Ethical Action Research Articles

Relational care and ordinary repair in diverse craft economies

The commentary attends to India's rapidly changing craft economy to notice how individual economic actors in the craft sector make complex and often contradictory ethico‐political choices realising hopeful possibilities. Through the mode of care and repair, the commentary examines how the artisans operating within diverse economies negotiate with exploitative labour regimes and survive a dwindling craft sector. It considers how a woman owner‐artisan creates an atmosphere of togetherness and extends her notion of family by cooking for her team of workers. Care ethics, in this analysis, is not only a gendered feeling but realigns with co‐dependent economic exchanges essential for collective survival. The second case focuses on the everyday repair of musical instruments as an alternative act of ordinary ethics. The commentary argues, even when these small doings do not bring immediate and intentional change in the economic organisation of the two crafts, they require pivotal consideration as already existing alternative value systems anchored within everyday world‐making practices.

Now Is All We Have

Abstract Since the world wars, the pandemic, Covid-19, may be the first crisis to engulf us globally, but others, particularly climate change, threaten. What is the role of faith communities and the potential for ethical action for each of us as individuals? How might our theological understanding affect our decisions? This article, which is partly autobiographical, raises issues of time, truth and understanding.

Caring for older patients with reduced decision-making capacity: a deductive exploratory study of ambulance clinicians’ ethical competence

BackgroundAs more people are living longer, they become frail and are affected by multi-morbidity, resulting in increased demands from the ambulance service. Being vulnerable, older patients may have reduced decision-making capacity, despite still wanting to be involved in decision-making about their care. Their needs may be complex and difficult to assess, and do not always correspond with ambulance assessment protocols. When needing an ambulance, older patients encounter ambulance clinicians who are under high workloads and primarily consider themselves as emergency medical care providers. This situates them in the struggle between differing expectations, and ethical conflicts may arise. To resolve these, providing ethical care, focussing on interpersonal relationships and using ethical competence is needed. However, it is not known whether ambulance clinicians possess the ethical competence required to provide ethical care. Thus, the aim of this study was to deductively explore their ethical competence when caring for older patients with reduced decision-making ability.MethodsA qualitative deductive and exploratory design was used to analyse dyadic interviews with ambulance clinicians. A literature review, defining ethical competence as comprising ethical sensitivity, ethical knowledge, ethical reflection, ethical decision-making, ethical action and ethical behaviour, was used as a structured categorization matrix for the analysis.ResultsAmbulance clinicians possess ethical competence in terms of their ethical knowledge, highlighting the need for establishing an interpersonal relationship with the older patients. To establish this, they use ethical sensitivity to interpret the patients’ needs. Doing this, they are aware of their ethical behaviour, signifying how they must act respectfully and provide the necessary time for listening and interacting.ConclusionsAmbulance clinicians fail to see their gut feeling as a professional ethical competence, which might hinder them from reacting to unethical ways of working. Further, they lack ethical reflection regarding the benefits and disadvantages of paternalism, which reduces their ability to perform ethical decision-making. Moreover, their ethical knowledge is hampered by an ageist approach to older patients, which also has consequences for their ethical action. Finally, ambulance clinicians show deficiencies regarding their ethical reflections, as they reflect merely on their own actions, rather than on their values.

Advances in Ethics: Moral Perceptions and Ethical Actions in the Context of Workplace Relationships

Advances in Ethics: Moral Perceptions and Ethical Actions in the Context of Workplace Relationships

Determinan Pengambilan Keputusan Berkeadilan Konsultan Pajak

Objectives. this studi aims to determine and analysis the effect of moral responsibility, selfish behavior, ethical action and sefl-control on the fair decision of tax consultant.Design/method/approach. This research is a quantitative research that looks for relationships between variables. The research sample is a tax consultant in South Jakarta for reasons of geografhical affordability after the Covid 19 pandemic. At the time of research the number of tax consultant in South Jakarta could not be known, so the Lemeshow formula was used to determine the sample size. With this formula, it is known that the sampel is 67.24 which is rounded up to 67 people using the non probalility sampling method. Data obtained by distributing questionnaires. The analytical method used is multiple linear analysis with WarPLS version 7.0.Results/findings. Moral responsibility has a positif and significant effect on fair decision making. Selfish behavior has a significant negative effect, ethical behavior has a significant positive effect and self control has a non significant positif effect fair decision making.Theoretical contribution. The result of this research are expected to be one of the references in developing lesson plans as well as references in preparing a consultant’s code of ethics, specially in the field of taxation.Practical contribution. The result of this study become an alternative input for tax consultant in making decisions, especially in deciding the tax obligations of taxpayers (clients).Limitations. This research was conducted on tax consultant in South Jakarta, so the research results anly apply to the sample studied and do not represent tax consultant in general.

