Ethical Infrastructure Research Articles

Impact of Ethical Infrastructure on the Performance of Executive Power Administrative Units in Bulgaria

In the last 30 years, issues related to ethics in the public sector have become increasingly relevant in Bulgaria. Since the democratic changes, the interest in ethics in public structures has increased. A number of studies by international and national institutes and organisations have brought the state of the ethical environment in Bulgaria into the focus of research interest, and have highlighted the problems of corruption and the absence of adequate countermeasures. Corruption is the most obvious manifestation of the lack of a functioning ethical infrastructure or adequate control over administration in our country. Reactive behaviour towards cases of corruption is not an effective mechanism for curbing corruption. Rather, actions need to be based on proactive approaches. Yet, to make adequate choices, it is essential to analyse the level to which the elements of the ethical infrastructure which have an impact on organisational performance and affect the ethical climate have been developed. This research analyses the level of development of ethical infrastructure and its impact on the performance of administrative structures in Bulgaria, while also exploring the respondents’ attitudes towards these issues. It defines the applied models of ethical infrastructure and problem areas in the ethical environment of executive administrations in Bulgaria.

Towards defining the public interest in technology: lessons from history

Abstract The public interest suggests a singular approach to a social good, but lessons from history illustrate the nuances of sharing open space, transportation networks, and policy mandates. Serving the public exists across a spectrum of possibilities. In this essay, we consider how the emerging field of public interest technology could learn from previous assumptions about who counts as the public and how benefits or harms can be overly concentrated in certain populations. We situate public interest technology as a growing capability of government public service, an institutionalized professional practice like public interest law, as well as a site of critical inquiry. Our definition of the public interest is motivated by a theory of change that recognizes the strength of inclusion. Punctuated with historic and contemporary examples, this essay argues that by acknowledging conflicts of interest and embracing the marginal, public interest technology could build ethical infrastructures to serve all.

Laying the Groundwork: Insights from Organisational Ethics for Humanitarian Innovation

Humanitarian innovation is occurring in a wide range of organisational contexts, from innovation labs and hubs, to specialised units within humanitarian organisations, to small social innovation startups and through intersectoral partnerships. Ethical considerations associated with innovation activities have been the source of increased discussion, including critiques around inclusion in the definition of problems, imposition of solutions, introduction of new risks for people in crisis situations and potential for exploitation. To promote ethical innovation, various initiatives have sought to articulate guiding values and to create resources and frameworks to integrate values in project design and implementation. A distinctive yet complementary line of ethical analysis is offered by the approach of positive organisational ethics, which considers the features of organisations that promote and sustain conditions supportive of ethical action. In this paper we examine three dimensions of an organisation’s ethical infrastructure: the resources that are established, such as policies and statements of organisational values; the practices that are enacted, such as methods of onboarding new staff; and the capacities that are fostered and accessed, including ethics knowledge and skills. Attention to these features constitutes an important means of laying the groundwork for organisational conditions that are supportive of ethical humanitarian innovation.

Bridging the Chasm Between Intentions and Behaviors: Developing and Testing a Construal Level Theory of Internal Whistle-Blowing

The recent wave of corporate scandals has necessitated a more systematic investigation of internal whistle-blowing as a potential way to prevent wrongdoing. Our understanding of whistle-blowing, however, has been hampered by a deep chasm that exists between employees’ intent to blow the whistle and their whistle-blowing behaviors. We argue that to fully bridge this gap, we need to consider employees’ cognitive states at the time of whistle-blowing intentions versus behaviors and to link these cognitive states to the ethical systems within the organization’s ethical infrastructure to understand which systems are more effective in cultivating whistle-blowing intentions and which systems help translate those intentions into behaviors. Across one multisource field study and one multiwave experiment, we found support for our arguments that top management values-based communication systems, which are more high construal (abstract), affect whistle-blowing intentions whereas ethical accountability systems and ethical retaliatory systems, which are more low construal (concrete), moderate the relationship between whistle-blowing intentions and behaviors. By linking ethical systems within the organization’s ethical infrastructure to the two stages (intentions and behaviors) of the whistle-blowing process and the accompanying cognitive states, we develop and empirically test a construal level theory of internal whistle-blowing. Funding: This work was supported by the Ministry of Education, Singapore, under its Academic Research Fund Grant Calls [MOE 2019-T2-1-192 and MSS16B012].

