. Through a survey of both the decision-makers and their judgments, and by analyzing the data using t-tests and Mann–Whitney tests, the associations between different categories of altruism and the decisions made could be ascertained. Findings A total of 70.7% of the participants voted “not-guilty” for the poor student, whereas 68.3% voted “guilty” for the wealthy student. This indicated that self-interested, namely, egoistic altruism complemented by social and self-esteem needs gratification was significantly associated with violating foundational ethical principles. Originality/value This is the first study to be done that attempts to evaluate the relationships between different categories of altruism and ethical decision-making. The findings here challenge aggregating all forms of empathy together when exploring the antecedents of unethical behavior.

The power of Australian small accounting firms’ unethical exposure

2015 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 467-481
Author(s):  
Connie S Zheng ◽  
Soheila Mirshekary
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Unethical Behavior ◽  
Ethical Decision ◽  
Ethical Decision Making ◽  
Firm Level ◽  
Accounting Firms ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Personal Attitudes ◽  
Decision Making Model ◽  
Policies And Practices

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate small business owner/manager’s exposure to unethical behavior, and to examine the influence of unethical exposure on organizational intention to implement ethical policies and practices. Design/methodology/approach – Using a sample of 209 Australian small accounting firms with a path analysis, this paper adopts a modified ethical decision-making model to test the relationship between exposure and personal attitudes toward unethical behavior, and the relationship between exposure and intentions to implement ethical policies and practices at firm level. Findings – The results show that increased exposure to unethical behavior triggered stronger personal attitudes with small accounting firm owners/managers tending toward accepting unethical behavior. In contrast, at the firm level, more exposure to unethical behavior creates cautious overtones and motivates owners/managers to take action and implement more ethical policies, with the underlying aim of addressing serious ethical issues. Research limitations/implications – The study tests the ethical decision-making model but focuses only on three constructs (i.e. exposure, attitude and response). The aim is to examine whether extensive exposure to unethical behavior would change personal attitudes toward accepting such behavior, and whether unethical exposure would trigger firm owner/managers to take action and address the ethical dilemma by establishing some ethical guidelines. Other important variables (such as subjective norm, personal locus of control) embedded in the ethical decision-making model should be included in future research. Practical implications – The study draws attention to ethical dilemmas encountered by many small accounting professionals and their organizations. It addresses the importance of upholding the ethical standard and avoiding the extensive exposure to unethical behavior. It also emphasizes the needs for small businesses to establish some ethical policies and practices. Originality/value – The paper is purposely set out to reduce the gap in studying how small accounting firms make decisions in implementing their ethical policies and practices to address the rampant ethical dilemma faced by their employees as a result of many corporate scandals and financial crises of the past decade. The results are particularly valuable for small accounting firm owners/managers. The findings also have educational and policy implications.

scholarly journals Ethics in Organization and Management

2020 ◽  
Vol 1 (3) ◽  
pp. 67-74
Author(s):  
Thomas Joseph
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Unethical Behavior ◽  
Ethical Decision ◽  
Ethical Decision Making ◽  
Decision Makers ◽  
Global Environment ◽  
Organization And Management ◽  
Self Sufficiency ◽  
Care And Justice ◽  
Compare And Contrast

A fundamental challenge for scholars and practitioners of organization and management is the integration of theoretical ethics with practical decision-making. This article discusses the historical evolution of ethics in organization and management through today. Additionally, the article utilizes a compare and contrast approach of three contemporary theories of ethical decision-making, namely ethics of virtue, ethics of care, and ethics of justice, to implicate their applicability to practice under conditions of globalization. Ethics of virtue, care, and justice share common concepts imperative for organizations in a global environment. They address the idea of equality and self-sufficiency and are concerned with the establishment and sustenance of lasting relationships. Organizations can, therefore, succeed in any environment providing that decision makers make the effort to adhere to standards that are moral, fair, caring, and just. Every unethical behavior should be condemned.

Organizational accountability relations: de facto or de jure?

