Moral Action Research Articles

Navigating the moral maze: a literature review of ethical values in business process management

PurposeBusiness process management (BPM), as a pillar of information systems (IS) research, has become more complex with the advent of new technologies, emphasizing the need for moral and ethical perspectives. To foster moral behavior and responsible action, including ethical values in IT systems and processes can be a solid option. By incorporating a socio-technical perspective, we are able to analyze the various aspects of BPM and organizational processes and the incorporated values. We find an overall acknowledgment of the importance of values and ethics in BPM.Design/methodology/approachThis publication explores ethical values within BPM through a systematic literature review (SLR). The study aims to identify the ethical dimensions inherent in BPM and their practical implications in process management and task execution. The methodological approach adopted is a SLR (Boell and Cecez-Kecmanovic, 2015), adapting the PRISMA guidelines (Page et al., 2021) to identify 82 articles from 21 top IS journals suggested by Lowry et al. (2013).FindingsA descriptive framework is developed to explain the use and application of ethical values within business processes. This framework enables practitioners and researchers to categorize and understand the various ethical considerations involved in BPM. It provides a structured approach highlighting the interrelation between process perspectives and ethical values, demonstrating how different BPM approaches may have varying ethical implications. We compare past and future research in business processes, identifying areas for further investigation and theoretical development. A historical analysis of values and literature also helps contextualize contemporary discussions on ethics in BPM, shedding light on the evolution of ethical considerations within this domain.Originality/valueOur study contributes to a more nuanced understanding of BPM, highlighting the importance of considering ethical values and socio-technical perspectives in designing and implementing business processes. These findings contribute to understanding the values associated with different types of processes and their employment and highlight potential areas for future research. Our study provides ethics-oriented research in IS with novel insights by examining BPM from an ethical value perspective. We contribute to the BPM literature by examining which values are applied in which process types from which perspective. In addition, our research suggestions provide food for thought for both research streams.

. Menjadi Manusia yang Utama Menurut Alasdair Macintyre

Virtue is the power and ability of a person to become a whole human being. In the current context, humans need to understand about virtue as the focus of philosophers in reflecting in unity with humans. There is a misunderstanding of human beings including related to human virtues. This research will provide a correct understanding of the concept of the ultimate human, so that humans can understand correctly. The method used is descriptive analysis method and qualitative research type. Based on these steps, the author finds that the main human being or the one who has virtues, must have responsibility for self, responsibility for others and responsibility for the world. In line with that, this paper will elaborate on the importance of forming a superior moral actor subject in terms of virtue, which has unity with human life itself.

Using Kantian Ethics in Dissolving Disputes over Management and Distribution of Natural Resources in Tanzania

The broad range of the managements of the natural resources in Tanzania has resulted into the creation of complex organizations and systems which has led to the exploitation of the workers depending on these resources for livelihood. These are various groups of actors such as insurgents’ groups, minority groups, and corrupt democratically elected leaders. Obviously, these leads to internal mistrust and commotion within a state rendered in calmness and contrary to peaceful coexistence. As a researcher the bottom line of these constrains needs holistic education and realization to combat the eminent crisis at hand. Each person has a role to play for the peaceful living in a society with great goals and opportunities. The dignity and integrity of each person is a very important and at stake. My research analysis indicates how Kantian ethics will tackle the above mentioned constrains for the peaceful coexistence in the society. For Kant, every human being has a right and obligation for every moral action. In any democratic society where laws and statutes are adhered to the issues of natural resources must be accounted for with the aim of common good. Using Immanuel Kant’s dictum on categorical imperative, these transformations in the management of the natural resources in Tanzania can be effectively be achieved.

"Moral spaces": A feasibility study to build nurses' ethical confidence and competence.

