Unethical Issues Research Articles

The Impacts of Ethical Action on Repurchase Intention Mediated By Customer Satisfaction on Online Business

This study aims to examine the impacts of ethical action taken by the company on customer satisfaction and intention to repurchase the products. The study was motivated by the emergence of unethical behaviour during online transactions due to limited direct contact between businesses and customers. Some companies have attempted to resolve these unethical issues. The issue of unethical behaviour still frequently arises. In contrast, unethical behaviour is less likely to stop customers from repurchasing the products. Dissatisfied customers repeat buying products from the same company or marketplaces even after they deal with an unsatisfied situation. Organisational citizenship theory is used as the framework for this study. Using a quantitative method through a survey, this study examines 171 users of the Indonesian marketplace, Tokopedia, in South Jakarta Indonesia. The survey is focused on the perception of ethical behaviour, customer satisfaction, and repurchase intention. Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) and Partial Least Square (PLS) 4 are used to examine the data. This study reveals that presenting ethical actions such as security and trust may not help the business sustain itself. Complaints and dissatisfaction with customers should be handled by offering compensation rather than apologies which may hinder them from repurchasing the products. Repurchasing is therefore essential to a sustainable firm, and customer satisfaction can only act as a mediator between a company’s ethical behaviour and customer intention to repurchase if the company’s ethical behaviour can first satisfy the consumer.

Leveraging artificial intelligence to enhance psychological capital in learning organizations: a viewpoint

Purpose This viewpoint article presents perspectives on the intersection of AI and the diverse elements of Psychological Capital (PsyCap) and is a foundation for discussion on this juncture. It also exhibits the advantages of integrating AI and PsyCap in learning organizations and the challenges and future directions associated with the same. Design/methodology/approach The article exhibits the juncture of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Psychological Capital (PsyCap) in context to learning organizations. It also highlights the various AI tools that can be used to manage diverse PsyCap attributes in learning organizations. The approach is to present a starting point for discussion on the intersection of the two concepts and how learning organizations can leverage them to create sustained competitive advantage. Findings Artificial Intelligence Systems can be used to enhance self-efficacy, promote optimism, cultivate hope and build resilience in learning organizations. A strategic approach with continued evaluation of AI tools is the key. However, challenges like privacy and unethical issues, biasness and management of human- AI intervention have to be taken into consideration for effective integration of AI tools and Psychological Capital. Originality/value The research in the domain of Artificial Intelligence and related technologies is not a new phenomenon. However, there is a possibility to understand that AI is not a competitor to human ingenuity but a facilitator to it. Through this article an effort is made to ignite the conversation on the topic and it can be a starting point for future research on the integration of the two perspectives.

Perceptions of Workplace Ethics Among Academic Staff in South Eastern Nigerian Universities

Higher education institutions are expected by society to produce knowledgeable graduates who will contribute responsibly to their communities and the country as a whole. If concerns about workplace ethics are to be discussed and addressed with meaningful outcomes, a detailed analysis of academics’ perceptions is essential, as they have a significant influence in defining appropriate professional behavior for students. The general objective of the study is to determine workplace ethics: perceptions of academic staff in universities in South Eastern Nigeria. In this study, thirty academic staff members from selected universities in South Eastern Nigeria were surveyed, and their responses were analyzed using qualitative methodologies. Ten items on an in-depth interview form were used. The findings were examined using themes that accurately depicted the respondents’ perceptions. The results indicate that academic staff members view professional ethics as the objective means of achieving the university’s goals. The findings also show that university lecturers view workplace ethics as a tool for controlling faculty members’ attitudes regarding behavior at work. Academic staff members are seen as individuals who play essential roles in organizations, often involved in learning and aiding others in achieving personal growth. The study’s recommendations include the following: raising awareness of unethical behavior should be treated seriously so that no one can claim ignorance. Administrators should engage in intensive awareness creation to help curb unethical issues in learning institutions in order to raise staff ethical sensitivity in universities.