2016 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 32-53
Author(s):  
Cameron Sabadoz ◽  
Lindsay McShane
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Ethical Decision ◽  
Ethical Decision Making ◽  
Moral Authority ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Gaze ◽  
Single Construct ◽  
Industry Sectors ◽  
Organizational Accountability

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to bring the concept of “meeting the gaze of the other” into conversation with the organizational accountability literature. This is done by integrating “the gaze” phenomenon with Darwall’s (2006) distinction between de jure and de facto authority. In the context of accountability, only de jure accountability entails meeting the gaze of the stakeholder, in that it requires organizations to grant stakeholders the moral authority to hold them to account. Drawing on this work, this paper aims to critically examine the distinction between de jure and de facto in current organizational accountability theorizing and in practice. Design/methodology/approach – A content analysis of the “letters to the stakeholders” from the Global 100 firms’ accountability/social responsibility reports. Specifically, this paper examines the frequency with which leading companies acknowledge de facto vs de jure accountability, the nature of these statements and toward which stakeholder group they are directed. Findings – Most firms acknowledge de facto accountability, but few grant de jure standing, making it more likely that firms will ignore claimants they prefer not to morally engage. De jure relationships that are acknowledged tend to be restricted to certain stakeholders such as employees, customers and shareholders. In addition, there are differences in the granting of de jure accountability across industry sectors. Social implications – This work highlights the importance of acknowledging de jure accountability when engaging with stakeholders, and importantly, it highlights how to integrate consideration for de jure accountability into theorizing on organizational accountability. This analysis suggests that acknowledging de jure accountability vis-a-vis stakeholders can lead to more positive ethical decision-making and stronger relationships. Organizations are encouraged to strengthen their ethical decision-making by granting moral standing to their stakeholders. Originality/value – Organizational accountability is typically treated as a single construct, yet de jure accountability (vs simply de facto accountability) has been linked to particularly powerful moral effects. This paper examines the critical distinction between de facto and de jure accountability. It makes a compelling case for the importance of acknowledging the gaze of organizational stakeholders.

Jumping to conclusions – an analysis of the NBA Draft Combine athleticism data and its influence on managerial decision-making

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Tobias Berger ◽  
Frank Daumann
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Predictive Power ◽  
Principal Component ◽  
Decision Makers ◽  
Decision Quality ◽  
Managerial Behavior ◽  
Managerial Decision ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Selection Behavior

PurposeThe NBA Draft policy pursues the goal to provide the weakest teams with the most talented young players to close the gap to the superior competition. But it hinges on appropriate talent evaluation skills of the respective organizations. Research suggests the policy might be valid but to date unable to produce its intended results due to the “human judgement-factor”. This paper investigates specific managerial selection-behavior-influencing information to examine why decision-makers seem to fail to constantly seize the opportunities the draft presents them with.Design/methodology/approachAthleticism data produced within the NBA Draft Combine setting is strongly considered in the player evaluations and consequently informs the draft decisions of NBA managers. Curiously, research has failed to find much predictive power within the players pre-draft combine results for their post-draft performance. This paper investigates this clear disconnect, by examining the pre- and post-draft data from 2000 to 2019 using principal component and regression analysis.FindingsEvidence for an athletic-induced decision-quality-lowering bias within the NBA Draft process was found. The analysis proves that players with better NBA Draft Combine results tend to get drafted earlier. Controlling for position, age and pre-draft performance there seems to be no proper justification based on post-draft performance for this managerial behavior. This produces systematic errors within the structure of the NBA Draft process and leads to problematic outcomes for the entire league-policy.Originality/valueThe paper delivers first evidence for an athleticism-induced decision-making bias regarding the NBA Draft process. Informing future selection-behavior of managers this research could improve NBA Draft decision-making quality.

