Current research in moral development as a decision support system

This paper argues that human beings possess the rational capabilities necessary to achieve the goal of more just and peaceable social orders, but that our educational institutions are failing in their responsibility to do what in fact can be done to produce graduates who make decisions in ways most likely to achieve this goal.Data compiled by us, consistent with other research, indicates that only a small percentage of the individuals graduating from universities and professional schools have developed the capacity for post-conventional moral reasoning. William Y. Penn, Jr. is Associate Professor of Philosophy and Religious Studies at St. Edward's University, Austin, TX. He held a chair at the Department of Religion of the Archbishop Hoban High School. His most important publication is: Kohlberg and Business Ethics, Edwin Mellon Press. A Collection of essays on business ethics is forthcoming. Boyd D. Collier is Professor and Head of the Department of Accounting and Finance at the Tarleton State University. Formerly he was Senior Lecturer at the University of Texas at Austin and Dean at the Center of Business Administration at St. Edward's University. His most important publications are: The Valuation of External Diseconomies of Pollution, The Journal of Environmental Planning and Pollution Control, 1973, Accounting for Convertible Bonds Impact on Earnings Per Share, Management Accounting 1979, and Measurement and Environmental Deterioration, University of Texas Bureau of Business Research Monograph No. 34.     

A linguistic decision process in group decision making

Assuming a set of linguistic preferences representing the preferences of the individuals, a linguistic choice process is presented. This is developed using the concept of fuzzy majority for deriving a collective linguistic preference, and the concept of nondominated alternatives for deriving the selected alternatives in the linguistic choice process. The fuzzy majorities are equated with fuzzy linguistic quantifiers. The collective linguistic preference is derived by means of a linguistic ordered weighted averaging operator whose weights are defined using a fuzzy linguistic quantifier. In order to obtain the nondominated alternatives, we present a novel reformulation of Orlovski's nondominance degree under linguistic information.     

Organizational characteristics and the CRM adoption process

The purpose of this study is to identify the status of Customer Relationship Management (CRM) adoption and explore the influence of organizational characteristics on the CRM adoption process in the Korean fashion industry. Using Rogers' [Rogers EM. Diffusion of innovation. New York: Free Press; 1995] innovation decision process model as the conceptual basis, this study surveyed 94 Korean fashion companies to investigate the persuasion, decision, and implementation stages of CRM adoption. Organizational variables included firm characteristics (size, strategy, maturity of information system), product characteristics (category, fashion position, seasonality), and CEO characteristics (age, education). The most frequently used CRM technology is the development of a customer database, whereas the mostly frequently mentioned benefits of CRM are encouraging repurchase. Moreover, respondents' perceptions of CRM benefits affect CRM adoption, influencing the use of various CRM technologies. Organizational strategy, maturity of information system, and product category all significantly influence the adoption process. Empirical findings provide further support for the innovation decision process model developed by Rogers [Rogers EM. Diffusion of innovation. New York: Free Press; 1995] and the CRM adoption model can be used when fashion companies do strategic planning and evaluate the possibility of adopting CRM strategies.     

The role of moral intensity and moral philosophy in ethical decision making: a cross‐cultural comparison of China and the European Union

The present study uses cross‐cultural samples of marketing practitioners from two European Union (EU) nations (the United Kingdom and Spain) and China to examine the relationships between moral intensity, personal moral philosophies and ethical decision making. Additionally, cross‐cultural comparisons were made regarding intentions, personal moral philosophies and moral intensity. Results indicate that both samples tend to use the perceived harm construct (e.g. magnitude of consequences, probability of effect, temporal immediacy and concentration of effect) to determine intentions in situations involving ethical issues. However, social consensus tends to be situation‐specific for both groups and proximity seems not to be used at all when making decisions in situations involving ethics. As for personal moral philosophies, idealism is only used by the EU sample; however, for both samples, the use of relativism depends upon the specific situation.     

Testing a model of signals in the IPO offer process

This study examines agency and market signals related to a sample of high-technology firms seeking an initial public offering (IPO). We test a model of the IPO offer process in high-technology firms. Results indicate that certain pre-market and primary market factors affect the offer price received by entrepreneurs and investors, while the secondary market factor did not. Our model may help entrepreneurs position their organization prior to and during the IPO process.     

