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1.
John Hardwig 《Journal of Business Ethics》2010,91(3):329-341
Business ethics – both stockholder and stakeholder theories – makes the same mistake as the one made by the traditional ethics
of medicine. The traditional ethics of medicine was a teleological ethics predicated on the assumption that the goal of medicine
was to prolong life and promote better health. But, as bioethicists have made plain, these are not the only or even the overriding
goals of most patients. Most of us have goals and values that limit our desire for medical treatments. Similarly, the view
of the stockholder in business ethics is that the stockholder has only one interest – profit. If stockholders have no other
values or interests that would limit their desire for additional profit, their sole interest is in profit maximization. But
investors are real people with interests and values that balance and limit their desire for profit. It would be an extremely
odd individual who cared for nothing except more profit. And institutional investors are supposed to serve the interests of
individual investors. Stockholders hold many stakes in the firms in which they invest. The conclusion that most stockholders
have interests that would limit the pursuit of maximum profit has significant implications both for business ethics and for
the management of for-profit corporations. Something like “informed consent for investors” is needed. Corporate managers,
to the extent that they are to be agents of their stockholders, must not simply pursue profit maximization. They must ascertain
the interests and values of their investors that limit the single-minded pursuit of profit. 相似文献
2.
This study compares college students with other adults in terms of the Muncy–Vitell (1992) consumer ethics scale. Further,
the study updates the Muncy–Vitell consumer ethics scale with modifications that include rewording and the addition of new
items. These new items can be grouped into three distinct categories – (1) downloading/buying counterfeit goods, (2) recycling/environmental
awareness and (3) doing the right thing/doing good. The study also compares these two groups in terms of their attitude toward
business. Results show that there is indeed a significant difference between these two groups in terms of ethical perceptions,
but not in terms of the “recycling” items and the “doing good” items. There was also little difference between the groups
in terms of their attitude toward business indicating that attitude toward business does not explain their different ethical
perspectives. 相似文献
3.
John F. McVea 《Journal of Business Ethics》2007,70(4):375-390
This paper develops a pragmatist approach to ethical business decision-making. It draws primarily on the work of John Dewey
and applies his deliberative approach to ethics to the challenges of business practitioners. In particular the paper proposes
the value of Dewey’s concept of dramatic rehearsal in emphasizing the task of “constructing the good” in ethical decision-making.
The contribution of the paper is, first, to build on recent foundational work to bring American pragmatism into the mainstream
business ethics literature; second, to offer a perspective that is accessible to practitioners and integrates ethics into
their daily tasks; and third, to identify a number of related research imperatives – in particular the importance of focusing
efforts on gaining a deeper understanding of the deliberative process itself. 相似文献
4.
In recent years there have been ever-growing concerns regarding environmental decline, causing some companies to focus on
the implementation of environmentally friendly supply, production and distribution systems. Such concern may stem either from
the set of beliefs and values of the company’s management or from certain pressure exerted by the market – consumers and institutions
– in the belief that an environmentally respectful management policy will contribute to the transmission of a positive image
of the company and its products. Sometimes, however, ethics and market rules are not enough to deal with this situation and
specific laws must be considered. This is the case when companies base their activity on the ‹ethics of self-interest’ concentrating
their efforts on projecting an adequate image – e.g. environmental respect – rather than fundamentally behaving in environmentally
respectful ways. This article, taking as reference the SME context, discusses the reasons for implementing environmentally
friendly systems. Both ethics and business seem to be relevant and, therefore, a certain balance between market and interventionism
seems to be necessary. 相似文献
5.
This paper examines the philosophical basis for the argument that there is a connection between ethical behavior and profitability.