Data-based ethical decision making, lateral relations, and organizational commitment

2018 ◽  
Vol 40 (6) ◽  
pp. 946-963 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sean Robert Valentine ◽  
David Hollingworth ◽  
Patrick Schultz
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Organizational Commitment ◽  
Information Flow ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Ethical Decision ◽  
Ethical Decision Making ◽  
Ethical Issues ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Content Type

Purpose Focusing on ethical issues when making organizational decisions should encourage a variety of positive outcomes for companies and their employees. The purpose of this paper is to determine the degree to which data-based ethical decision making, lateral relations and organizational commitment are interrelated in organizations. Design/methodology/approach Data were collected from business professionals employed at multiple locations of a financial services firm operating in the USA. Mediation analysis (based on structural equation modeling) was used to test the proposed relationships. Findings Results indicated that employees’ perceptions of data-based ethical decision making were positively related to perceived lateral relations, and that perceived lateral relations were positively related to organizational commitment. Research limitations/implications Given that information was collected using only a self-report questionnaire, common method bias could be an issue. In addition, the study’s cross-sectional design limits conclusions about causality. Another limitation involves the study’s homogenous sample, which decreases the generalizability of the findings. Finally, variable responses could have been impacted by individual frames of reference and other perceptual differences. Practical implications Results suggest that information flow enhancements should support or be consistent with horizontal information flow enhancements, and that together these factors should increase employee commitment. Originality/value Given the dearth of existing research, this interdisciplinary investigation is important because it fills gaps in the management literature. This study is also important because the results could inform decisions regarding the use of data analysis in ethical decisions and lateral forms of organizational structuring to improve work attitudes.

Internal and external auditor ethical decision‐making

2013 ◽  
Vol 28 (4) ◽  
pp. 300-322 ◽  
Author(s):  
Donald F. Arnold ◽  
Jack W. Dorminey ◽  
A.A. Neidermeyer ◽  
Presha E. Neidermeyer
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Ethical Decision ◽  
Ethical Decision Making ◽  
Exploratory Research ◽  
Social Consensus ◽  
Content Type ◽  
International Firms ◽  
Internal Auditors ◽  
External Auditors ◽  
External Auditor

PurposeThe aim of this exploratory research is to compare three sectors of the auditing profession – internal auditors, external auditors from larger international firms, and external auditors from smaller/regional firms – in regard to the influence of situational context on their ethically‐related decision‐making and judgment evaluations.Design/methodology/approachAgainst the backdrop of five vignettes applied with a survey, the paper examines the potential influence of social consensus and magnitude of consequence on the ethical decision path of these three auditor groups.FindingsThe paper finds that, in all cases, social consensus and magnitude of consequences exert influence on the ethical decision path. In the case of social consensus, however the paper finds that the ethical decision path is fully mediated for large firm auditors but is only partial mediated for the other two groups of auditors.Originality/valueThis research examines responses from both internal and external auditors. Comparison between such groups is unique because these groups have not been well researched in the past literature.

Bulldog decision

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Travis Lee Cyphers ◽  
Julianne Renee Apodaca
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Theoretical Basis ◽  
Authentic Leadership ◽  
Ethical Decision ◽  
Ethical Decision Making ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Military Justice ◽  
Commanding Officer ◽  
Academic Level ◽  
Military Law

Theoretical basis The theoretical basis for this case is a focus on ethical decision-making based upon a decision-making tree proposed by Bagley et al. (2003). Once multiple options are determined as ethical, integrating authentic leadership into the decision-making process can help leaders made difficult decisions. Research methodology The authors conducted extensive research through IBISWorld, EBSCOhost, and academic journals to review ethical decision-making and authentic leadership. The authors successfully piloted the case with over 100 undergraduate and graduate students enrolled in leadership courses. Case overview/synopsis The case describes an ethical decision a young commanding officer must make. A soldier under their leadership has been charged with an inappropriate relationship with a minor. The officer must decide between two actions that are legal within the military justice system. Each decision has ramifications that will significantly affect the organization. Complexity academic level The case is best taught in undergraduate and graduate leadership courses. Course participants do not need a detailed understanding of military leadership or military law to apply fundamental concepts.

Examining Ethical Decision Making Behavior in E-Learning Systems

2016 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 41-56
Author(s):  
Richelle L. Oakley ◽  
Rahul Singh
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Ethical Behavior ◽  
Unethical Behavior ◽  
Ethical Decision ◽  
Ethical Decision Making ◽  
Learning Systems ◽  
Situational Factors ◽  
The Social ◽  
E Learning ◽  
Decision Making Behavior

E-Learning has proliferated throughout the education sector in recent years. Unfortunately, an unintended and undesirable aspect of e-Learning is centered on unethical behavior exhibited by students engaged in technology-facilitated cheating. Interestingly, cheating in e-Learning systems occurs in the social context of the class. Using results from a qualitative field study, the authors investigate the socio-technical dimensions of ethical decision-making in e-Learning systems focusing on individual and situational factors. They developed propositions and provide an in-depth discussion of identified factors. Their findings provide the basis for researchers to develop testable propositions for further empirical investigations and provide insight for educators dealing with the unique challenges of the socio-technical dimensions of ethical behavior in e-Learning systems.

