Interest In Business Ethics Research Articles

Impact of ethical leadership on employee well-being: the mediating role of job satisfaction and employee voice

Researchers and practitioners around the world have shown greater interest in business ethics and ethical leadership (EL). Literature suggests that business ethics and EL has a significant impact on employees and organisational performance. Concentrating on the leader-follower relationship, this research seeks to observe the impact of ethical leadership (EL) on employee well-being (EWB). Moreover, job satisfaction (JS) and employee voice (EV) both mediate between ethical leadership (EL) and employee well-being (EWB). The time-lagged data in the two surveys were collected from the education sector of Pakistan. The findings of this study are based on a survey and data was collected from faculty members of the universities. The theoretical and empirical findings of this study show that EL has a significant and positive impact on EWB, JS, and EV. The findings of this study also showed that JS and EV mediate the relationship between EL and EWB. This study also provides important practical implications.

THE CONCEPT OF CSR AS ELEMENTS OF BUILDING ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL RELATIONS WITH THE EXTERNAL ENVIRONMENT OF THE ORGANIZATION (OUTLINE OF THE PROBLEM)

Each economic activity is perceived basically from the point of view of economic success, which is effectiveness (efficiency) and economics (thriftiness). However, this valuation is not complete as each economic activity should also be evaluated from the ethical perspective. It was only a decade ago when business ethics was viewed solely as administrative compliance with legal and internal rules and regulations. Nowadays the situation is completely different as interest in business ethics is no more pure formality but help for entrepreneurs to gain customers’ trust in order to succeed. Like never before, corporations are being asked, encouraged and prodded to improve their business practices to emphasize legal and ethical behavior. Companies, professional firms and individuals alike are being held increasingly accountable for their actions, as demand grows for higher standards of corporate social responsibility naturally but often unexpectedly in a person’s life. For example, some people who steal money from their employers do so because of personal financial difficulties. If they had been able to avoid personal problems, they might also have avoided the temptation to steal.

Freedom of the Will and Consumption Restrictions

There is a long-standing interest in business ethics around the concept of free will, but study of its possible influence on consumer behavior is only in the nascent stage. This lack of research is particularly acute in certain consumption contexts, especially ones based on highly restricted access that appear to suggest abrogation of the will. In this paper, we offer a novel approach that involves reexamination of qualitative/ethnographic research that has chronicled consumption restrictions without consideration of potential implications for free will. Using a new reanalysis method, we show that some of what is described as “vulnerability” using other theoretical paradigms is subsumed within this domain. Findings demonstrate that a complex relationship between free will and various consumption processes and outcomes exists that is acted out within and outside licit and illicit/formal and informal markets. These restrictions allow for a different vantage point to address free will and consumption, with implications for business ethicists and researchers interested in human quality treatment or human dignity-centered business frameworks.

On NGOs’ Role in the Development of Business Ethics in Slovakia

The socio-economic transformation after the fall of communism in Slovakia took place without anchoring new economic subjects in corporate social responsibility. Private companies and state authorities showed little interest in business ethics, so it stayed marginalized. Now, after more than two decades of development for business ethics in Slovakia, an absence of a systematic support for business ethics still pertains. Nonetheless, some initiatives have already been implemented to sustain ethics in business and typically the impetus for these initiatives was given by non-governmental organizations (NGOs). This paper investigates the influence of nine prominent NGOs operating in Slovakia on the development of business ethics in the current Slovak business environment. Based on indepth analysis of NGOs' documentation to projects undertaken in Slovakia throughout the last two decades and semi-structured interviews with the respective NGOs' leaders, the article critically analyzes the nature, scope and effects of NGOs' activities with respect to the advancement of business ethics in companies in Slovakia. Results of this qualitative inquiry suggest NGOs' activities add value mainly on the macro level, i.e. focusing on the fight against corruption, anti-social and illegal activities in state and public administration, promoting democracy and transparency. There are also several inspirational initiatives to expand business ethics on the mezzo level, such as guidelines for introducing corporate codes of ethics, a corporate governance code, an anticorruption charter, or whistle-blowing channels. There is no doubt these initiatives are important because every stimulus for integrating ethics and economics is rare and valuable in Slovak cultural conditions. However, activities of NGOs lack a broader view of the necessity of ethical regulation in business. In particular, results indicate shortage of attention to the control of illegal and unethical activity within the company, to unethical leadership and related negligence of the tone at the top of companies

