A deontological analysis of peer relations in organizations

Using practical formalism a deontological ethical analysis of peer relations in organizations is developed. This analysis is composed of two types of duties derived from Kant's Categorical Imperative: negative duties to refrain from the use of peers and positive duties to provide help and assistance. The conditions under which these duties pertain are specified through the development of examples and conceptual distinctions. A number of implications are then discussed.Dennis J. Moberg is Professor of Management and Fellow of the Center for Applied Ethics at Santa Clara University.Michel J. Meyer is Assistant Professor of Philosophy and Fellow of the Center of Applied Ethics at Santa Clara UniversityThe authors wish to thank Martin Cook, Jaques Delacroix, and Phil Zink for their helpful comments on various drafts of this paper.