Leader ethical voice and subordinate job performance: the chain mediating role of subordinate identification with leader and leader-member exchange.

Ethical voice is a valuable ethical behavior that enables organizations to promptly recognize and rectify unethical issues and practices, thus preventing severe dilemmas and crises. Despite its importance, the extant literature has yet to fully explore the impact of a leader's ethical voice on subordinate outcomes. This study bridges this gap by integrating social identity theory and social exchange theory to scrutinize the process by which a leader's ethical voice affects subordinate task performance. We employ a serial mediation model to explore the mechanisms by which a leader's ethical voice enhances subordinates' task performance. Our theoretical framework is empirically validated using a dataset that includes 449 subordinate-leader pairings from Chinese enterprises. The survey results demonstrate that a leader's ethical voice has a significant positive impact on subordinate task performance. Subordinate identification with leader and leader-member exchange not only individually mediate the effects of a leader's ethical voice on subordinate task behavior but also jointly serve as a chain-mediated mechanism in the influence of a leader's ethical voice on subordinate task behavior. These findings illuminate the substantial effects that ethical leadership behaviors exert on employee performance and offer fresh perspectives on the intricate dynamics that govern this influence.

Fostering Responsible Behavior Online- Relevance of Cyber Ethics Education

The role of ethics becomes even more significant given the huge advent and increase of cyber-criminal activities in cyberspace. It has become an urgent necessity to curb the menace of unethical practices in cyberspace and contribute ethical guidelines to a safe and secure digital environment. To minimize the growth of cybercrimes and unethical issues online, users must understand how existing societal norms and ethics can be extended according to the challenges posed by ethical dilemmas in cyberspace. Hence, understanding the importance of cyber ethics in daily life has become essential than ever before. Cyber ethics implies the rules of social engagement and responsibility in cyberspace; it is really about social responsibility in cyberspace and it is aimed at inculcating knowledge of responsible behavior in man when using the online environment. This paper is an attempt to provide an overview of the relevance of cyber ethics education in fostering responsible behavior online.

Experiences of inequality in international collaborative research – Perspectives from environmental and sustainability scholars from Ghana, West Africa

Global north and south research partnerships are essential for building research capacity in the global south and for generating new knowledge to address complex socio-environmental problems. However, insights from various disciplines, particularly global health research, suggest that north-south research collaborations often reproduce unequal power relations and outcomes. To mitigate these, some international funding organizations have produced guidelines that promote ethical practice in collaborative research. Despite these measures, significant gaps exist in understanding how the experiences and perspectives of Global South scholars, particularly those in the field of environmental sciences, shapes discourses on unequal north-south research partnerships and the ethical guidelines developed to address disparities. To bridge this gap, we conducted explorative qualitative research focused on understanding the experiences of environmental science and sustainability researchers from Ghana in international collaborative research. Our findings revealed a general optimism among scientists regarding the benefits of international collaborative for making impactful contributions in the global south, expanding professional networks, opening opportunities to publish in high impact journals and developing new research skills. At the same time, our findings also indicate that pervasive forms of inequality centered around lack of recognition, poor clarity of roles, disrespect, unequal resource sharing, poor communication, and non-adherence to contractual agreements persist. We contribute to the ongoing scholarly debate on research inequality by proposing a framework to guide the management, design, and implementation of north-south research partnerships. Our proposed framework serves as a starting point toward identifying potential unequal and unethical issues that often arise in north-south research partnerships.