Background: Pre-licensure ethics nursing education does not adequately prepare and instill confidence in nurses to address ethical issues, and yet ethics education provides nurses with greater confidence to take moral action, which can mitigate the negative effects of moral distress. Objectives: To assess the feasibility and acceptability of a nursing ethics education program that included simulated case-based ethics competencies as a form of evaluation. The program aimed at building nurses' ethical knowledge and confidence to respond to ethical challenges in practice. Research design: A prospective, longitudinal, correlational, single-cohort feasibility study using an investigator-developed survey and intervention field data. Participants and research context: Registered nurses were recruited from an academic quaternary-care medical center and 9 small- to mid-sized regional hospitals within one health system in the Midwest United States. Ethical considerations: IRB approval was obtained. Participants could complete the educational program regardless of research process participation. Findings: Of 20 participants, 19 (95%) provided post-program surveys and 18 completed competencies. Median (IQR) scores with quartiles for scheduling, timing, and length of sessions were all 10.0 [9.0, 10.0], and participants perceived that the content was interesting, increased knowledge and confidence in ethics, increased skills in providing ethical care, and would recommend the program to colleagues. Of factors, an increase in ethics knowledge had the highest "always agree" (17, 89.5%) response. Most participants reported that ethics competencies were appropriate 9.0 [9.0, 10.0] and sufficiently challenging 10.0 [9.0, 10.0]. Discussion: The education program developed nurses' ethics knowledge and confidence. The single-cohort feasibility design provided early-stage intervention outcomes; however, a larger randomized controlled trial would substantiate program value. Conclusion: This novel ethics education program was highly feasible and acceptable to hospital-based nurses who reported increased knowledge and confidence in providing ethical care. Simulated case-based ethics competencies were an appropriate evaluation method.

"Fit for Entry": Researching and Remembering the 1917 Gasoline Bath Riots at the U.S.-Mexico Border through Theatre

This research focuses on and serves as the foundation for the creation of a theatrical world, supporting the play’s structural narrative to raise awareness of a historical event and to spotlight historically silenced and suppressed voices of color. The gasoline baths occurred at the El Paso, Texas border in 1917 when Mexicans were inhumanely disinfected with toxic chemicals as they sought entrance into the U.S. as a result of discriminatory beliefs and practices. Primary research will include published articles and books, focusing on the event that will serve as source material for the play developmental process. Secondary research efforts will include U.S. immigration policies of the time as well as identifying key historical figures. Carmelita Torres, a central figure in the event, will serve as the main protagonist and voice of the play. The narrative will showcase her advocacy for her community as well as demonstrate the gender bias role of women. Ultimately, this play intends to serve as a catalyst for change, creating a space for conversation, empathy, and transformation to awaken an audience towards moral and social action.

Secular and Theological Ethics: A Brief Overview

Ethics is a study which deals fundamentally with the rules of conduct from moral point of view. The main characteristic of ethics is to judge the value of moral act or moral conduct. Therefore, ethics means a code of conduct. The history of the development of morality grew through a long process of evolution of certain morality like ‘taboos’, habits and customs in the primitive society. There are two broad divisions of ethics i. e., secular ethics and theological ethics. The history of the development of secular ethics flourished through four periods i. e., the Greek ethics, the Medieval ethics, the Modern ethics and the Contemporary ethics. Each period has its own prominent characteristics. Moreover, the history of theological ethics grew with the rise of different religions like Islam, Christianity, Judaism, Hinduism and Buddhism. Morality has been developed during the period of more than two thousand years. Within this long span of time, many doctrines, ideas and values are included in it. Hence, morality takes different shapes in different periods and ethical views also develop accordingly. In this article, an attempt has been made to show a gradual development of morality- secular and theological. Again, the similarities and the dissimilarities between secular and theological ethics are the additional concerns of this paper. Philosophy and Progress, Vol#73-74; No#1-2; Jan-Dec 2023 P 59-94

The Concept of Tawhid in the Perspective of Nusantara Mufassirs: A Comparative Study of Tafsir Al-Misbah and Tafsir Al-Azhar