Revisiting the Received Image of Machiavelli in Business Ethics Through a Close Reading of The Prince and Discourses

In business ethics literature, the figure of Machiavelli is often taken as a representation of that which is dark, sinister and negative—a source of inspiration for undesirable and unethical actions. In this research, we examine the evaluation of Niccolò Machiavelli’s thought in extant studies, and posit that Machiavelli’s works consist of ideas that may appear contradictory, which, coupled with historically contextualized close reading of his texts have more to offer. In this theoretical investigation, we construct new conceptual categories of a leader’s decision-making rubric and attempt to provide a structured framework that will allow us to specify the boundary conditions under which the apparent contrary views may be accommodated, by undertaking a close reading of Machiavelli’s texts. Our work contributes to business ethics literature in at least three ways. First, we present a holistic assessment of the research area that applies the tenets of Machiavelli’s writings to business ethics, management, and organizational studies, and delineate the dominant themes. We outline and substantiate the informal research networks, thought structures, and “invisible colleges” that form the intellectual framework of this research area through a bibliometric analysis and literature review. Second, we present a contextualized close reading of Machiavelli’s major treatises. Third, we reimagine the critical landscape of business ethics literature, specifically pertaining to Machiavelli’s oeuvre by shifting the single-minded focus from The Prince, by including The Discourses, which, as we show, has new and unprecedented implications for business ethics. In light of this, the parameters for ethical action by business leaders can be redrawn according to a Machiavellian schema. This marks a radical departure from the long-standing association between Machiavelli’s tenets and the absence of ethics, instead proposing a more positive and affirmative relationship between Machiavelli and business ethics. Specifically, while pointing out that the existing ethical frameworks foisted on Machiavelli’s texts do not do justice to the political philosopher’s worldview, which are complex insights into ideas of leadership, we urge researchers to incorporate the thoughts offered in this research in future investigations.

Etika dalam Penggunaan Media Sosial: Perilaku Komunikasi yang Bertanggung Jawab

This research contains the understanding of people who have social media regarding ethical actions in using social media. This study aims to determine the public's understanding of ethics in the responsible use of social media. This study uses a quantitative method by filling out a questionnaire through the Google form. The results of the data are seen from the answers contained in the questionnaire using theory from previous books and journals.
 

Nilai Pendidikan Agama Hindu Pada Tradisi Mayah Ikut Dalam Upacara Perkawinan Di Desa Pakraman Satra, Kintamani, Bangli

The Mayah Ikut tradition contains educational values. The strictness of tradition can defeat all global civilizations that want to disturb existing traditions, so symbolic thoughts and ethical actions are characteristic of human dignity that underlies all progress of local culture and society. Cultural acculturation is a custom and its concrete form is the norm. The actions of the local community become customs and traditions, because actions that are successful and profitable tend to be repeated in the same way, over and over again to form. Mayah Ikut has a very deep meaning if it is studied and absorbed, even though it only looks like an offering, but behind it there is something that needs to be revealed to be known together. The values contained in the Mayah Ikut tradition are the value of discipline, the value of togetherness and cultural values

Social responsibility and corporate image: a study in higher education institutions using structural equation modeling

The growing concern with issues related to the promotion of social responsibility principles is directly related to corporate image. As they are privileged training spaces, higher education institutions are environments in which everyday actions allow the incorporation of responsible practices that naturally develop a new social, moral, and ethical actions. In this sense, the present study aims to understand the type of influence that social responsibility exerts on the corporate image of higher education institutions. For that, quantitative research was carried out, using a structured questionnaire. Data processing occurred through the statistical structural equation modeling (SEM) technique, based on the covariance matrix (CM). The research findings offer relevant reflections for decision makers at higher education institutions, in the search for the improvement of methods that enlarge a good perception of the corporate image and aspects of social responsibility, contributing to create or strengthen these constructs that become differentials competitive in the sector, in addition to promoting social well-being.