The Permissibility of Utilising Stem Cells in Biomedical Treatment in ASEAN Countries: Religious Compliance Perspective

With the rise of the halal market, more and more technologies are being used which are not specifically sanctioned by the Quran or the Sunnah. The use of stem cells in biomedical treatment, which has been claimed to have numerous beneficial effects on humans, was one of these subjects. Stem cell therapy represents a revolutionary development in medical science that offers a promising approach to treating various ailments. Hence, the present study was undertaken to (1) investigate the permissibility of employing stem cells following Islamic law, (2) ascertain the compatibility of stem cell utilisation with Islamic teachings, and (3) identify any limitations on its application. This research study is conducted using secondary library-based sources. It seeks to provide an overview of the ethical and legal considerations surrounding using stem cells as a biological treatment, specifically from the perspectives of chosen countries within ASEAN. The result shows that it is permissible to use stem cells as a treatment under strict conditions that serve to benefit mankind and that utilising them will not cause harm or invoke harm to the person or another person. It also aligns with Maqasid Shari’ah, which protects life and health and applies to several Qawa’id Fiqhiyyah (Legal Maxims). However, many challenges need to be considered regarding stem cell therapy, including ethical concerns. Therefore, several recommendations have been suggested to overcome the unethical issues of using stem cells for biomedical purposes.

Approaches to Online Evaluation in Higher Education in the Emergency Shift of COVID – 19: An Empirical Study of West Bengal

This paper tried to assess the approaches adopted in online evaluation system during COVID 19 pandemic in higher education. Day to day teaching learning as well as the evaluation system have been significantly affected during the emergency shift of COVID 19. The main objectives of this paper were to study the different practices of evaluation system; its, validity and effectiveness; and institutional preparedness to conduct the whole process of online evaluation. The paper also highlighted the issues and challenges faced by the students during formative and summative evaluation. Self-made online questionnaire was distributed to the college and university students and teachers of West Bengal. Descriptive survey method was used to collect data and simple percentage analysis was used for data analysis. It is found that the system was not ready for the rapid change. Sudden changes made the evaluation system a mess. The summative evaluation followed the same pattern of question papers. Only the pattern of formative evaluation was different. Online media and devices were used rigorously. This emergent shift in evaluation in turn has encouraged students to copy from internet. Unethical issues were present due to the absence of the teachers. That leads to several misconducts and cheating. Higher education institutions followed their own customized system for evaluation. Students’ satisfaction and institutional preparedness were also not up to the mark. It was failed to differentiate between the high and low achievers.

Analyzing Ethic and Procurement Performance of Humanitarian Organizations in Myanmar

Ethics has become a major concern for every organization. Humanitarian organizations apply different procurement ethics standards and procedures to avoid unethical issues and improve procurement performance. This study analyzes the impact of procurement ethics on performance among the humanitarian organizations in Myanmar. The quantitative research method was used, and 30 procurement officers participated. The findings indicate that procurement ethics have a positive significant impact on procurement performance. Thus, procurement officers and humanitarian organizations must implement ethical standards to promote performance.

User Review Analysis of Microtransactions in Freemium Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Games Using Structural Topic Modeling

This study investigated player responses to microtransactions in freemium Massively multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPG), specifically focusing on the game LostArk using English language review data. To this end, structural topic modeling was employed and the following six microtransaction-relevant topics were identified: microtransactions, developer issues, real money trade (RMT), random number generator (RNG) upgrade system, game content, and collectibles & adventure. The first four topics were classified as being "not recommended". However, the proportions of microtransaction-related topics were relatively lower than the other topics. Additionally, this study did not extract keywords related to unfairness and unethical issues in previous microtransaction research. The last two topics, game content, and collectibles & adventure were "recommended" topics, indicating positive functions of microtransactions such as enhancing the game experience by purchasing virtual items. Moreover, it was found that players who do not engage in microtransactions can still be satisfied through continuous game content updates. Additionally, an examination of the interaction effect between time and recommendation status revealed that while the frequency with which the six microtransaction-related topics were mentioned increased over time in the reviews, the ratio of recommendations to non-recommendations varied differently. This study contributes to game-related research by revealing players' authentic opinions on microtransactions in freemium MMORPGs, thereby providing practical implications for game companies.