The role of business ethics in improving the mental image of profitabe service organizations

The image of the organization has a significant impact on the organization's success and sustainability. To achieve a new customer may depend mostly upon an image that is formed by the customer. The successes organization is not just required to attract new customers, but to keep with current customers.
 In the light of above, the purpose of this study was to identify the role of business ethics in improve the mental image through survey of respondents of employees working in profitable service business organizations.
 The study population included some profitable service organizations in the city of Sulaymaniyah, Kurdistan Region of Iraq. The sample consisted of (117) employees working in organizations covered by the study.
 The statistical analysis software (SPSS-ver 19) has used by the researchers to find out standard deviations , correlation coefficients, and simple regression coefficients , as well as multiple linear regression analysis has used to determine the direct effects of the study variables in order to find out research's objectives.
 This study relied on primary sources which obtained by distributing questionnaire in order to know the relationship of correlation and impact between the variables of the study.
 The study found that there is a statistically significant effect of business ethics to gain mental image in the profetable service organizations.
 The study recommended the development and promotion of business ethics , and the need for One of the most important recommendations is the need to disseminate the contribution of profitable service organizations to the service of the community and the growing interest in business ethics in their plans and strategies.

The Benefits of Business Ethics - Ethical Behavior of Decision Makers: the Empirical Findings from Croatia

Abstract More than ever before, the ability of managers to recognize and deal with complex business ethical issues has become a significant priority. Ethical behavior has always been a concern for managers because they are the ones that have major responsibility in company when it is about business ethics. Managers’ work is manly the work of making decisions. On a daily basis they are making decisions - big and small ones - on which company future depends. Interest in business ethics and ethical behavior is on the rise, especially in recent years when widespread moral corporate scandals have brought this topic to the fore. Therefore, the organizational environment demands effective managers - decision makers -with the ability to behave ethically and the ability to make right choices. There is no doubt that the ethical behavior of decision makers is of strategic importance for successful business. It could be acknowledged that among the numerous different factors that can determine a company’s progress, the key elements that contribute to a more successful achievement of company competitive advantage is the ethical behavior of managers. This paper aims at analyzing the benefits of business ethics and at identifying the ethical behavior of managers in a big company in Croatia. Qualitative research was conducted and interesting and somewhat puzzling results were found. Based on the overall findings, this research offers the foundation for future research in this area. The implications of the findings are discussed in terms of value for managers and their companies due to the improvement and development of business ethics and their ethical behavior.

Business Ethics in Poland: A metatheoretical analysis

From the beginning of the 1990s, a considerable interest in business ethics has been observed in Poland. It seems that the legacy of Polish researchers concerned with this academic discipline is already rich enough, and at the same time so diverse, that it is worth making an attempt to systematise it, exploring and appropriately naming the basic approaches to deal with business ethics in Poland. The carried-out analyses allowed to determine the following leading methods in the formal aspect: firstly, metaethics of business ethics; secondly, business ethics practised in the framework of various modifications of normative ethics (mostly deontology, utilitarianism, virtue ethics and ethics of responsibility; on the other hand, it has been observed that there is a complete lack of clear references to personalistic ethics); thirdly, business ethics practised as descriptive ethics in economic life.