THE PROBLEM OF THE (IR)RATIONAL AGENT: THE QUESTION OF THE DISCONTINUITY BETWEEN ETHICAL REFLECTION AND ACTION IN KIERKEGAARD’S PHILOSOPHY

In this paper, I will examine the problem of the (ir)rational agent, and discuss the issue of discontinuity between ethical reflection and action in Kierkegaard’s philosophy. The quality of infinity of ethical reflection generates the problem of justification of its interruption: since the reflection cannot stop itself, the question arises as to how it is possible to “deduce” action from it. This means that an individual can either be a highly rational non-agent (if he indulges in reflection) or an irrational agent (if he interrupts reflection to instigate action). I will pose the problem in an epistemological way, and thus try to answer the question of the formation of existential beliefs, that is, beliefs with ethical-religious content. I will try to prove that, although the process of formation of existential beliefs requires a sudden interruption of ethical reflection, this does not mean that the transition from reflection to action is unjustified, and ethical-religious beliefs unfounded. Furthermore, I will try to show that the moment of choice, which is an essential element of the formation of existential beliefs, does not render the process irrational. Namely, I will show that the choice, which is carried out in the process of adopting existential beliefs, does not refer to their content, but to their actualization in the domain of practice. The subjective thinker does not choose low-probability beliefs that are not supported by evidence, but decides to prove existential beliefs existentially — by living by them.

Maintaining a Secure Foundation of Cybersecurity Awareness while Reducing eWaste and Carbon Output through Ethical User Actions and Sustainable Green Computing

To better understand how we can help reduce the climate crisis, this research examined user computing activities in detail to analyze and identify eWaste actions causing unknown catastrophic climate degradation. Countless individuals are oblivious to the damage and devastation being caused to the climate by even a single user. As the world becomes more technologically based than ever before, the global impact on the planet has never been greater. This study examines in great detail end-users’ normal computer usage to identify where, how, and why they are generating excess eWaste. We argue that the resultant data collected will provide support for our theory, positing that increasing consumer awareness of better computational practices can lead to positive actions to reduce eWaste. This research study utilized a multiple case study approach to achieve our stated research objectives; recognizing computer actions identified as most detrimental to the climate by level of eWaste (CO2e output) and introducing alternative user actions that are ethical, green, and produce less eWaste. In addition to helping reduce the overall user-level carbon footprint and eWaste output, the sustainability of these alternative user actions can be maintained with zero reduction in privacy or security for end users. Results from this study contribute to the extant body of literature across multiple disciplines, including privacy, green computing, information system science and technology, cybersecurity, and sustainable computing.

Reducing Moral Stress in Veterinary Teams? Evaluating the Use of Ethical Discussion Groups in Charity Veterinary Hospitals.

This study examines experiences of veterinary moral stress in charity veterinary practice and qualitatively evaluates the role of ethical discussion in reducing veterinary moral stress. Results are drawn from a thematic data analysis of 9 focus groups and 15 individual interviews with veterinary team members from 3 UK charity veterinary hospitals. Moral stress is described as an everyday experience by participants and is caused by uncertainty about their ability to fulfill their ethical obligations. Moral stress is shown to be cumulative and can interact with other forms of stress. Distinct practical and relational barriers to ethical action are identified and proposed as contributors to moral stress, and different team members experience different barriers within their roles. The potential impact of moral stress on team members' quality of life and mental health is highlighted. Results show that regular facilitated ethical group discussions may reduce moral stress in the hospital setting, particularly through familiarization with others' roles and ethical perspectives and through supporting one another's ethical decision-making. The article concludes that moral stress is an important and poorly understood problem in veterinary practice and that further development of regular facilitated ethical group discussion may be of considerable benefit to team members.

Presentation of “Living Being” in Early Indian Buddhism and Its Ethical Implications

This article focuses on the presentation of the notion of “living being” and its link to ethics in the Pāli Buddhist canon and its commentaries. This objective is achieved by examining the key Pāli terms that refer to “living being” (i.e., satta, pāṇa, and bhūta) in different contexts with the aim of identifying their sematic ranges. The article then discusses how the notion of “living being” in the Pāli sources can be situated within the main doctrinal models developed in early Buddhism such as the six sense bases (āyatana), dependent origination (paticcasamuppada), and the Abhidhammic presentation of cognition, which are linked to a larger ethical framework that axiomatically repudiates the existence of a human “self” as the centre of all analysis. Instead, complex systems that link all living beings serve as the foundation for Buddhist praxis, and lead to a new understanding of the lived experience, which is founded on an ethics of behaviour, centred around non-violence or the non-harming of all beings. The article concludes by exploring the important contribution of Buddhist ethics to the current environmental challenges by underscoring the essential role played by the doctrine of non-self (anattā) as the very source and foundation of an ethical stance from which ethical actions can proceed.