FORMATION OF EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE IN THE PROCESS OF PREPARATION OF FUTURE SOCIAL PROFESSIONALS IN HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS

Abstract: the article emphasizes the importance of the role of education as one of the main components of supporting the transition period of Ukraine on the way to the EU and NATO; it has been proven that the formation of a new philosophy of higher education is simultaneously connected with emotional intelligence, which is of great importance in the training of future specialists in the social sphere in institutions of higher education. It was determined that the state and development of the modern Ukrainian economy depends on the quality of personnel training provided by universities. It was found that the lack of management culture, the insufficient level of moral and ethical training of specialists in the social sphere and qualified specialists in the field of professional ethics is an obstacle to the creation of an emotional and ethical infrastructure in Ukraine. The opinion is substantiated that the wide application of active learning methods with the analysis of real and educational business situations and the regular professional practice of future specialists in the social sphere at enterprises, firms, state authorities and local governments will ensure the effectiveness of the training of specialists in the social sphere, will contribute to the formation and development of ethical norms and emotional intelligence.

Corporate ethical values disclosure: evidence from Malaysian and Indonesian top companies

PurposeThis paper aims to examine the extent of ethical values information disclosure on the top 100 Malaysian and Indonesian companies’ annual reports using coercive isomorphism under the institutional theory.Design/methodology/approachUsing the content analysis, the presence or exclusion of ethical values information disclosed on 100 Malaysian and Indonesian companies’ annual reports using a newly developed Ethical Values Disclosure Index is carried out.FindingsThe results of the analysis found that Indonesian companies on average disclosed 31 items under study compared to 27 items disclosed by the companies in Malaysia. The results suggest that Indonesian companies are more vigilant in the code of ethics, companies policy on ethical issues, monitoring program and accountability, ethical performance, ethical infrastructure and organizational responsibility aspects, whereas their Malaysian counterparts are better in reporting governance and integrity committee or board of directors.Research limitations/implicationsThe findings may not be applicable to other countries in the same region, nevertheless, revealed the importance of adequate ethical values disclosure in determining the level of ethical behavior.Practical implicationsCompanies in Indonesia are coercively pressed by various influential stakeholder groups to address ethical issues. The less disclosure regarding corporate ethical behavior may indicate that unethical practices continue to be a problem in the Malaysian corporate sector.Originality/valueThis paper adds to the literature by examining the elements of ethical values adapted mainly from the professional bodies that regulate the accounting profession and other organizations using the institutional theory, particularly in two countries.

Epistemic ethics justice: a “radical imaginary”

ABSTRACT In the context of the Great Challenges for Social Work, this conceptual paper envisions a “radical imaginary” as a call to action to incrementally build an epistemically just ethics infrastructure in the coming decade that centers race, ethnicity, and culture. The existing challenges of the dominance of moral absolutes and Eurocentric ethics curriculum were examined. Three change processes were proposed to help build a futuristic infrastructure for ethics praxis with a thicker, more equitable, and more inclusive moral social fabric. This “radical imaginary” promotes anti-racist and anti-oppressive ethics praxis that seeks to eliminate both ethical social isolation and ethics-based racism.

Organisaatioiden eettinen infrastruktuuri konfliktien johtamisen suunnannäyttäjänä

Ethical infrastructure of organizations as a guide for conflict management Unethical behavior at the workplace may have a negative impact on workers´ job satisfaction, engagement, and overall wellbeing. However, organizations have different strategies and orientations to managing and sustaining an ethical environment. In this qualitative study we explore what contributes to individuals´ experience of successful conflict management. We study this from the perspective of ethical infrastructure, that is a set of formal and informal systems that build ethical culture in organizations. We conducted nine in-depth interviews and used the first two phases of Appreciative Inquiry (AI) (define and dream) to identify and envision good practice. The study identified constructive practice, collective agency, communication, emotional skills, and a working culture based on dialogue as factors supporting future workplaces in conflict resolution. The study highlights the need to understand conflict management as being dependent on, and in interaction with other elements

Compliance of Ethics Infrastructure for Public Officials' Assets Declaration in Tanzania