Emerging ethical issues in university administration in Nigeria educational institutions

Educational institutions are knowledge factories where individuals are enriched with skills, knowledge and capacity to nurture and develop their potentials. University consists of teachers who are widely read with knowledge and skills with the onus of producing students worthy in character and learning. The study explores the emerging issues in university administration in Nigeria in educational institutions. Emerging issues in university administration are behavioral patterns that undermine the integrity of the educational system. Some of these ethical issues are examination malpractices, indecent dressing, cult-related activities, sexual harassment, extortion from students through the sale of textbooks andblatant disregard for schools ethos and code of conduct. As a way forward, the study suggests that educational institutions should, as a priority, establish dress codes for students and teachers and sensitize students on the core values of Nigerian culture and the likely consequence of unethical issues on the psychic of individuals and the university community.

Unethical Issues in Twenty-First Century International Development and Global Health Policy

Abstract Billions in development aid is provided annually by international donors in the Majority World, much of which funds health equity. Yet, common neocolonial practices persist in development that compromise what is done in the name of well-intentioned policymaking and programming. Based on a qualitative analysis of fifteen case studies presented at a 2022 conference, this research examines trends involving unethical partnerships, policies, and practices in contemporary global health. The analysis identifies major modern-day issues of harmful policy and programming in international aid. Core issues include inequitable partnerships between and representation of international stakeholders and national actors, abuse of staff and unequal treatment, and new forms of microaggressive practices by Minority World entities on low-/middle-income nations (LMICs), made vulnerable by severe poverty and instability. When present, these issues often exacerbate institutionalized discrimination, hostile work environments, ethnocentrism, and poor sustainability in development. These unbalanced systems perpetuate a negative development culture and can place those willing to speak out at risk. At a time when the world faces increased threats including global warming and new health crises, development and global health policy and practice must evolve through inclusive dialogue and collaborative effort.

Work Ethics and Accountability among Teachers and Administrators in TanzaniaPublic Primary Schools

This paper examines work ethics and accountability among teachers and administrators in public primary schools in Tanzania. Its objective was to assess four constructs, namely,perceptions on ethical issues and accountability, ethical issues, prevention measures and reporting systems of unethical behaviours. The study utilized quantitative research approach, involving questionnaires to generate data from 550 teachers and administrators from 279 randomly selected primary schools inmainland Tanzania. Findings indicated that teachers and administrators were impressed with how their schools respond to matters related to ethical issues, reporting ethical concerns and attempts to prevent unethical issues from happening. However, when ethical issues emerged, teachers and administrators feltuncomfortable to communicate with their leaders. On the other hand, promoting work ethics and accountability in schools fosters a positive educational environment that values professionalism and contributes to improved educational outcomes and the overall well-being of students. The study recognized that the opinions given by teachers and administrators might differ, and schools may have unique circumstances that influence the work ethics and accountability of their workforce. Therefore, local context, cultural factors and specific challenges should be taken into reflection when considering further research. Keywords:Ethics, accountability, good governance, leadership

중국 엘리트 수영지도자의 윤리의식 연구

This study aims to provide the baseline data that can help create the right Chinese elite sports culture and fairness in Chinese sports and understand unethical issues in Chinese elite swimming coaches to establish the right sense of ethics in Chinese elite swimming coaches and improve the problems and present measures for preventing them. As for research method, in-depth interviews were conducted with study participants, eight Chinese elite swimming coaches in a qualitative research method to draw the conclusions as follows. First, the types of unethical behavior of Chinese elite swimming coaches were identified as doping, violence, and match-fixing. Second, the causes of unethical behavior among Chinese elite swim coaches were identified as bribery and corruption, no-cause, and winner-take-all. Third, the perceptions of Chinese elite swim coaches on sports ethics education were identified as the necessity of sports ethics education, virtues required of swim coaches, and sports ethics leader education, and it was suggested that sports ethics education is essential and that it is desirable to implement sports ethics education from childhood rather than adulthood.