Developing ethical managers for future business roles: a qualitative study of the efficacy of “Stand-Alone” and “Embedded” University “Ethics” courses

2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 145-162 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Alastair Coldwell ◽  
Robert Venter ◽  
Emmanuel Nkomo
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Business Ethics ◽  
Moral Reasoning ◽  
Ethical Decision ◽  
Ethical Decision Making ◽  
Business Leaders ◽  
Higher Learning ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Postgraduate Students ◽  
Ethics Courses

Purpose While the problem of unethical leadership is undoubtedly a global one, the urgency of generating ethical leadership to advance the development of Africa has never been more evident than it is today. The challenge for higher education in developing ethical leaders is of core importance, as it is responsible for providing the main recruiting ground of business leaders. The current paper reports findings of a qualitative study of postgraduate students’ ethical development at the end of courses in business ethics aimed to enhance moral reasoning and ethical decision-making. The paper aims to ascertain whether stand-alone ethics courses are more effective than integrated ones in achieving academic ethical competency. Design/methodology/approach The study adopts an idiographic approach which aims at eliciting individual student subjective perceptions of the effects of the direct and indirect courses of ethical instruction on their moral reasoning and ethical practice. The research design broadly follows Mill’s (2017) method of difference. Findings Findings indicate perceived differences in the relative effectiveness of stand-alone and embedded ethics courses among students but also show that most students hold positive overall evaluations of the effectiveness of the both types of ethics instruction. Research limitations/implications Limitations to the study include that it is cross-sectional, involves a small sample of postgraduate students and is restricted to two management courses at one institution of higher learning. Furthermore, while Mill (2017) provides a useful research design in this context, it is not able to indicate causality, as there are other possible unidentified “third variables” that may be the actual cause of student differences between embedded and stand-alone ethics courses. The study is not able to show the durability and transfer of ethical competencies into students’ later working lives. Practical implications The study provides a useful practical educational contribution to the extant knowledge in the field in that it suggests that ethical courses aimed at giving students a moral reasoning “toolkit” for ethical decision-making are more effective when delivered in the stand-alone format, whereas practical decision-making skills are best honed by embedded business ethics courses. Social implications The problem of corruption in business and politics in South Africa is widely documented and has been regarded as responsible for creating a serious developmental drag on the alleviation of poverty and quality of lives of the majority of people in the country. The moral/ethical competency and behavior of future business leaders is partly the responsibility of institutions of higher learning. The study aims to find the most effective means of imparting moral awareness in postgraduate students who are likely to take up business leadership positions in their future careers. Originality/value The study provides useful contribution to the extant knowledge in the field in the African context in that it suggests that ethical courses aimed at giving students a moral reasoning “toolkit” for ethical decision-making are more effective when delivered in the stand-alone format, whereas practical decision-making skills are best honed by embedded business ethics courses.

Does Class Matter? The Effect of Social Class on Journalists' Ethical Decision Making

2009 ◽  
Vol 86 (3) ◽  
pp. 654-672 ◽  
Author(s):  
Teresa Correa
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Social Class ◽  
Social Identity ◽  
Ethical Decision ◽  
Ethical Decision Making ◽  
Ethical Reasoning ◽  
News Stories ◽  
Psychological Mechanisms ◽  
The Poor ◽  
Ethical Thinking

This study investigated experimentally whether social class of people who appear in news stories influences Chilean journalists' ethical reasoning. Based on schema, social identity, and moral development theories, it found that journalists applied lower levels of ethical reasoning when faced with an ethical dilemma associated with the poor, an effect moderated by participants' involvement in the story. Psychological mechanisms—such as involvement, mental elaboration about stories' subjects, and identification with them—influenced participants' ethical thinking.

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