Tawhid, as a fundamental concept in Islam, serves as the primary foundation for all religious teachings, particularly in the aspects of worship and social life. Tawhid not only teaches the oneness of Allah SWT but also acts as the basis that guides the behavior of Muslims in all aspects of their lives. Given the importance of this concept, various mufassirs or Qur'anic scholars from different cultural and intellectual backgrounds have sought to interpret it according to the context of their times and societies. This study focuses on two prominent mufassirs from the Nusantara, Quraish Shihab and Buya Hamka, whose works, Tafsir Al-Misbah and Tafsir Al-Azhar, have become key references in Islamic studies in Indonesia. The aim of this research is to compare and analyze how these two mufassirs understand and interpret the concept of Tawhid in the Qur'an. The method used is library research with a comparative approach, allowing the identification of similarities and differences in the interpretation of Tawhid by the two mufassirs. Tafsir Al-Misbah by Quraish Shihab is known for its contextual and modern approach, often linking the interpretation of Qur'anic verses to contemporary social realities. Conversely, Tafsir Al-Azhar by Buya Hamka tends to use a more traditional approach, emphasizing the relevance of Qur'anic teachings in the daily lives of Muslims. The findings reveal that, despite differences in interpretative methods, both mufassirs share similar views on the essence of Tawhid. Quraish Shihab emphasizes the importance of contextual understanding tailored to the challenges of the times, while Buya Hamka focuses more on the spiritual and moral aspects of Tawhid. This difference lies in their methods, with Shihab inclined toward a more flexible hermeneutic approach, whereas Hamka is more literal and normative. Nonetheless, both agree that Tawhid should be reflected in all aspects of a Muslim's life and serve as the foundation for all moral actions and worship. This research provides important insights into the interpretation of Tawhid by Nusantara mufassirs and its relevance in the lives of Muslims in Indonesia today.

Ternary Moral Empathy Model from the Perspective of Intersubjective Phenomenology.

The phenomenon of empathy is an intersubjective process of feeling and a particular form of intentionality. Moral empathy refers to a type of empathy that can trigger moral action, with the embodied intersubjectivity laying the foundation for its emergence. This paper attempts to propose a comprehensive theoretical model of moral empathy from the perspective of intersubjective phenomenology, which includes the following. (1) The moral dimension of perceptual empathy: at the subpersonal, unconscious, and perceptual-motor level, embodied empathic practices are essential for the formation of moral consciousness and the emergence of moral empathy. (2) The moral dimension of situational empathy: following the development of shared attention mechanisms, children can direct towards the intentional objects of others through embodied situational cues to perceive the psychological state of others and generate the moral empathy of "ought", leading to dyadic morality that promotes cooperative behavior. (3) The moral dimension of narrative empathy: the narrative practices of moral empathy refer to the processes by which children could perceive and understand the moral situation of characters within an embodied narrative structure, subsequently generate prosocial motives such as empathic concern, and then accept the "objective" moral norms of the group consciousness embedded in the narrative.

Moral responsibility of russian citizens for aggression against Ukraine as a factor of pressure on their political will

The article focuses on the need to actualize the issue of bringing russian citizens to moral responsibility for violation of universal human values and other moral obligations of a person, which is expressed in their support for a large-scale war against Ukraine and the aggressive policy of the russian federation in general. In this vein, the author rethinks the concept of moral responsibility, argues for the inclusion of both individual and collective moral subjects, and highlights the impact of the means of moral responsibility on the formation of consciousness and, especially, the political will of the moral subject. In the discussion with other scholars, the author proposes that the subjects of collective responsibility include those structures, communities, and social groups that act as a collective actor, demonstrate their internal identity and are mutually responsible. The article argues that the russian public, which politically supports the current regime, is objectively a direct subject of the war and, accordingly, bears the full measure of direct political and moral guilt for the actions of its state and their consequences. It is proposed to call the supporters of the war “agents of war”, which will highlight their moral culpability. Therefore, it is important that not only the leadership of the russian federation, but also the entire russian public realise their part of the blame for the russian-Ukrainian war. It is proposed to incriminate moral and political culpability of russian citizens for the military aggression against Ukraine and to carry out information activities in order to make them aware of their personal and solidarity share of guilt and responsibility for this aggression. In order to give the moral condemnation of russian citizens a targeted and universal impact, the author argues for the establishment of a special international moral tribunal to encourage moral actors to fulfill their moral obligations, which will simultaneously contribute to the improvement of the security sphere of humanity. It is not about creating an official administrative structure, but about introducing a single humanistic information space that will counter this aggression. It is believed that it is in the form of a moral and ethical tribunal that the efforts of civilized countries, political, national and religious movements can be effectively united in the general condemnation of the russian aggression, its violation of human norms of goodness and justice, peace and secure existence. The central paradigm of the tribunal should be the phenomenon of safe human existence, human life as a value that excludes aggressive state policy and encroachment on human rights and freedoms. We believe that today, in counteracting russian information and psychological operations, we should focus more on the moral collective guilt and responsibility of all russian citizens who still stand in the position of not resisting evil.