Doctoral students’ perceptions of assessment ethics: a phenomenological approach in the context of Iran

ABSTRACT Students’ perceptions of assessment in higher education (HE) are critical, since such perceptions can enhance or diminish student motivation for learning. Despite this, research on students’ perceptions of assessment in HE is scarce. To initiate a new agenda in this area, the present study explored Iranian doctoral students’ (N = 16) perceptions of assessment and their emotional/behavioral reactions towards assessment. Qualitative data were collected and analyzed using a phenomenological approach. The overall findings indicated that students’ perceptions of assessment: (a) predominantly centered on unethical issues, (b) evoked some negative emotional but not behavioral reactions towards such perceived unethical assessment, and (c) were mostly summative-oriented. Specifically, based on the findings, a tripartite, local model of assessment was generated highlighting that unethical assessment is relevant to assessment, instructional, and micro-political (power) issues. In the light of these findings, this study may add a new conceptualization of assessment ethics to the literature and highlights the inclusion of training courses on ethics principles across HE professional development programs in Iran and elsewhere.

On the Ethicality of Islamic Banks’ Business Model

AbstractThis paper scrutinizes the ethicality of Islamic banks’ (IBs’) business model by employing the ‘objectives of Islamic law’ (Maqāsid al‐Sharī’ah). This necessitates developing an ethical framework to construe two primary injunctions of Islamic finance, namely ribā and gharar. The former embodies financial decoupling (aggravating risk‐shifting) and unjust price gouging (provoking economic stagnation and financial exclusion), while the latter involves asymmetric information and excessive risk‐taking behaviour (exacerbating financial fragility and thus systemic risk). We empirically and theoretically illustrate that these unethical issues are still prevalent in the IBs’ modes of financing, despite the Sharī’ah‐compliant endorsement of religious scholars (i.e. Sharī’ah supervisory boards). This affirms that ethicality is merely an impression management exercise of IBs instead of their true business identity. The way forward is to conceptualize IBs’ modes of financing beyond just Sharī’ah compliance by scrutinizing their ethical impact on society at large. This would require updating centuries‐old Islamic rulings (Fatāwā) on financial transactions and consulting finance academics and practitioners.

Effects of Unethical Behavior Among Professionals in Klang Valley Construction Industry

Professionals are integral to the project. However, conflicts of interest among professional such as clients and contractors, project managers, architects play an important role in unethical practices that have an adverse effect in the construction industry. Therefore, this study aims to identify the effects of unethical issues that occur among the professionals in Klang Valley construction industry. The data collection has been conducted via questionnaire survey and has been analyzed using SPSS. Most respondents agree that “Delay of construction project” is the main effect of unethical behavior with a mean of 4.36 and SD= 0.848. When a project is delayed, it would cause major problems such as project abandonment, cost overrun, conflicts against parties and poor-quality works. This is because a project depends on the cost and time in order to be completed. Furthermore, a delayed project leads to a rushed project that will cause defective works. Frequent maintenance will be needed for repairing works, thus increasing the cost to bear in the project itself. Lastly, it is recommended that the timeframe for future studies should be increased to allow researchers to have sufficient time to collect more data in order to improve the accuracy and reliability of data collected.

413.4: The Beginning of the End for Living Unrelated Donation Kidney Transplantations in the Middle East: The Shiraz Transplant Center Experience

