scholarly journals Bad Apples in Bad Barrels Revisited: Cognitive Moral Development, Just World Beliefs, Rewards, and Ethical Decision-Making

2006 ◽  
Vol 16 (4) ◽  
pp. 449-473 ◽  
Author(s):  
Neal M. Ashkanasy ◽  
Carolyn A. Windsor ◽  
Linda K. Treviño
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Moral Development ◽  
Ethical Decision ◽  
Ethical Decision Making ◽  
Interactive Effect ◽  
Personal Characteristics ◽  
Outcome Expectancies ◽  
Cognitive Moral Development ◽  
Just World ◽  
Organizational Rewards

Abstract:In this study, we test the interactive effect on ethical decision-making of (1) personal characteristics, and (2) personal expectancies based on perceptions of organizational rewards and punishments. Personal characteristics studied were cognitive moral development and belief in a just world. Using an in-basket simulation, we found that exposure to reward system information influenced managers’ outcome expectancies. Further, outcome expectancies and belief in a just world interacted with managers’ cognitive moral development to influence managers’ ethical decision-making. In particular, low-cognitive moral development managers who expected that their organization condoned unethical behavior made less ethical decisions while high cognitive moral development managers became more ethical in this environment. Low cognitive moral development managers also behaved less ethically when their belief in a just world was high.

scholarly journals Cognitive Moral Development, Organizational Situation and Ethical Decision Making in Business and Accounting

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (5) ◽  
pp. 93
Author(s):  
Abdul Hamid Habbe ◽  
Andi Kusumawati ◽  
Alimuddin ◽  
Yohanis Rura ◽  
Iskandar Muda
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Moral Development ◽  
Earnings Management ◽  
Ethical Decision ◽  
Ethical Decision Making ◽  
Cognitive Moral Development ◽  
Postgraduate Students ◽  
Ethical Decisions ◽  
Full Factorial ◽  
The Relationship

This study examines the effect of the interaction between cognitive moral development (pragmatic, accommodating, and autonomous) and an organizational situation (agency and stewardship) in business ethical decision making (earnings management and expropriation). This research employed a laboratory experiment design of full factorial factor 3x2 between-within subjects.There were 97 postgraduate students of Hasanuddin University that acted as participants. Data were analyzed by ANOVA and t-test. The results showed that the level of cognitive moral development is positively related to the degree of ethical decisions in accounting and expropriation. The higher the level of cognitive moral development, the more managers act ethically in decisions relating to accounting and expropriation. Meanwhile, the agency and stewardship situation have no effect on the differences in ethical decision making both in accounting and expropriation. Similarly, the exposure to an organizational situation has no impact on the relationship between levels of cognitive moral development and ethical decision making.The assumption stating that cognitive moral development of each participant has been an anchor and not easily changed to the different or the opposite situations is empirically proven.

Decision Making in SMEs

2014 ◽  
pp. 301-314
Author(s):  
Gizem Öksüzoğlu-Güven
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Moral Development ◽  
Moral Psychology ◽  
Ethical Decision ◽  
Ethical Decision Making ◽  
Cognitive Moral Development ◽  
External Factors ◽  
Decision Making Process ◽  
Ethical Ideologies ◽  
Entrepreneurial Decision

This chapter explores theories and concepts of ethical decision making in SMEs and how individuality of entrepreneurs affects their organisations. In order to investigate the entrepreneurial ethical decision-making process, the chapter crossbreeds the concepts of greed and power, cognitive moral development, ethical ideologies, and individual psychological characteristics as determinant of ethical decision making. Through discussion of relevant models, the chapter presents arguments on determinants of individual ethical decision making as well as external factors that influence the decision-making process. In doing so, it aims to provide a distinctive perspective on understanding decision making in SMEs through forming a bridge between individual moral psychology and entrepreneurial decision making. This understanding enables us to have an alternative reasoning when examining employment-related issues.

The Effect of Organizational Forces on Individual Morality: Judgment, Moral Approbation, and Behavior

1998 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 431-445 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas M. Jones ◽  
Lori Verstegen Ryan
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Moral Development ◽  
Moral Judgment ◽  
Recent Work ◽  
Ethical Behavior ◽  
Ethical Decision ◽  
Ethical Decision Making ◽  
Cognitive Moral Development ◽  
Relative Lack ◽  
And Behavior

Abstract:To date, our understanding of ethical decision making and behavior in organizations has been concentrated in the area of moral judgment, largely because of the hundreds of studies done involving cognitive moral development. This paper addresses the problem of our relative lack of understanding in other areas of human morality by applying a recently developed construct—moral approbation—to illuminate the link between moral judgment and moral action. This recent work is extended here by exploring the effect that organizations have on ethical behavior in terms of the moral approbation construct.

Decision Making in SMEs

2015 ◽  
pp. 1049-1062
Author(s):  
Gizem Öksüzoğlu-Güven
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Moral Development ◽  
Moral Psychology ◽  
Ethical Decision ◽  
Ethical Decision Making ◽  
Cognitive Moral Development ◽  
External Factors ◽  
Decision Making Process ◽  
Ethical Ideologies ◽  
Entrepreneurial Decision

This chapter explores theories and concepts of ethical decision making in SMEs and how individuality of entrepreneurs affects their organisations. In order to investigate the entrepreneurial ethical decision-making process, the chapter crossbreeds the concepts of greed and power, cognitive moral development, ethical ideologies, and individual psychological characteristics as determinant of ethical decision making. Through discussion of relevant models, the chapter presents arguments on determinants of individual ethical decision making as well as external factors that influence the decision-making process. In doing so, it aims to provide a distinctive perspective on understanding decision making in SMEs through forming a bridge between individual moral psychology and entrepreneurial decision making. This understanding enables us to have an alternative reasoning when examining employment-related issues.