‘Ethical infrastructure’ is considered as one of the tools for ensuring that public officials declare their assets and comply with ethical standards in different countries across the globe. This is even more important in developing countries where corruption is perceived to be a major threat to development. Despite this recognition, most countries especially in the developing world suffer from ineffective assets declaration by public officials and a lack of compliance to ethical standards. A similar situation is repored in Tanzania where lack of compliance with ethical standards and assets declaration has been the order of the day despite the establishment of ethics infrastructure. This article examines existing ethics infrastructure in the public service and establishes the reason for the noncompliance of public officials to the existing ethics infrastructure in assets declaration. This paper, is a desk review of concept, theory and empirics of assets declaration and assets infrastructure across the globe and Tanzania in particular and the review includes the analysis of rules, regulations and guidelines which constitutes ethics infrastructure and govern assets declaration in Tanzania. The findings of the review indicate that ethics infrastructure is a foundation for assets declaration but the actual implementation depends on the government's will and the strength of the enforcement mechanism. The government needs to increase the autonomy and resources for enforcing authority and transparency in assets declaration and provide ethical training to public officials. 
 Keywords: Assets declaration, Ethical standards, Public service, Tanzania, Ethics infrastructure

What drives firms' commitment to fighting corruption? Evidence from the UK

AbstractThe recent leak of the FinCEN files has highlighted the widespread presence of corruption in developing and developed economies, including the UK. Accordingly, this study aims to investigate the factors that drive companies to implement measures for preventing corruption in developed countries using FTSE 350 nonfinancial firms. Specifically, the research examines the influence of corporate social responsibility (CSR) commitments, board structure, and shareholding structure on adopting strategies, policies, and procedures aimed at countering corruption. Drawing upon agency, stakeholder, and legitimacy theories, our empirical evidence supports that CSR commitments and board independence positively influence firms' engagement in anticorruption measures. Conversely, institutional and managerial shareholdings are found to have a negative association with firms' efforts to combat corruption. In addition, the study shows that the effect of board characteristics became more pronounced following the enactment of the UK Bribery Act 2010, indicating risk‐averse behavior. Various models, including cross‐sectional and two‐stage least squares (2SLS), are employed to analyze the data. Our findings have significant implications for understanding the complex relationship between CSR, corporate governance, and the ethical infrastructure of organizations. Ultimately, our results provide valuable insights for policymakers, companies, and other stakeholders in developing effective strategies, policies, and procedures to combat corruption activities.

Investigating the impact of formal ethical infrastructure in the organization on the ethical decision-making of accountants by expressing the mediating role of risk-taking propensity

Investigating the impact of formal ethical infrastructure in the organization on the ethical decision-making of accountants by expressing the mediating role of risk-taking propensity

In Search of Ethics Infrastructure in U.S. Local Governments: Building Blocks or Dead End?

The literature in public administration has advanced various propositions to promote ethical behavior. Local governments have undertaken various efforts in that direction. Those efforts are considered critical for building ethical leadership and culture in the long run. Based on a literature review and use of Social Learning Theory, we identify four building blocks of an ethics infrastructure for public organizations. Employing a comprehensive survey of local governments, this paper shows that displaying awareness and knowledge of ethics, enforcing rules and norms, demonstrating policy support for ethical behavior, and incentivizing the right behaviors are key building blocks of ethics infrastructure that still need improvement in local governments. The reality of ethics infrastructure revealed by the survey is far from the idealism promoted in the literature. We discuss the results and offer several insights and remedies.

How do Sector Level Factors Influence Trust Violations in Not-for-Profit Organizations? A Multilevel Model

The proliferation of violations within industry sectors (e.g., banking, doping in sport, abuse in religious organizations) highlights how trust violations can thrive in particular sectors. However, scant research examines how macro institutional factors influence micro level trustworthy conduct. To shed light on how sectoral features may influence trust violations in organizations, we adopt a multilevel perspective to investigate the perceived causes of trust violations within the not-for-profit (NFP) sector, a sector that has witnessed a number of high-profile trust breaches. Drawing on interviews with board members and senior executives of NFPs with cross-sectoral experience, we analyze the causes of trust violations to inductively develop a conceptual model of the multilevel factors contributing to trust violations in NFPs. Our model highlights how trust violations have their roots in sectoral-level factors, which trickle-down to influence the ethical infrastructure at the organizational-level, and in turn individual-level factors and violations. We identify how three NFP sectoral features influence trustworthy behavior: corporatization, resource scarcity, and assumed moral integrity. Our findings speak to the importance of looking beyond the organization to understand both the causes and prevention of trust violations and developing the concept of sector-level ethical infrastructure.