How consumers use product reviews in the purchase decision process

This paper uses individual level data to examine the influence of product reviews in different stages of the consumer’s purchase decision process. Specifically, a two-stage model consisting of consideration set formation and choice is posited, where the consumer can incorporate information from product reviews in each stage. The model is estimated using an online panel survey about hotel choice. We find that (1) consumers use product reviews more in the consideration set stage and less in the choice stage, (2) Bayesian updating of prior perceived quality better explains how consumers use product reviews compared to two competing updating methods, and (3) the monetary value of a unit increase in the mean of product reviews is computed. Our results suggest that managers should make product review information (their number, average, and variance) available from the beginning of the search process and encourage satisfied customers to write reviews.     

A conceptual model of corporate moral development

The conceptual model presented in this article argues that corporations exhibit specific behaviors that signal their true level of moral development. Accordingly, the authors identify five levels of moral development and discuss the dynamics that move corporations from one level to another. Examples of corporate behavior which are indicative of specific stages of moral development are offered.R. Eric Reidenbach is Professor of Marketing and Director of the Center for Business Development and Research at the University of Southern Mississippi. He has written extensively on business and marketing ethics.Donald P. Robin, Professor of Business Ethics and Professor of Marketing at the University of Southern Mississippi, is coauthor with R. Eric Reidenbach of two recent books on business ethics with Prentice-Hall. He is a frequent lecturer on business ethics and is the author of several articles on the subject.     

Global harmonisation of the professional behaviour of accountants

This paper reports findings from a study into national associations of accountants from the perspective of the model code of the International Federation of Accountants (IFAC), Code of Ethics for Professional Accountants . Using data collected from a survey document, the paper analyses the extent of the model code's influence in an international process of harmonisation of ethical rules for accountants. Obstacles to the adoption of the model code are examined, as is the impact that government supervision of codes has had on harmonisation efforts. Particular attention is paid to the relationship between professional independence and close family relationships and culture. Findings are also presented on other issues of code content, and the most appropriate body for interpreting national codes is identified. These items were included as matters of then current concern to the Ethics Committee of IFAC.     

Judging the morality of business practices: The influence of personal moral philosophies

Individuals' moral judgments of certain business practices and their decisions to engage in those practices are influenced by their personal moral philosophies: (a) situationists advocate striving for the best consequences possible irrespective of moral maxims; (b) subjectivists reject moral guidelines and base judgments on personal values and practical concerns; (c) absolutists assume that actions are moral, provided they yield positive consequences and conform to moral rules; (d) exceptionists prefer to follow moral dictates but allow for exceptions for practical reasons. These variations, which are based on two fundamental dimensions (concern for principles and concern for promoting human welfare) influence a variety of moral processes and have implications for ethical debates over business practices.Donelson R. Forsyth is Professor in the Department of Psychology at Virginia Commonwealth University. A social psychologist, his three major interests are affective and attributional reactions in interpersonal, education, and clinical settings, individual differences in ethical ideology, and the dynamics of interacting groups. He is the author of numerous journal articles, as well as several books dealing with social psychology, group processes, and health.     

Development of a media selection model using the analytic network process

The authors develop and test a comprehensive model for media selection utilising the Analytic Network Process (ANP). ANP is a flexible and powerful multi-attribute decision aid developed by Saaty (1996) for solving complex decision-making problems. It is aimed at integrating different measures (both qualitative/intangible and quantitative/tangible) into a single overall score for ranking decision alternatives. In applying the ANP method, the authors specifically incorporate web/internet media advertising into their list of media alternatives, using many of the same standard media attributes that have typically been employed in comparing more traditional media. The result is a model that may be utilised by expert and/or novice media planners with equal effectiveness.     

The influence of stated organizational concern upon ethical decision making

This experimental study evaluated the influence of stated organizational concern for ethical conduct upon managerial behavior. Using an in-basket to house the manipulation, a sample of 113 MBA students with some managerial experience reacted to scenarios suggesting illegal conduct and others suggesting only unethical behavior. Stated organizational concern for ethical conduct was varied from none (control group) to several other situations which included a high treatment consisting of a Code of Ethics, an endorsement letter by the CEO and specific sanctions for managerial misconduct. Only in the case of suggested illegal behavior tempered by high organizational concern were managers influenced by organizational policy to modify the morality of their actions. However, the responses to the illegal scenarios were significantly more ethical than the reactions given to the unethical (but not illegal) situations. The implications of these findings are then discussed. Gene R. Laczniak is Professor of Business at Marquette University (Milwaukee, WI) and he is co-author of Marketing Ethics (with P. E. Murphy), Boston: Lexington Books, 1985. He has also written various articles on Business Ethics. Edward J. Inderrieden is Assistant Professor of Management at Marquette University.     