Moral courage, burnout, professional competence, and compassion fatigue among nurses.

Moral courage is the ability to defend and practice ethical and moral action when faced with a challenge, even if it means rejecting pressure to act otherwise. However, moral courage remains an unexplored concept among middle eastern nurses. This study investigated the mediating role of moral courage in the relationship between burnout, professional competence, and compassion fatigue among Saudi Arabian nurses. Correlational, cross-sectional design following the STROBE guidelines. Convenience sampling was used to recruit nurses (n = 684) for four government hospitals in Saudi Arabia. Four validated self-report questionnaires (Nurses' Moral Courage Scale, Nurse Professional Competence Scale-Short Form, Maslach Burnout Inventory, and Nurses Compassion Fatigue Inventory) were used to collect data between May to September 2022. Spearman rho and structural equation modeling analyses were employed to analyze the data. The ethics review committee of a government university in Ha'il region, Saudi Arabia, approval this study (Protocol no.: H-2021-012; Approved: 08/022,021). Participants were fully explained the study aims, and consent was voluntarily secured. The emerging model showed that burnout had a direct and positive influence on compassion fatigue, while professional competence had a direct, negative effect on compassion fatigue. Moral courage had a small and direct but negative influence on compassion fatigue. Mediation analyses also indicated that moral courage significantly mediated the indirect effects of burnout and professional competence on compassion fatigue. Moral courage can be a crucial aspect in preserving the psychological and mental health of nurses, particularly under stressful conditions. Therefore, it is advantageous from an organizational and leadership standpoint to implement measures such as programs and interventions to foster moral courage among nurses.

Leadership, Courage, and Ethical Behavior: An Executive Approach

Organizations constitute morally complex environments, requiring organization members to possess levels of moral courage sufficient to promote their ethical action, while refraining from unethical actions when faced with temptations or pressures. Courageous leadership requires a true understanding of organizational structure and pressures. In terms of methodology, this study will examine the moderating and mediating variables of courage, leadership and ethics on leadership in contemporary organizations. This study will be a qualitative study utilizing the 2007 Woodard and Pury Courage Scale, a 23-item survey measuring two dimensions, courage as the ability to act and the fear factor involved with the action. The sample will consist of graduate students working in global corporations located in the South and Central Florida region of the USA. Relevance of the professions of the participants studied will be considered. The importance of this study is that preconceived notions of whether a leader is perceived ethical and trustworthy may be as important as the outcomes that can be observed. This study seeks to examine the moderating and mediating variable of courage, leadership and ethics in contemporary organizations. Recognizing the courageous and ethical leadership traits that inspire trust may assist organization searching for new leadership. Only few research studies have tried to empirically derive types or categorizations of courage, but scholars have shown renewed interest in the construct of courage.

FACTORS INFLUENCING CORPORATE ETHICAL VALUES DISCLOSURES: A SYSTEMATIC LITERATURE REVIEW

The objective of this paper is to review the research patterns that examined factors influencing ethical values and practices disclosures among public listed companies in Malaysia. Through a systematic literature review (SLR) process, the paper reports a step-by-step approach to examining past studies and theories by utilizing the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses) method. Past articles were identified through Scopus, Web of Sciences, and Google Scholar, which cover a period from when the Malaysian Code on Corporate Governance (MCCG) was established in 2000 until 2021. The results of our systematic literature review managed to categorize these factors into internal (board commitment, board characteristics, and company characteristics) and external (regulatory framework and international guidelines). While the sub-categories in each factor were mostly driven by compliance with the MCCG 2012 and MCCG 2017, the items on ethical practices and actions require more attention for further research. This paper recommends more studies to be conducted to examine these factors from the perspectives of board commitment, board characteristics, and firm characteristics as moderating variables. Our paper recommends large companies to adopt integrated reporting based on a globally recognised framework in promoting greater transparency and accountability as well as reducing duplication. The recommendations in this regulatory framework may influence the Board of Directors’ commitment to report more reflections of quality, and ethical values voluntarily. This paper is among the first of its kind to present a systematic literature review, which examines factors influencing ethical values and practices on disclosures, specifically in developing countries.