Ethical business practices in the Eastern Cape automotive industry

High profile scandals have brought about a renewed interest in business ethics and, in particular, inunderstanding the factors that promote ethical behaviour. Business ethics is about identifying andimplementing values, rules and standards of conduct for guiding morally right behaviour in an organisation’sinteraction with its stakeholders. Against this background a quantitative analysis of the ethical practices of46 companies operating in the Eastern Cape automotive industry was conducted to determine the extent towhich ethics-related interventions contributed to establishing and maintaining an ethical organisationalenvironment. A structured online questionnaire was used to collect the data. The data collected wassubjected to extensive statistical analyses, including Cronbach Alpha coefficients and item total correlations,and various descriptive statistics were included as a quantitative summary of the data. A constant referencevalue for the study was also calculated to allow inferences regarding the significance of the tested variablesto the study. The results revealed that the organisations in the sample are highly ethical due to the presenceof ethics-related interventions, including a code of ethics, committed leadership, adherence to internal andexternal governance requirements, compliance with legislation and encouragement and disclosure ofunethical behaviour. In light of the high number of ethical scandals internationally, this study will add to theempirical body of business ethics research, as it provides organisations with a framework to establish andmaintain an ethical business environment.

Organizational Ethics Research: A Systematic Review of Methods and Analytical Techniques

Ethics are of interest to business scholars because they influence decisions, behaviors, and outcomes. While scholars have increasingly shown interest in business ethics as a research topic, there are a mounting number of studies that examine ethical issues at the organizational level of analysis. This manuscript reports the results of a systematic review of empirical research on organizational ethics published in a broad sample of business journals over a 33-year period (1980–2012). A total of 184 articles are analyzed to reveal gaps in the literature and, subsequently, lead to suggestions for future research; this is done in an effort to stimulate and perpetuate high quality research that more broadly impacts business scholars and practitioners.

Ethical Leadership Essential for an Ethical Environment

High profile scandals and ethical misconduct in companies around the world have brought about a renewed interest in business ethics, specifically the need for a better understanding of the roles and responsibilities of leadership in promoting ethical behaviour. Against this background, a quantitative analysis was conducted among companies operating in South Africa’s Eastern Cape Province’s automotive industry. The aim of the study was to determine the ethics-related roles played by the leadership at these organisations and the extent to which they contributed to establishing and maintaining an ethical organisational environment. A structured online questionnaire was used to collect the data. The results revealed that the organisations in the sample are highly ethical due to ethical and committed leadership and moreover the presence of ethics related interventions, including a code of ethics, adherence to internal and external governance requirements, compliance with legislation and encouragement and disclosure of unethical behaviour. DOI: 10.5901/mjss.2014.v5n20p897

Business Ethics as field of teaching, training and research in East Africa

The increase in corporate malfeasance has lead to a rising interest in Business Ethics in general and a particular focus on Business Ethics as an academic field, but the proliferation of Business Ethics as an academic field on a global scale is not yet as well known. This paper forms part of the global survey of Business Ethics that has been commissioned to gain a better understanding of the prevalence and scope of teaching, training and research in the field of Business Ethics. The paper provides a summary of the survey and research results regarding the current status of Business Ethics as an academic field in the East African region. The findings lead to a conclusion that Business Ethics has gained momentum and is having an increased presence in the region, but that it is far from well established as an academic field.

On the dark side of the code: organizational challenges to an effective anti-corruption strategy

Corporations have been fighting for decades to eliminate corruption. However, despite the proliferation of compliance programs and a recurrent surge of interest in business ethics, commercial bribery prevails as a “rational choice strategy” for economic success and thus is widely regarded as the result of immoral choices of greedy individuals. This article reports on a modus operandi study concerning corruption within a large industrial corporation (Siemens AG). Results highlight the fact that neither consistent anti-corruption norms nor severe formal sanctions were able to deter certain employees from deviant behavior in this landmark case of structural corruption. Sociologists and business economists have both pointed to the organizational culture that provides an explanation for this paradox. The author compares three diverging hypotheses: (1) private gain, (2) cognitive normalization, and (3) organizational cultures, and concludes that the structural causes of corrupt practices fit the definition of ‘useful illegality’ (Luhmann). To a large extent, this old sociological concept resembles the criminological idea of corporate crime, but it emphasizes the cultural factors that undermine management’s preventive strategies, and thus holds the promise of theoretical progress. Implications that emerge from the case analysis for the social control of corporate bribe payers are discussed. The discussion reveals why challenges to successful anti-corruption efforts persist at the organizational level.