Entrepreneurial Ethical Decision Making

2015 ◽  
pp. 106-122
Author(s):  
Gizem Öksüzoğlu-Güven
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Moral Psychology ◽  
Ethical Decision ◽  
Ethical Decision Making ◽  
Ethical Judgment ◽  
Cognitive Moral Development ◽  
Entrepreneurial Behaviour ◽  
Ethical Ideologies ◽  
Entrepreneurial Decision ◽  
Alternative Understanding

This chapter looks into determinants and contexts that influence an entrepreneur's decision where ethical judgment is required. By looking into relevant theories and research in the field of ethical decision making, concepts of greed and power and their influence on ethical decision making, cognitive moral development, individual psychological characteristics, ethical ideologies, organizational, environmental, industrial, and moral intensity are discussed through relevant models. The aim is to provide a perspective on understanding ethical decision making in the entrepreneurial context by forming a bridge between our understanding of individual moral psychology and entrepreneurial decision making. This discussion further augments the existing research on entrepreneurship and SME literature within the ethical decision-making context. What is presented in this chapter provides an alternative understanding of reasoning when examining entrepreneurial behaviour.

Entrepreneurial Ethical Decision Making

2015 ◽  
pp. 1331-1347
Author(s):  
Gizem Öksüzoğlu-Güven
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Moral Psychology ◽  
Ethical Decision ◽  
Ethical Decision Making ◽  
Ethical Judgment ◽  
Cognitive Moral Development ◽  
Entrepreneurial Behaviour ◽  
Ethical Ideologies ◽  
Entrepreneurial Decision ◽  
Alternative Understanding

This chapter looks into determinants and contexts that influence an entrepreneur's decision where ethical judgment is required. By looking into relevant theories and research in the field of ethical decision making, concepts of greed and power and their influence on ethical decision making, cognitive moral development, individual psychological characteristics, ethical ideologies, organizational, environmental, industrial, and moral intensity are discussed through relevant models. The aim is to provide a perspective on understanding ethical decision making in the entrepreneurial context by forming a bridge between our understanding of individual moral psychology and entrepreneurial decision making. This discussion further augments the existing research on entrepreneurship and SME literature within the ethical decision-making context. What is presented in this chapter provides an alternative understanding of reasoning when examining entrepreneurial behaviour.

scholarly journals Moral Development in Business Ethics: An Examination and Critique

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kristen Bell DeTienne ◽  
Carol Frogley Ellertson ◽  
Marc-Charles Ingerson ◽  
William R. Dudley
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Business Ethics ◽  
Moral Development ◽  
Moral Judgment ◽  
Ethical Decision ◽  
Ethical Decision Making ◽  
Background Information ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Behavioral Ethics ◽  
Ethics Research

AbstractThe field of behavioral ethics has seen considerable growth over the last few decades. One of the most significant concerns facing this interdisciplinary field of research is the moral judgment-action gap. The moral judgment-action gap is the inconsistency people display when they know what is right but do what they know is wrong. Much of the research in the field of behavioral ethics is based on (or in response to) early work in moral psychology and American psychologist Lawrence Kohlberg’s foundational cognitive model of moral development. However, Kohlberg’s model of moral development lacks a compelling explanation for the judgment-action gap. Yet, it continues to influence theory, research, teaching, and practice in business ethics today. As such, this paper presents a critical review and analysis of the pertinent literature. This paper also reviews modern theories of ethical decision making in business ethics. Gaps in our current understanding and directions for future research in behavioral business ethics are presented. By providing this important theoretical background information, targeted critical analysis, and directions for future research, this paper assists management scholars as they begin to seek a more unified approach, develop newer models of ethical decision making, and conduct business ethics research that examines the moral judgment-action gap.

Factors in the acquisition of ethical training

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sara Rodriguez Gomez ◽  
María Victoria Lopez Perez ◽  
Raquel Garde Sánchez ◽  
Lázaro Rodríguez Ariza
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Ethical Decision ◽  
Ethical Decision Making ◽  
Business Students ◽  
Personal Characteristics ◽  
Family Influence ◽  
Ethical Behaviour ◽  
Business World ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Ethical Decisions

PurposeSociety in general demands ethical behaviour in the business world. The research aim of the paper is to analyse whether higher education institutions of business contribute to ethical decision-making in students through a specific training approach based on practical methodologies that take into account students' personal characteristics, which may affect ethical decision-making. The acquisition of knowledge should be more effective when it is based on personal characteristics.Design/methodology/approachCase method, discussion and self-learning methodology were used, and at the end of the term, the students were evaluated and asked to complete a 48 closed-question questionnaire. A linear regression model is performed to analyse to what extent the results are associated to the variables proposed.FindingsThe results show that knowledge is an explanatory variable, but personal characteristics such as gender or empathy reinforce the learning. Gender difference affects the ethical decisions made and empathy, showing that training based on emotions is effective. Besides, the results show that students integrate family influence in their training process.Research limitations/implicationsIn this paper, the authors have selected empathy, gender and instruction. They have taken into account the incidence of age and family education. In addition, other contextual factors can have an incidence on training and the model could be improved.Practical implicationsThe results show that it is necessary to take into account the students' personal characteristics and select an appropriate training methodology to teach ethics and obtain success.Social implicationsThe students graduating from these courses will be future managers and entrepreneurs and will make decisions in which ethical questions must be taken into account, hence the need for training in this respect.Originality/valueThe teaching of business ethics in business faculties is not an easy subject. It is necessary to select the approach of ethic and an effective methodology to achieve the learning objective. This learning methodology must take into account students' characteristics to be effective. The business students are future managers and entrepreneurs who will make decisions in which ethical questions must be considered, hence the need for training in this respect.

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