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.

Fiery phoenix PLC – entrepreneurial survival in Zambia

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 1-17
Author(s):  
Mwila Natasha Katuta
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Learning Outcomes ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Ethical Decision ◽  
Ethical Decision Making ◽  
Ethical Dilemmas ◽  
Study Data ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Academic Level ◽  
Decision Making Models

Learning outcomes The learning outcomes are as follows: students should be able to provide definitions for ethical dilemmas; students should be able to identify ethical dilemmas in a real business context; and students should be able to determine the outcomes of applying given decision-making models to a specific scenario. Case overview/synopsis The aim of this study is to demonstrate the complexity of ethical decision-making in start-up enterprises in emerging markets. The study draws on two well-known decision-making models to illustrate how their application in this context may lead to conflicting outcomes. The study data was collected through reflective entries provided by the business proprietor. These were followed up by three in-depth interviews. The data was supported by analysis of company documents provided by the case. The study demonstrates the crucible moments in entrepreneurial startups that give rise to ethical questions and the need for decision making. It demonstrates the complexity of ethical decision making in emerging contexts. The study business elected to maintain anonymity for commercial protection. This limits the scope of information that may be divulged. The study and the accompanying teaching note provide context for how to apply decision-making frameworks to real business dilemmas. This study contributes to scholarly work on teaching business ethics to undergraduate students. Complexity academic level Final Year Undergraduate. Supplementary materials Teaching Notes are available for educators only. Subject code CSS 3: Entrepreneurship.

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.

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.

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.

Towards development and validation of scale for ethical decision-making model in marketing

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Shinaj Valangattil Shamsudheen ◽  
Saiful Azhar Rosly
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Factor Analysis ◽  
Content Validity ◽  
Ethical Decision ◽  
Ethical Decision Making ◽  
Theoretical Background ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Ethical Philosophy ◽  
Development And Validation ◽  
Decision Making Model

Purpose This paper aims to develop and validate scale for ethical decision-making model in marketing that confirms religious–humanistic approach with special reference to ethical philosophy in Islam. Synthesized model of Ferrell and Gresham contingency framework for ethical decision-making in marketing and Al-Ghazali’s ethical philosophy are considered as theoretical background of this study. Design/methodology/approach “Content validity test” and “factor analysis” are used to refine measurement items and define as well as validate the scale, respectively. A total of 362 samples were collected from Islamic banking practitioners in the United Arab Emirates. Findings Item scale of the constructs comprised in the conceptual model defined and validated by using content validity test (CVT). Underlying theoretical dimensions of the constructs were extracted through exploratory factor analysis (EFA), and evidence of validation of scale/construct reported through CFA. Research limitations/implications The scope of this paper is limited to development and validation of scale. Future studies are suggested to use the newly validated scale/construct in descriptive model, and examine the hypotheses prescribed in the model. Further, explanations on theoretical background of this paper is limited as the main objective of this paper is to statistically validate the conceptual model adopted. Practical implications Proper application of validated scale of ethical decision-making model in marketing should enable concerned authorities of marketing department to gauge and understand the ethical aspects of individuals in the organizations. Apparently, apprehension of ethical perception of workforces in organizations should benefit in enhancing competence and minimize the costs from unethical behaviour, and, thus, better governance in whole level of management. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is an initial attempt to develop and validate the scale of ethical decision-making model in marketing that accommodates both religious and humanistic aspects into a single model to examine the decision-making behaviour related to ethical issues of individuals in organizations.

Ethical decision making in a critical development phase

2012 ◽  
Vol 2 (8) ◽  
pp. 1-11
Author(s):  
Hao Chen ◽  
Xiaoming Zheng ◽  
Lijuan Liu
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Business Ethics ◽  
Ethical Decision ◽  
Ethical Decision Making ◽  
Moral Dilemmas ◽  
Product Line ◽  
Social Benefits ◽  
Development Phase ◽  
Market Demand ◽  
Content Type

Subject area Ethical decision making, business ethics. Study level/applicability This case is applicable to MBA, EDP and EMBA courses. Case overview TOREAD, a professional provider of outdoor equipment in China, started in business by producing and selling tents. To meet market demand, TOREAD expanded its product line which ranges from outdoor durable tent products to “pan-outdoor” products including footwear and clothing. During the critical expansion phase, TOREAD was challenged by a quality problem in a batch of outsourced sandals that had been manufactured by a contracted supplier. By researching different options and going through an ethical decision making process, TOREAD made the choice of destroying all “problem sandals”. Since then, TOREAD has focused development on product quality improvement and product innovation to establish a sustainable brand image and generate social benefits. TOREAD's decision making in the critical development phase helped it to become the leader in the outdoor product industry in China. Expected learning outcomes This case may be used for courses such as business ethics and strategy. By learning this case, students can understand the process of making ethical decisions when facing moral dilemmas among corporate decision makers, employees and relevant interested parties, and learn how to make strategic decisions to balance company profit growth and social benefits in critical development phases. Supplementary materials Teaching notes are available for educators only. Please contact your library to gain login details or email [email protected] to request teaching notes.