Revisiting the moral forecasting error – A preregistered replication and extension of “Are we more moral than we think?”

Predictions are often inaccurate. Still, the direction of prediction errors may vary. Contrary to research on the intention-behavior gap, where people fail to live up to their ambitions, a study on “moral forecasting” found that people behaved more honestly than they predicted. In this registered report, we present two close replication attempts and one conceptual replication attempt of this moral forecasting error across two experiments. In Experiment 1 (N = 1839), we recruited a general population sample from the same country as the original study (Canada) to an online experiment. We successfully replicated the moral forecasting error using a math-based cheating task from the original study: Predicted cheating was much higher in a moral forecasting condition than actual cheating in a moral action condition (d = 0.69). In Experiment 2 (N = 1381) we replicated the forecasting error again, using the same task in a general population sample from the U.S. (d = 0.72). However, we were unable to conceptually replicate the effect using a different dishonesty measure, the “mind game”, in Experiment 1 (φ = 0.03). We also could not reduce the forecasting error through a debiasing intervention in Experiment 2 (d = 0.01). Across both experiments, participants predicted that others would cheat much more than they would themselves. In this registered report, we conclude that the moral forecasting error is robust for the original cheating task. We also show that it can generalize contextually (from a lab to an online setting), but not to a different task. Future research may show exactly when predictions about one's own honesty are pessimistic rather than optimistic.

Pembentukan Karakter Peserta Didik melalui Penguatan Kompetensi PPKn: Studi Kasus di SMAS GKPI Padang Bulan

This research aims to determine whether strengthening PPKn competencies can shape the character of students at SMAS GKPI Padang Bulan Medan. The character theory used as a reference is according to expert Thomas Licona who divides character education into 3 aspects, namely; knowledge (Moral Knowledge), emotions (Moral Feeling), and actions (Moral Action). This research uses quantitative descriptive methods. The research implementation time is approximately one month, namely April 17 to May 18 2024. Data collection techniques were carried out using observation, interviews and documentation. The data collection instruments used in this research were Likert Scale questionnaires and open questionnaires. The research subjects were determined based on samples selected using purposive sampling techniques, namely class X-3 students and 3 PPKn teachers. The type of data in this research uses primary and secondary data. The data analysis technique used is simple descriptive statistics, namely table analysis and percentages P= F/N x 100%, with categories 0-69% (Low), 70-89% (Medium), 90-100% (High) calculated based on the provisions of the Likert Scale score. The research results show that the character of the students there is categorized as "Medium" because the average score is above 70%. And this has an impact because of the strengthening of PPKn competencies carried out by teachers, namely with the methods, approaches and attitudes shown during teaching and learning activities.

Moral Actions of The Characters in The Novel Selamat Tinggal By Tere Liye

Moral Actions of The Characters in The Novel Selamat Tinggal By Tere Liye

Framing Collective Moral Responsibility for Climate Change: A Longitudinal Frame Analysis of Energy Company Climate Reporting