Both sides of this argument – that good ethics is good business and that bad ethics is bad business – are explored. The possibility
of a moral floor above which ethical behavior is not rewarded is considered, and an economic experiment testing such a proposition
is discussed. Johnson & Johnson suffers a potentially devastating blow when some cyanide-laced Tylenol capsules cause several
deaths. Johnson & Johnson voluntarily pulls Tylenol off the shelf, to universal acclaim. When Tylenol is returned to the marketplace,
its share of the over-the-counter painkiller market becomes greater than it was before the tragedy. Arthur Andersen, the venerable
accounting firm, is caught in the web surrounding the downfall of Enron, Inc. As Enron’s various sins are discovered, it is
found that Arthur Andersen auditors had signed off on flawed audits and had shredded documents to cover themselves. Andersen
is prosecuted for, and convicted of, obstructing justice (although the conviction is later overturned). Today the firm barely
exists and has no resemblance to the Big Five accounting giant of 1999. These stories seem to indicate that ethical (or unethical)
behavior leads to positive (or negative) financial results. But the philosophical arguments underpinning such statements are
seldom subjected to proper analysis. They are perhaps wishful thinking, or perhaps based on examples such as the above without
considering other examples that may reinforce a contrary position. This paper will explore the philosophical arguments and
empirical evidence regarding these statements and state some research questions for exploration in this area. In particular
we will propose the possibility that a moral floor exists above which firms that engage in ethical activities will not reap
rewards, but below which firms that engage in unethical activities will be punished by actors in the economic marketplace.
We will discuss an economic experiment to determine if such actors indeed form a moral floor. 相似文献
6.
Goran Svensson Greg Wood Jang Singh Emily Carasco Michael Callaghan 《Journal of Business Ethics》2009,86(4):485-506
Based on the ‘Partnership Model of Corporate Ethics’ (Wood, 2002), this study examines the ethical structures and processes that are put in place by organizations to enhance the ethical
business behavior of staff. The study examines the use of these structures and processes amongst the top companies in the
three countries of Australia, Canada, and Sweden over two time periods (2001–2002 and 2005–2006). Subsequently, a combined
comparative and longitudinal approach is applied in the study, which we contend is a unique approach in the area of business
ethics. The findings of the study indicate that corporations operating in Sweden have utilized ethical structures and processes
differently than their Canadian and/or Australian counterparts, and that in each culture the way that companies fashion their
approach to business ethics appears congruent with their national cultural values. There does, however, appear to be a convergence
of views within the organizations of each culture, as the Swedish companies appear to have been more influenced in 2005–2006
by an Anglo-Saxon business paradigm than they have been in the past. 相似文献
7.
This study was designed to examine the prevalence of a code of ethics and to analyze its content among public relations agencies
in the United States. Of the 1,562 public relations agencies reviewed, 605 (38.7%) provided an ethical statement. Among the
ethical statements provided by these public relations agencies, ‹respect to clients,’ ‹service,’ ‹strategic,’ and ‹results’
were the values most frequently emphasized. On the other hand, ‹balance,’ ‹fairness,’ ‹honor,’ ‹social responsibility,’ and
‹independence’ were the least frequently mentioned in the ethical codes. Also, none of the sampled agencies included any sanctions
regarding enforcement of their particular codes of ethics. 相似文献
8.
James Weber 《Journal of Business Ethics》2006,65(1):23-42
This paper acknowledges the paucity of attention regarding the development of ethics programs within an academic environment
and describes in a case study how the Duquesne University schools of business attempted to introduce, integrate and promote
its own ethics program. The paper traces the business school’s attention to mission statements, curriculum development, ethics
policy, program oversight and outcome assessment. Lessons learned are offered as suggestions for others seeking to develop
and implement an ethics program in their school. 相似文献
9.
The emerging concern about software piracy and illegal or unauthorized use of information technology and software has been
evident in the media and open literature for the last few years. In the course of conducting their academic assignments, the
authors began to compare observations from classroom experiences related to ethics in the use of software and information
technology and systems. Qualitatively and anecdotally, it appeared that many if not most, students had misconceptions about
what represented ethical and unethical behaviors in these realms. Clearly, one can argue that if college students are uncertain
about what constitutes appropriate and inappropriate behavior then this uncertainty will be carried forward into their workplaces
upon graduation. Furthermore, if their workplaces don't provide ethics training as a component of a new employee orientation
program, one can project a potential for unintentional violations and infringements of copyrights and law in the field. This
study was conducted among graduate and undergraduate students to gain insight into their attitudes, perceptions and understanding
of some of the relevant ethics issues. A questionnaire of 11 statements was employed that described ubiquitous but most likely
unethical (or surely dubious) behaviors in the prevailing business and academic environments. Each respondent was asked to
evaluate each statement twice (once for “self” and once for “colleague”) on a five-option highly ethical (5) to neutral (3)
to highly unethical (1) scale. The statements were worded such that lower instrument score was associated with higher ethical
responses. The questionnaire's two-part structure was designed to solicit honest answers. The encouraging learning from this
study was that the overall sample and its various sub-samples did not consider any of the eleven behaviors to be “ethical”
or “highly ethical.” It was also encouraging to note that the overall sample and all sub-samples considered “highly unethical”
those behaviors associated with personal privacy or property or outright theft. This indicated that moral judgment and probity
prevail. The discouraging learning was that behaviors associated with the use of enterprise property were viewed as “neutral”
i.e., neither “ethical” nor “unethical.” These findings suggested confusion and lack of clarity and definition around workplace
deportment as it regards ethics in software and information technology use. The current study suggests that additional research
needs to be conducted to define and clarify the issues, which in turn can form the basis for programs to rectify or at least
ameliorate the situation. 相似文献
10.