From Posthumanist Anaesthetics to Promethean Dialectics: Further Considerations on the Category of the Hysterical Sublime

This essay proposes a critique of posthumanist critical theory through the development of the category of the hysterical sublime, a concept first introduced by Fredric Jameson in his early writings on postmodernism. While some critical posthumanist theories equate representationalism with a transcendental humanism, representation is inherent to the kinds of abstractions required in theory as such. Taking up the posthumanist resistance to anthropocentrism or human exceptionalism, the concept of the hysterical sublime—as opposed to the category of the modern sublime, regarding nature—is used to convey the way that posthumanism undermines its own ethical injunctions by invoking fatalistic representations of human action. Instead, this essay defends the return to dialectical humanism as an appropriate framework for thinking the rational and material conditions required for ethical human action.

Community gardens as commons through the lens of the diverse economies framework: A case study of Austin, TX

Community gardening involves physical transformation of land, which then promotes community-identity formation and the production of place. This is a case study of community gardens in Austin, Texas (USA) as different types of commons with a focus on the Diverse Economies framework's principles of the successful governance and management. This paper argues that community gardens represent biophysical, cultural, social, and knowledge commons, therefore, their success depends on the social value they provide in addition to their physical yield. This qualitative research uses key-informant interviews with community gardens' representatives to draw evidence that: 1) community gardens represent different types of commons and 2) the governance approaches and management of community gardens include the principles of ‘ethical action’ described by the Diverse Economies framework. This analysis shows that 18 out of 26 community gardens in Austin follow all six principles of ethical action, and the degree of use of these principles depends on the garden's purposes and values, socioeconomic profile of its members, and its management structure. The results also shows that community gardens in Austin appear to be less aware or less concern with the ecological services related to gardening.

ASCO Ethical Guidance for the US Oncology Community Where Reproductive Health Care Is Limited by Law.

The decision in Dobbs v Jackson Women's Health Organization overturned federal protections for abortion rights, making way for states to enact abortion bans with or without exceptions for the health or life of the pregnant patient. Patient care across many areas of medicine including oncology continues to be affected. Although the change in the legal landscape is widely felt, the core ethical considerations for physicians do not change because of restrictions on the practice of medicine. ASCO offers this guidance to assist US oncologists and institutions who must balance limitations with established ethical duties. This paper articulates principles for cancer care and pregnancy, offers a framework for ethical reflection and action for oncologists who care for pregnant patients, and makes recommendations for individual and institutional action to support evidence-based, patient-centered care in the United States where abortion is illegal or access is limited.

Descriptions of long-term impact from inter-professional ethics communication in groups.

On a daily basis, healthcare professionals deal with various ethical issues and it can be difficult to determine how to act best. Clinical ethics support (CES) has been developed to provide support for healthcare professionals dealing with complex ethical issues. A long-term perspective of participating in inter-professional dialogue and reflective-based CES sessions is seemingly sparse in the literature. The aim was to describe experiences of impact of Inter-professional Ethics Communication in groups (IEC) based on Habermas' theory of communicative actions, after 6months from the perspective of an inter-professional team. A qualitative inductive approach was chosen, and individual interviews (n = 13) were conducted. Interview data were analysed using qualitative content analysis. The participants, 10 females and two males, represented assistant nurses, registered nurses, physicians, occupational therapists, physiotherapists, welfare officers and psychologists. Each had attended at least four IEC sessions. The study was approved by the Regional Ethical Review Board in Umeå, Sweden, and it has been undertaken in accordance with the Helsinki Declaration. Overall, the descriptions expressed a perceived achievement of a deepened and integrated ethical awareness that increased the participants' awareness of ethically difficult situations as well as their own ethical thinking, actions and approaches in daily work. Perspectives were shared and the team become more welded. They carried the memories of the reflections within them, which was perceived as supportive when encountered new ethically situations. Putting words to unarticulated thoughts may stimulate repeated reflections, leading to new insights and alternative thoughts. The outcome of IEC sessions 6months following the last session can be described as an incorporated knowledge that enables actions in ethically difficult situations based on an ethical awareness both at a 'We-level' and an 'I-level'.