AbstractResponding to climate change and avoiding irreversible climate tipping points requires radical and drastic action by 2030. This urgency raises serious questions for energy companies, one of the world’s largest emitters of greenhouse gases (GHGs), in terms of how they frame, and reframe, their response to climate change. Despite the majority of energy companies releasing ambitious statements declaring net zero carbon ambitions, this ‘talk’ has not been matched with sufficient urgency or substantive climate action. To unpack the disconnect between talk and action, this paper draws on the literature on framing, organisational hypocrisy, and collective moral responsibility. We conduct a longitudinal qualitative content analysis of the framing of climate change used by the ten largest European investor-owned energy companies and the actions they have taken to shift their business practices. Our findings reveal three main categories of energy companies: (i) deflecting, (ii) stagnating, and (iii) evolving. We show key differences in the relationship between framing and action over time for each category, revealing how deflecting companies have larger and persistent gaps between green talk and concrete action and how stagnating companies are delaying action despite increased green talk, while evolving companies exhibit a closer link between talk and action that tends to be realised over time. Our analysis reveals how competing approaches to framing collective moral responsibility help understand the trajectories of talk and action across the different categories of energy companies. This research makes several contributions to the literature on organisational hypocrisy and collective moral responsibility in the context of climate change. Our analysis highlights the complex relationship between collective moral responsibility, organisational hypocrisy and climate action, revealing how different collective framings—diffuse, teleological, or agential—can both enable and offset substantive climate action. The study also enriches our understanding of the performative nature of collective moral responsibility by examining its temporal dimensions and showing how an agential, backward-looking focus is associated with more meaningful climate action.

ENTRE RUÍNAS E SILÊNCIOS: AMORALIDADE X DOGMAS RELIGIOSOS EM SEM GENTILEZA, DE FUTHI NTSHINGILA

We know that violence caused by gender and social inequalities is historically constituted as a ‘plastered’ element in the most diverse relationships and cultures. In this way, this work proposes an investigative analysis of the female representation of the protagonist character, Mvelo, in the novel Sem Gentileza (2016) by South African writer Futhi Ntshingila, with the aim of understanding how the writer aesthetically describes these inequalities in the narrative, especially in the context of violence against women, highlighting, for this section, the South African context of black women. From this perspective, we will discuss themes that we consider pertinent, such as religious dogma and the free will of the moral act, which are absent in the characters that make up the narrative, and we will also consider the necropolitics latent in the social context of the characters. In order to carry out this descriptive analysis from a phenomenological point of view and establish a coherent view of the discussions and characters, we will use the studies of Biko (1990), Baur (2000), Hick (2018), Revel (2005), Mbembe (2016), Fanon (2022), Hill-Collins (2019), Hooks (2020), Arendt (1997, 2004), Almeida and Teles (2012) and Saffioti (2004, 2015) among other scholars and theorists as theoretical anchors. Methodologically, this is a qualitative, bibliographical study with a descriptive analytical approach. Through this description, as a preliminary result, we conjecture that the way Ntshingila delineates violence in her poetic texture produces a certain ‘subtlety’ for such grotesque moments.

When ethics are compromised: Understanding how employees react to corporate moral violations

This study investigated how employees react to corporate moral violations against external stakeholders, such as customers, the community, and the environment. Drawing from the deonance theory, we examined the relationships between employees' perceptions of corporate moral violations, their moral emotions (anger and sympathy), and their moral actions (external whistleblowing and compensating behavior) when they witness their company's ethical transgressions targeting external stakeholders. In addition, the study examined the moderating effects of employee-oriented corporate social responsibility and perceived moral violation intentionality on the impact of moral violation on employees’ emotional and behavioral reactions. The proposed model was tested using an online survey panel of 417 full-time U.S. workers. The results mostly supported the hypotheses, indicating that perceived corporate moral violation interacted with employee-oriented CSR and moral violation intentionality to affect employees' anger and sympathy, which, in turn, influenced their moral actions.

Moral Responsibility in a Vat

AbstractThis paper investigates an ingenious argument by Andrew Khoury which, if valid, could shed new light on some of the most relevant discussions within the field of moral philosophy. The argument is based on the idea that if we deny the phenomenon of resultant moral luck, then the proper objects of moral responsibility must be internal willings. I analyse the argument and find it unsound. The argument does not adequately account for the positions of all relevant moral actors when it comes to the moral evaluation of agents and their actions.

Distributive justice and value trade-offs in antibiotic use in aged care settings.