Background: The Middle East is a region with much controversy and limitations regarding deceased organ transplantations. In this report we describe our unique experience with the establishment of our deceased donor organ donation program for Central and Southern Iran. Methods: During the initial phases in the 70s and 80s, only living related kidney transplantations were allowed in Iran. However, this policy was not continued and was expanded due to severe shortage of hemodialysis facilities and an urgent need to increase the number of kidney transplantations. Accordingly, some centers in Tehran started unrelated kidney transplantation with the support of the government that offered bonuses to persuade unrelated donors. It should be mentioned that, during this time, permission for deceased organ donation was not yet obtained in Iran. The main focus of the Shiraz Transplant Center was to develop a deceased donation program from the beginning. During three decades this center was able to expand its deceased donation program to a degree that in 2008 it completely replaced all its unrelated kidney donations by deceased donations. Prior to 2008, most transplantations were related living and deceased donations, and only in cases where a patient was on the wait list for more than one year and a compatible donor was not found, they were only allowed to have living unrelated donations. The deceased program in the STC has since expanded and has aimed to stop unrelated living donations to achieve some goals which include: to abide by ethical guidelines in organ donations/transplantation such as the declaration of Istanbul, and to finally change the dominant practice of unrelated living donations within the Middle East. These efforts have resulted in an increase of deceased donations in Iran from 1.6 in 2004 to 14.34 per million population in 2019, and in some areas this has reached to as high as 50. Results: Up to March 2021, in the STC, overall 5389 kidney transplantations have been performed. Figure 1 shows the trend in kidney transplantation in the STC. Conclusion: Living unrelated donations are still an ongoing issue in the Middle East region. Our center, has implemented a wide deceased donor program and as a result has been able to completely stop unrelated living kidney transplantations. The deceased donor organ donation program should further be expanded within Iran and other countries in the region and continuous campaigns should be held up against any type of unethical issues such as living unrelated transplantations to meet with international standards.

Barriers to unethical and corrupt practices avoidance in the construction industry

PurposeComplying with the code of conduct by professionals in the construction industry worldwide has become a significant issue over the years. This has led to projects' failure, leading to losses to both the client and contractors. The study's objective is to identify the challenges of construction professionals in complying with their code of conduct and preventing corrupt practices.Design/methodology/approachQuantitative approach was used to collect empirical data by sending questionnaires to 56 construction professionals in South Africa. Data gathered were analysed through Excel statistical tool. Mean values were calculated for the quantitative data, whilst thematic content analyses were used to generate frequencies and percentages for qualitative data.FindingsThe findings indicate that construction professionals experience many unethical issues in their work duties such as inflated tender prices, overpricing the rates, tender-based kickbacks, bribes for projects, unethical methods of project execution, use of lower grade materials than specified, discrimination, among others. However, issues such as greediness, acceptance of corruption as usual practice, lack of knowledge about the code of conduct, the only way to get contracts, part of the process, and peer pressure create a challenge in complying with the code of conduct and preventing corrupt practices among construction professionals.Practical implicationsConstruction professionals face many unethical and corrupt practices in their project management and execution, which they cannot overcome due to many factors. Therefore, there is the need to sensitise the professionals in the construction industry regarding their code of conduct as well as the danger associated with engaging in corrupt practices in their work and their implication on project performance.Originality/valueThe findings give an insight into the critical factors curtailing the construction professional's ability to comply with their code of conduct and be corrupt-free in their line of duty. Thus, professional associations can use the findings in guiding their members.

비윤리성과 심각성이 온라인 액티비즘 및 기업성과에 미치는 영향 : 감정적 관여도의 조절효과

The aim of this study is to identify employees who are members of an organization about the unethical issues that frequently arise in recent organizational management and how they affect their organizational online communication activities to see if this can have a positive effect on organizational performance, such as organizational agility and reputation.<BR> The results of this study are as follows. First, the severity of the unethical issues that have arisen in the organization affects employee online activism. However, the unethical of issue itself have not been shown to have anything to do with employee online activism. Second, employee online activism has been shown to have a significant impact on organizational agility and reputation. In addition organizational agility has been shown to have a positive effect on organizational reputation. Third, employee emotional engagement has been shown to play a regulating role between the severity of unethical issues and online activism.<BR> These findings show that group activities, such as employee online activism, are not subject to control in organizational management, but can be driver of increased effectiveness in responses such as organizational agility in the event of an unethical issues. Future research suggests that organizational communication should focus more on open and spontaneous communication such as online activism.