Corporate Ethics And Ethical Behaviour: The Significant Function Of Top Management Role Modelling

Despite growing professional and academic interest in business ethics, moral lapses continue in the business sector, which suggests a need to rethink the efficiency of existing ethical strategies. That is, top management’s efforts to promote ethical behaviour among employees tend to focus on the implementation of explicit formal mechanisms, whereas in practice, more informal elements that communicate the true attitude toward ethics may be more useful and necessary. Thus top managers must work actively to make their personal ethics evident to influence the ethical behaviours of employees. Without a perception of ethics at the top, formal mechanisms likely fail to result in a more ethical workforce. This study therefore empirically analyses top managers’ role modelling behaviour along with the efficacy of their sanctioning dimension to promote ethical behaviour. Top management role modelling has a positively impact on employees’ ethics; sanctioning behaviour does not. These findings have critical practical implications, as well as promise for further research.

Application of Ethics in Small Enterprises: An Empirical Study on Dhaka City in Bangladesh

This research has identified that the small organizations of Bangladesh have very little or no interest in the presence and implementation of business ethics. In some areas, they are ethical and in some areas they are not. Despite this type of mixed attitude towards business ethics, it can be said from the findings that in time, ethical trend will change in small organizations as it did in larger organizations. In this study, the consideration and future trend of business ethics are studied using fifty small organizations in Dhaka city in Bangladesh. Results indicate that small organizations demonstrate little or no interest in business ethics. However, their assumptions about the future trend of business ethics are enthusiastic. The study also implies that the status of business ethics in small organizations is not very satisfactory but promising and in the near future, small organizations are likely to comply with business ethics in their organizational activities. This article attempts to find out the current status of ethics and ethical standards in small organizations, especially in Dhaka city in Bangladesh.

Application of Ethics in Small Enterprises: An Empirical Study on Dhaka City in Bangladesh

This research has identified that the small organizations of Bangladesh have very little or no interest in the presence and implementation of business ethics. In some areas, they are ethical and in some areas they are not. Despite this type of mixed attitude towards business ethics, it can be said from the findings that in time, ethical trend will change in small organizations as it did in larger organizations. In this study, the consideration and future trend of business ethics are studied using fifty small organizations in Dhaka city in Bangladesh. Results indicate that small organizations demonstrate little or no interest in business ethics. However, their assumptions about the future trend of business ethics are enthusiastic. The study also implies that the status of business ethics in small organizations is not very satisfactory but promising and in the near future, small organizations are likely to comply with business ethics in their organizational activities. This article attempts to find out the current status of ethics and ethical standards in small organizations, especially in Dhaka city in Bangladesh.

Christian attitude in business

The beginning of the twenty-first century faces new challenges in the field of business ethics. Totally new macro-ethical challenges have arisen and they have already inspired constant ethical reflection. Two major developments in the field of economics paved the way for this new interest in business ethics: the total dominance of the market driven economy and economic globalization. This article investigates the ethical challenges posed by this new environment from a Christian ethical perspective. Firstly norms are formulated flowing from the paradigm of Christian attitude as a manifestation of the attitude of Christ. These are love, stewardship, self-denial and obedience to God. These norms are then applied to the following modern-day issues in the field of business ethics: the challenge of globalization, respect for basic human rights, remuneration, the corporation as a moral model, the need for self-evaluation, political responsibility and environmental concern. In conclusion I attempt to define the role of Christians and Christian churches in transforming corporations into moral agents.

Research on a Typology of Business Ethics Operation Across the Taiwan Strait

The practice of business ethics is a constant concern for both business and academics. Thus this study attempts both to explore the effective performance of business ethics and to provide a learned reference. The researcher has gathered relevant literature, developed a notion of “business ethics operation” which have been put to the test within four selected enterprises across the Taiwan Strait. The findings reveal that different types of “ethical leadership” and “catalytic mechanism” precipitated four operations and a swathe of different approaches to business ethics. The study has, it is hoped, justified academic interest in business ethics by obtaining experimental results which demonstrate the merits of promoting their practice.