Codes of Conduct for Undergraduate Teaching in the Top-400 Universities on the Times Higher Education World University Rankings

Teaching codes of conduct form part of the ethics infrastructure of universities seeking to raise teaching standards and promote academic integrity. These codes stipulate desired teaching practices necessary for faculty members to make informed choices regarding their teaching role performance. This study investigated the existence of publicly posted codes of conduct for undergraduate teaching in a random sample of 100 universities ranked among the Times Higher Education World University Rankings top-400 institutions. Based on DiMaggio & Powell’s (1983) model of institutional isomorphism, we posited the Times Higher Education World University Rankings top-400 institutions as an organizational field. Findings reveal tepid isomorphic pressures for codes of conduct in this organizational field as a slight majority of these top universities publicly post codes of conduct with tenets reflective of ethical principles for teaching. Lower ranked universities post codes with more of these tenets than higher ranked universities and in particular tenets very protective of students as clients. These tenets relate to moral behavior and whose ethical infringement have legal ramifications, such as not having sexual relationships with students, harassing students, or teaching while intoxicated from alcohol or drugs. Isomorphic pressures to publicly post codes may be stronger among lower ranked universities that emphasize teaching and research. Since a code of conduct may increase faculty members’ sensitivity to ethical issues but not actually promote ethical behavior, we recommend reinforcement activities for faculty members.

ARC: a framework for access, reciprocity and conduct in psychedelic therapies.

The field of psychedelic assisted therapy (PAT) is growing at an unprecedented pace. The immense pressures this places on those working in this burgeoning field have already begun to raise important questions about risk and responsibility. It is imperative that the development of an ethical and equitable infrastructure for psychedelic care is prioritized to support this rapid expansion of PAT in research and clinical settings. Here we present Access, Reciprocity and Conduct (ARC); a framework for a culturally informed ethical infrastructure for ARC in psychedelic therapies. These three parallel yet interdependent pillars of ARC provide the bedrock for a sustainable psychedelic infrastructure which prioritized equal access to PAT for those in need of mental health treatment (Access), promotes the safety of those delivering and receiving PAT in clinical contexts (Conduct), and respects the traditional and spiritual uses of psychedelic medicines which often precede their clinical use (Reciprocity). In the development of ARC, we are taking a novel dual-phase co-design approach. The first phase involves co-development of an ethics statement for each arm with stakeholders from research, industry, therapy, community, and indigenous settings. A second phase will further disseminate the statements for collaborative review to a wider audience from these different stakeholder communities within the psychedelic therapy field to invite feedback and further refinement. By presenting ARC at this early stage, we hope to draw upon the collective wisdom of the wider psychedelic community and inspire the open dialogue and collaboration upon which the process of co-design depends. We aim to offer a framework through which psychedelic researchers, therapists and other stakeholders, may begin tackling the complex ethical questions arising within their own organizations and individual practice of PAT.

ЕТИЧНА ІНФРАСТРУКТУРА КУЛЬТУРНОГО ПРОСТОРУ КИЇВСЬКОГО НАЦІОНАЛЬНОГО УНІВЕРСИТЕТУ ІМЕНІ ТАРАСА ШЕВЧЕНКА: ВИКЛИКИ ЗАПРОВАДЖЕННЯ І ФУНКЦІОНУВАННЯ

The article deals with the ethical infrastructure of Taras Shevchenko Kyiv National University cultural space, the peculiarities of its implementation and its functioning due to the challenges facing higher education in Ukraine today. The relevance of studying the ethical provision of university life is driven by the inevitable value transformations that the university as a cultural institution is experiencing today. By the method of case study, the implementation and functioning of the ethical infrastructure at Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv is analyzed in the article as a real-time problematic situation. It is shown that the implementation of ethical infrastructure was demanded by the university community and has become a natural process. The thoughtfulness of this process was testified by the thoroughness of preparing the University community code of ethics, carrying out the procedures for its discussion and adoption, and preparing the work of the Standing Commission of the Academic Council on Ethics. It also testified to the moral maturity of the university community to comply with the provisions of the code of ethics, to signal violations of its norms and principles, and to seek the truth in the ethical commission. It is about the grassroots (democratic) way of the creation of the code of ethics. And the discussion, comments and proposals from the structural subdivisions are a kind of public examination of the ethical document. The code of ethics, thus adopted by the university community, has become an effective document that sets a coherent system of coordinates in the life of the university. The purpose of the ethical commission is to resolve controversial issues regarding compliance by members of the university community with the code of ethics. Its powers include advising on the usage of the code of ethics and applying its provisions in everyday university life.