Organizational Moralities and Social Transition: Towards a Conceptualization of Organizational Regulation in a Transitional Age

This essay attempts to think through the impact of what we call our "transitional age" on organizational life, specifically on organizational regulation, and thus on organizational moral life. It provides notes towards a reconceptualization of organizational moral life that may be helpful to all students and practitioners of organization and business ethics who would want to make sense of the often significant contextuality, unpredictability, and undecidability of contemporary organizational life.     

A model of the effect of affect on economic decision making

The standard economic model of decision making assumes a decision maker’s current emotional state has no impact on his or her decisions. Yet there is a large psychological literature that shows that current emotional state, in particular mild positive affect, has a significant effect on decision making, problem solving, and behavior. This paper offers a way to incorporate this insight from psychology into economic modelling. Moreover, this paper shows that this simple insight can parsimoniously explain a wide variety of behaviors.

The effects of role strain on the consumer decision process for groceries in single-parent households

Single-parent families are becoming a larger part of American society. But what is known about their decision-making processes? Role strain is of particular interest when studying single parents because of their need to serve multiple family roles otherwise carried out by dual-parent families. In this study, the consumer decision process for single parents is empirically examined in the context of grocery shopping. Role strain was found to have a significant effect on problem recognition style and reactive shopping behaviors. Advertising positively influenced proactive shopping behaviors and had a negative relationship with reactive shopping behaviors. Implications for food retailers are provided.     

虚拟社区中推荐者特征对推荐效果的影响

本文以虚拟社区中的参与者为研究对象，通过定量研究探讨了虚拟社区中推荐者的特征——关系强度和感知专业性，是如何影响推荐的效果的，即对购买决策的影响。我们发现关系强度和感知专业性是通过信任这一中介作用于推荐对购买决策的影响的，同时产品涉入在其中起调节作用。     

A behavioral model of ethical and unethical decision making

A model is developed which identifies and describes various factors which affect ethical and unethical behavior in organizations, including a decision-maker's social, government and legal, work, professional and personal environments. The effect of individual decision maker attributes on the decision process is also discussed. The model links these influences with ethical and unethical behavior via the mediating structure of the individual's decision-making process.Michael Bommer, Clarence Gratto, Jerry Gravander and Mark Tuttle all come from Clarkson University, Potsdam, NY.Michael Bommer is Professor and Chairman of the Dept. of Management. He is co-author of two books. His articles have been published in several journals.Clarence Gratto is Assistant Professor of Business Law. Jerry Gravander is Associate Professor and Associate Dean of Liberal Studies and he has written several articles, published in Technology Review, Journal of the Humanities and Technology and Journal of the International Society for Technology Assessment. Mark Tuttle is Assistant Professor at the School of Management and he is the author of articles which appeared in Journal of Vocational Behavior and Journal of Educational Psychology.     

Organizational culture in a terminally ill hospital

This study analyzed an organizational culture in a community hospital in Texas to measure organizational culture change and its impact on Patient Satisfaction (PS). The study employed primary and secondary data, combining quantitative and qualitative methods for a case study. Participant observation was used and archival data were collected to provide a better understanding of the organizational culture and the context in which change was taking place. This study also applied a "Shared Vision" of the organization as the central process in bringing forth the knowledge shared by members of the community hospital who were both subjects and research participants. The results from the study suggest an increase in PS due to the shared vision of one subculture within the hospital. There were powerful subcultures in this organization based on occupation and specialization, and their interests and functional orientations were not conducive to a systems approach. Hospital management was conducted in "silos" and there was lack of feedback between organizational levels of the hospital, especially in financial management, with organizational dysfunctionality in reacting and adapting to the health care market.     

Technology transfer offices as boundary spanners in the pre-spin-off process: the case of a hybrid model

Over the past decades, universities have increasingly become ambidextrous organizations reconciling scientific and commercial missions. In order to manage this ambidexterity, technology transfer offices (TTOs) were established in most universities. This paper studies a specific, often implemented, but rather understudied type of TTO, namely a hybrid TTO model uniting centralized and decentralized levels. Employing a qualitative research design, we examine how and why the two TTO levels engage in diverse boundary spanning activities to help nascent spin-off companies move through the pre-spin-off process. Our research identifies differences in the types of boundary spanning activities that centralized and decentralized TTOs perform and in the parties they engage with. We find geographical, technological and organizational proximity to be important antecedents of the TTOs’ engagement in external and internal boundary spanning activities. These results have important implications for both academics and practitioners interested in university technology transfer through spin-off creation.