Thinking Critically About Business Ethics

In this study, we teach students and business professionals to apply a formal process of critical thinking to the issues of business ethics. Every new scandal generates a renewed interest in busin-ess ethics, leading the news media and the public to lament the current state of affairs, sometimes asking why colleges and schools of business don’t do a better job of teaching ethics. Many suggest that business owners and managers do not act as ethically as in the past. Some say that they can-not act ethically. The critical thinking skills and examples included in this study can serve to help students of business and professionals in business as they approach difficult ethical decisions.

Appreciating, understanding and applying universal moral principles

Interest in business ethics has soared over the past ten to 15 years. Lacking in the literature are normative approaches that provide guidelines for managers to evaluate their behavior in order to determine whether that behavior is in fact ethical. This paper makes a contribution to normative research, by offering a graded task approach to applying certain principles based on the philosophy of ethics (referred to as universal moral principles). These principles include utilitarianism, the categorical imperative, rights, and justice. First, some arguments against the use of universal moral principles are discussed, and rebutted. Next, the principles themselves are explained. Finally, a worksheet is presented. This worksheet offers a step‐by‐step approach to applying each of the principles.

Code of Professional Ethics of the American Institute for CPCU

Code of Professional Ethics of the American Institute for CPCU, sixth edition, ed. Eric A. Weining, 1999, Malvern, Pa., American Institute for CPCU. This text aims to achieve two primary purposes. First, it serves as part of the required study material related to the CPCU professional designation. Second, it is intended for CPCUs as a useful reference on the code of ethics by which they are bound. An additional hope is that the book will provide information and inspiration to others with an interest in business ethics. The text successfully builds on five decades of thought specifically related to the CPCU designation and the formal Code of Ethics that was introduced in 1976. A Commentary on the Canons, Rules, and Guidelines forms the heart of the text. The Commentary provides readers with textbook-like material that is written in an easyto-read, conversational manner to supplement the bare Code. The nine Canons of the Code are general standards of an aspirational and inspirational nature-lofty goals reflecting the fundamental spirit of altruism. For each Canon, the text introduces and discusses issues that are likely to be faced by insurance professionals. Each of the Canons is followed by one or more related Rules. Unlike the Canons, the Rules are specific mandatory and enforceable standards. Guidelines follow the Rules and assist CPCUs and CPCU candidates in interpreting the various Code provisions, understanding their rationale, and applying them to frequently encountered situations that require ethical judgment. The text includes hypothetical case studies and examples of advisory opinions to illustrate how the Code would be applied. As a medium for conveying the Code's Canons, Rules, and Guidelines, I found this book to be very accessible and informative. Thus, with regard to the book's two primary purposes, the text provides a good source on ethical insurance issues to which the CPCU can turn. The book's strength is that it succinctly conveys the essentials of ethical dimensions of being a CPCU without invoking Venn diagrams or abstract concepts such as utilitarianism, positive versus negative duty, trust, or virtue. Rather, the book gets right to the business of ethical decision making and ethical behavior. The Code does not rest on the contention that unethical behavior is costly and thus should be avoided. Rather, the foundation of the CPCU Code of Ethics is altruismthe doctrine that the general welfare of society is the proper goal of an individual's actions. The first of nine Canons states: "CPCUs should endeavor at all times to place the public interest above their own." An important discussion in a related Guideline (Guideline 1.2) describes the difficulties that often arise when CPCUs simultaneously serve two or more masters-their immediate supervisors, insurers, stockholders, policyholders, agents, industry associations, etc. The remaining Canons, Rules, and Guidelines include discussions of continuing professional development, legal conduct, performance, maintaining and raising professional standards, professional relationships, public education, integrity of the CPCU designation, and integrity of the Code. I'm sure that even F. …