Residential aged care facilities (RACF) are sites of high antibiotic use in Australia. Misuse of antimicrobial drugs in RACF contributes to antimicrobial resistance (AMR) burdens that accrue to individuals and the wider public, now and in the future. Antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) practices in RACF, e.g. requiring conformation of infection, are designed to minimise inappropriate use of antibiotics. We conducted dialogue groups with 46 participants with a parent receiving aged care to better understand families' perspectives on antibiotics and care in RACF. Participants grappled with value trade offs in thinking about their own parents' care, juggling imagined population and future harms with known short term comfort of individuals and prioritising the latter. Distributive justice in AMR relies on collective moral responsibility and action for the benefit of future generations and unknown others. In RACF, AMS requires value trade-offs and compromise on antimicrobial use in an environment that is heavily reliant on antimicrobial drugs to perform caring functions. In the context of aged care, AMS is a technical solution to a deeply relational and socio-structural problem and there is a risk that carers (workers, families) are morally burdened by system failures that are not addressed in AMS solutions.

Pratiloma Paranoia: Class Hierarchy, Conservatism, and Ethics in Classical Hindu Law

The Hindu law tradition grounds its social ethics on an ideological hierarchy of class or caste known as varṇa. The positive inculcation of this hierarchy is bolstered by a fear of social inversion, known as pratiloma, in every area of law and society. Through an examination of the concept of pratiloma, this article contends first that the central Hindu law principle of dharma, religious and legal duty, depends upon knowing and abiding by one’s place in society. From this Hindu articulation of social rank as the foundation of ethics, the article then draws a comparison between classical Anglo-American conservatism and Hindu law to suggest that conservative traditions in general base moral action on social station and the fear of breaking social rank. Ethics in Hindu law, therefore, are derived from an acceptance of social station within the varṇa hierarchy and the constant cultivation of local expectations of proper behavior according to social position.

Emer de Vattel in context: the moral philosophical foundations of a natural law for states

ABSTRACT In line with its influence, Emer de Vattel’s Le droit des gens (1757) is most often conceptualised in terms of far-reaching political intentions and epochal intellectual developments. However, the core axioms of the work constitute a surprisingly exact application of Vattel’s philosophical premises, developed within the highly specific traditions of Swiss Calvinism and the école romande of natural law, integrating Leibnizian influences. The present article provides basic context for this claim by excavating two early debates that Vattel intervenes upon as an apologist for Leibniz: first, Vattel demonstrates an adherence to non-fatalist Leibnizian metaphysics when countering Swiss anti-Leibnizians in 1737–1741 and, second, in 1747 Vattel develops Leibnizian-Wolffian moral philosophy in response to Barbeyrac’s vindication of Pufendorfian voluntarism. These interventions point toward an evolving but systematic philosophical substratum, which I claim can also be found, mutatis mutandis, in Vattel’s account of the law of nations. Thus, whether applying natural law to people or states, Vattel considers both to be (moral) persons who naturally prioritise duties to themselves, this principle of self-interested utility conceived of as coterminous with altruistic virtue, and, by consequence, belonging to a universal society of moral actors.

“L’Esprit de Charité”: Imaginative Action and Universal Benevolence in Wollstonecraft’s Of the Importance of Religious Opinions

ABSTRACT This article analyses Mary Wollstonecraft’s Of The Importance of Religious Opinions (1788), a translation of De l’Importance des Opinions Religieuses (1788) by Jacques Necker. I demonstrate that Necker’s text resonates with Wollstonecraft’s early works and those of her mentor, Dissenting theologian Richard Price, both for its Providentialism and for its onus on caritas, or “l’esprit de charité”, a love of God expressed through love of our neighbours. For Wollstonecraft, Christian charity was coextensive with justice and could embrace the entire human family. I argue that Necker’s text initially appealed to her for its representation of religion cultivating this expansive benevolence through sentiment refined by the imagination, depicted as a sacred faculty channelling our errant desires towards the divine. Whereas Necker envisages only celestial rewards in an incurably unjust society, however, Wollstonecraft subtly revises his text to foreground the imagination as the impetus to moral actions that participate in God’s plan for human improvement. She thus imagines political justice in the form of a cosmopolitan ideal of universal benevolence, a heartfelt principle of action equally consonant with Christian charity and the demands of justice.