Rule based fuzzy cognitive maps and natural language processing in machine ethics

2016 ◽  
Vol 14 (3) ◽  
pp. 231-253 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rollin M. Omari ◽  
Masoud Mohammadian
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Ethical Theory ◽  
Decision Procedure ◽  
Ethical Decision ◽  
Ethical Decision Making ◽  
Cognitive Maps ◽  
Ethical Principles ◽  
Machine Ethics ◽  
Rule Based ◽  
Content Type

Purpose The developing academic field of machine ethics seeks to make artificial agents safer as they become more pervasive throughout society. In contrast to computer ethics, machine ethics is concerned with the behavior of machines toward human users and other machines. This study aims to use an action-based ethical theory founded on the combinational aspects of deontological and teleological theories of ethics in the construction of an artificial moral agent (AMA). Design/methodology/approach The decision results derived by the AMA are acquired via fuzzy logic interpretation of the relative values of the steady-state simulations of the corresponding rule-based fuzzy cognitive map (RBFCM). Findings Through the use of RBFCMs, the following paper illustrates the possibility of incorporating ethical components into machines, where latent semantic analysis (LSA) and RBFCMs can be used to model dynamic and complex situations, and to provide abilities in acquiring causal knowledge. Research limitations/implications This approach is especially appropriate for data-poor and uncertain situations common in ethics. Nonetheless, to ensure that a machine with an ethical component can function autonomously in the world, research in artificial intelligence will need to further investigate the representation and determination of ethical principles, the incorporation of these ethical principles into a system’s decision procedure, ethical decision-making with incomplete and uncertain knowledge, the explanation for decisions made using ethical principles and the evaluation of systems that act based upon ethical principles. Practical implications To date, the conducted research has contributed to a theoretical foundation for machine ethics through exploration of the rationale and the feasibility of adding an ethical dimension to machines. Further, the constructed AMA illustrates the possibility of utilizing an action-based ethical theory that provides guidance in ethical decision-making according to the precepts of its respective duties. The use of LSA illustrates their powerful capabilities in understanding text and their potential application as information retrieval systems in AMAs. The use of cognitive maps provides an approach and a decision procedure for resolving conflicts between different duties. Originality/value This paper suggests that cognitive maps could be used in AMAs as tools for meta-analysis, where comparisons regarding multiple ethical principles and duties can be examined and considered. With cognitive mapping, complex and abstract variables that cannot easily be measured but are important to decision-making can be modeled. This approach is especially appropriate for data-poor and uncertain situations common in ethics.

New possibilities for translation

2017 ◽  
Vol 3 (3) ◽  
pp. 291-303
Author(s):  
Dawn M. Cornelio
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Ethical Decision ◽  
Ethical Decision Making ◽  
Sociological Theory ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Care Theory ◽  
Ongoing Process ◽  
Carol Gilligan ◽  
Moral Attention

Abstract Pioneered by feminist ethicist and psychologist Carol Gilligan in her 1982 work In a Different Voice, care theory rests, according to philosopher Rita Manning, on four key elements: Moral Attention, Sympathetic Understanding, Relationship Awareness, and Harmony. Combined with the notion of voice present in Gilligan’s title, each of these components represents a key portion of the translator-text-author relationship, particularly when translation is seen as negotiation. In this contribution, after examining the notion of translation as negotiation as Eco describes it, I will offer an overview of the psycho-sociological theory of care, with the aim of presenting it as a framework for ethical decision-making in negotiating the act of translation. The importance of translaboration will become evident through the theories of Ricoeur and an emphasis on the cooperative nature of ethically negotiated decisions; i.e., ‘trans’ and its insistence on moving across, beyond, through; and ‘laboration’ and its insistence on the continuing and ongoing process of working.

Empirical investigation regarding ethical decision making: a stakeholder cross-impact analysis (SCIA)

2022 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Nikhil Kewalkrishna Mehta ◽  
Som Sekhar Bhattacharyya ◽  
Nilay Pandey
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Ethical Dilemma ◽  
Impact Analysis ◽  
Ethical Decision ◽  
Ethical Decision Making ◽  
Emerging Market ◽  
Middle Level ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Stakeholder Identification ◽  
Stakeholder Influence

Purpose The purpose of this research was to study senior and middle-level executive perspectives on ethical decision-making exploring stakeholder cross-impact analysis (SCIA). Given the complexities of business today, stakeholder identification, prioritisation and complexities of reciprocal stakeholder influences have become very important. Various philosophical approaches raised questions than responses to these problems. There was a clear need to find ways through which the worldview of agents could be assimilated and understood. Design/methodology/approach This study used the original hypothetical short case and brought in middle and senior executive reflections of Indian fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) managers. Reflections of ten senior and 178 middle-level Indian FMCG managers were presented, exploring ethical dilemmas using short hypothetical case. These reflections have been analysed using the SCIA framework. The paired t-test was performed to compare the reflections of senior and middle-level executives. Findings The study results indicated that differences emerged regarding stakeholder identification, prioritisation and reciprocal stakeholder influences between Indian middle and senior FMCG executives. Hence, this study paved a reflective space for SCIA. The findings were in line with the tenets of agents’ dilemmas depicted in agency theory. Research limitations/implications This study made contribution to theory by integrating the perspective of ethical dilemma confronted by organisational decision-making units (DMUs) with respect to stakeholder influence and prioritisation. Specifically, theoretical contribution was made towards SCIA. Practical implications This study would help middle and senior executives to better understand the needs and complexities of stakeholder identification, prioritisation and complexities of reciprocal stakeholder influences. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this was one of the first studies from an emerging market context country like India that applied SCIA in the FMCG sector. Organisational DMUs while facing ethical dilemma undertook stakeholder influence vis-a-vis stakeholder prioritisation.

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