Abstract
This paper explores the relationship between the corporation and its ethical standing and that of its employees within a framework of eight dynamics. The ‘highest’ level of ethical behaviour possible for a corporation is only as ‘high’ as that of its personnel, especially those in positions of power. Companies that behave ethically are more profitable, while companies that behave unethically are stripping resources from society without fair exchange and leaving a legacy of anti-trust and non-cooperation between individuals and organisations as well as a dollar cost of approximately two and a half trillion dollars per year. In the long run they damage themselves and all dynamics in which they intersect. The problem then is how to find ethical personnel to staff organisations for the benefit of all related dynamics. This paper explores the idea of business as part of a greater whole and the scope of personal ethics especially in business. The paper then explores potential indicators of ethically minded individuals with a view to use this information when hiring new employees but particularly those who, when employed, will wield the greatest power: those at middle management and top management.
Highlights
This paper explores the relationship between the corporation and its ethical standing and that of its employees within a framework of eight dynamics
This model is hereafter used when referring to stakeholders as each to a greater or lesser degree is involved with each other, and each holds a greater or lesser degree of importance for individuals they influence each other. These dynamics are incorporated into a definition of ethics as behaviour which seeks the best level of survival, or ‘the greatest benefits to the greatest number of dynamics’ and unethical behaviour is that which offers ‘the poorest solution’ and brings ‘the greatest harm to the most number of dynamics’ (Hubbard 2007)
Ethical dilemmas as those in which one dynamic is pitched against another without clear guidelines as to how to resolve the situation. It appears that those who operate more fully on the group dynamic are more likely to adhere to corporate rulings rather than their personal values (Arnold, Bernardi, Neidermeyer and Schmee 2005). This is in alignment with stewardship theory (Clarke 2007) in which employees act in the best interests of the corporations for whom they work, rather than looking more widely at the situation to reach the optimum number of positive outcomes across the majority of dynamics
Summary
As expressed so eloquently by Donne (1624) no person exists unto themselves but as a part of a family, a member in a group or several groups, a citizen in society and part of Mankind. Waddock (2005) suggests that a lack of connection between these various dynamics makes business people unaware of the repercussions of their poor business decisions and the financial cost which is estimated to be two and a half trillion dollars per year (Estes 1996). Waddock (2005) lists the dynamics as involving “stakeholders, societies, and the natural environment” and adds ‘other people, organizations, communities’ and further adds a still broader sweep by including ‘the world’. McMurtry (2002). A more orderly description of these various areas which may be impacted upon and resound back upon each other is provided by Hubbard (2007) as being eight dynamics in total: one’s self, family, groups of individuals, Mankind, all living things, physical universe as made up of matter, energy, space and time, the spiritual realm and the Supreme Being. This model is hereafter used when referring to stakeholders as each to a greater or lesser degree is involved with each other, and each holds a greater or lesser degree of importance for individuals they influence each other. Their business acumen was motivated strongly by their religious views and was used in this instance to offer the public an alternative to alcoholic beverages in the form of drinking chocolate
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callMore From: Journal of Business Systems, Governance and Ethics
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