Rethinking Benefit and Responsibility in the Context of Diversity: Perspectives from the Front Lines of Precision Medicine Research

Introduction: Federal agencies have instituted guidelines to prioritize the enrollment and retention of diverse participants in precision medicine research (PMR). Prior studies examining participation of minoritized communities have shown that potential benefits represent a key determinant. Human subject research guidance, however, conceptualizes potential benefits narrowly, emphasizing generalized advances in medical knowledge. Further, few studies have provided qualitative data that critically examine how the concept of “benefit” is interpreted or challenged in the context of research practice. This paper examines the experiences of PMR investigators and frontline research staff to understand how standard approaches to benefit are received, contested, and negotiated “on the ground.” Methods: Findings are drawn from a qualitative project conducted across five US-based, federally funded PMR studies. Data collection included 125 in-depth interviews with a purposive sample of investigators, research staff, community advisory board members, and NIH program officers associated with these PMR studies. Results: Researchers report that the standard approach to benefit – which relies on the premise of altruism and the promise of incrementally advancing scientific knowledge – is frequently contested. Researchers experience moral distress over the unmet clinical, psychosocial, and material needs within the communities they are engaging. Many believe the broader research enterprise has a responsibility to better address these needs. Conclusion: Researchers frequently take issue with and sometimes negotiate what is owed to participants and to their communities in exchange for the data they provide. These experiences of moral distress and these improvisations warrant systematic redress, not by individual researchers but by the broader research ethics infrastructure.

“We don’t need another hero!”: Whistleblowing as an ethical organizational practice in higher education

The present article shifts the focus and burden of whistleblowing away from an individual to the collective and argues for the necessary incorporation of whistleblowing into an ethical infrastructure in institutions of higher education. The authors argue that institutions of higher learning should be understood as collective agents bestowed with ethical responsibility which obliges them to act in an ethical manner. The fundamental principle guiding the ethical practice of all higher-learning institutions should be a culture of voice because conscientization – the purpose of education – necessitates dialogue to emerge. However, this culture of voice is not self-evident in institutions of higher learning and transpires in the harmful ways in which some of these institutions react to the disclosure of their problematic practices by whistleblowers. In light of this, the authors propose that one should not expect individuals to assume a whistleblower role; it is the higher-education institution’s ethical responsibility to create an infrastructure which integrates channels for critical engagement with problematic practices and supports a culture of voice. This infrastructure should consist of four fundamental elements: whistleblowing’s enablement, whistleblowers’ protection, the correction of problematic practices, and the recognition of the whistleblower’s action.

Handling Ethics Dumping and Neo-Colonial Research: From the Laboratory to the Academic Literature.

This paper explores that the topic of ethics dumping (ED), its causes and potential remedies. In ED, the weaknesses or gaps in ethics policies and systems of lower income countries are intentionally exploited for intellectual or financial gains through research and publishing by higher income countries with a more stringent or complex ethical infrastructure in which such research and publishing practices would not be permitted. Several examples are provided. Possible ED needs to be evaluated before research takes place, and detected prior to publication as an academic paper, because it might lead to a collaborative effort between a wealthier country with restrictive ethical policies and a less wealthy country with more permissive policies. Consequently, if that collaboration ultimately results in an academic paper, there are ethical ramifications of ED to scholarly communication. Institutional review board approval is central to avoid ED-based collaborations. Blind trust and goodwill alone cannot eliminate the exploitation of indigenous or “vulnerable” populations’ intellect and resources. Combining community-based participatory research using clear codes of research conduct and a simple but robust verification system in academic publishing may reduce the risks of ED-based research from being published.

Moral distress and moral resilience of nurse managers.

Moral distress is a phenomenon that can lead to an imbalance of the mind and body. There are many coping strategies to overcome the obstacles that lead the subject to this condition. Some coping strategies are capable of being achieved through the cultivation of moral resilience. The aim is to identify the strategies of moral resilience in the nursing management of University Hospitals in Brazil. The research design is the qualitative study with discursive textual analysis. : 44 nurse managers and nurses in leadership positions participated in a total of 30 University Hospitals in Brazil. Data were collected online, using a questionnaire with open questions. The Ethics Committee approved the study. Participants received information about the research, agreed to respond to the questionnaire, and were guaranteed anonymity. Personal adaptive strategies (intrapersonal and interpersonal) and organizational collaborative strategies (intrinsic and transformational management) emerged from this process. The intrapersonal strategies involved elements of rationality, flexibility, rebalancing practices, moral courage, and detachment. The interpersonal strategies addressed support networks, team involvement, and dialog. Organizational strategies dealt with actions which reorient ethical infrastructure, ethical education, and psychological protection, as well as fostering dialogical relationships, empowerment, and cooperation. From the perspective of social historical construction, it is understood that developing personal and organizational strategies is essential to cultivating moral resilience.