11.
We examine the impact of an ethics education program on reporting behavior using two groups of students: fourth year Masters
of Accounting students who just completed a newly instituted ethics education program, and fifth year students in the same
program who did not receive the ethics program. In an experiment providing both the opportunity and motivation to misreport
for more money, we design two social condition treatments – anonymity and public disclosure – to examine whether or to what
extent ethical values are internalized by students. We find that when participants are anonymous, misreporting rates are nearly
the same regardless of ethics program participation. However, when their reporting behavior is made public to the cohort,
participants who completed the ethics program misreported at significantly lower rates than those who did not receive the
ethics program. The results suggest that ethics education does not necessarily result in internalized ethical values, but
it can impact ethical behavior. 相似文献
12.
Mark S. Schwartz 《Journal of Business Ethics》2012,105(4):429-446
Whether the nation of Israel has become a “light unto the nations” in terms of ethical behavior among its business community
remains in doubt. To examine the current state of business ethics in Israel, the study examines the following: (1) the extent
of business ethics education in Israel; (2) the existence of formal corporate ethics program elements based on an annual survey
of over 50 large Israeli corporations conducted over 5 years (2006–2010); and (3) perceptions of the state of business ethics
based on interviews conducted with 22 senior Israeli corporate executives. In general, and particularly as a young country,
Israel might be considered to have made great improvements in the state of business ethics over the years. In terms of business
ethics education, the vast majority of universities and colleges offer at least an elective course in business ethics. In
terms of formal business ethics program elements, many large companies now have a code of ethics, and over time continue to
add additional elements. Most respondents believed they worked in ethical firms. Despite these developments, however, there
appears to be significant room for improvement, particularly in terms of issues like: nepotism/favoritism; discrimination;
confidentiality; treatment of customers; advertising; competitive intelligence; whistle-blowing; worker health and safety;
and the protection of the environment. When compared with the U.S. or Europe, most believed that Israeli firms and their agents
were not as ethical in business. A number of reasons were suggested that might be affecting the state of business ethics in
Israel. A series of recommendations were also provided on how firms can better encourage an ethical corporate culture. The
paper concludes with its limitations. 相似文献
13.
This article introduces and discusses the initial results of a survey focused on the contents, role and effectiveness of company
codes of ethics. The article examines the contents of the codes of ethics of companies operating in the private sector in
Italy, quoted on the Italian Stock Exchange (Standard&Poor/Mib-Milano Indice Borsa). The purpose of this investigation was
to identify any correlations between sector characteristics and the contents of the codes of ethics, which would enable us
to map out the main principles followed in writing the companies’ codes of ethics. The analysis was conducted in order to
ascertain whether there were common factors deriving from the shared ethical questions faced by the companies operating in
the same sector of activity. As the first step, the 40 companies were subdivided into three main economic categories – Industrial,
Financial and Service. Then the contents of each code of ethics were evaluated and classified in accordance with different
criteria. The main categories of classification were based on – general principles, social values, rules of conduct, relationships
with third parties, implementation and sanctions. The next objective was to investigate whether these characteristics were
due to the regulation of the sector of reference, the existence of sector benchmarks for best practice, or simply companies’
voluntary stance on ethical issues. The main conclusions were that the codes of ethics of the Italian companies that we analysed
do not seem to show relevant differences traceable to sector of activity, and their adoption is affected by several reasons
other than intentionally ethical considerations. 相似文献
14.
Patrick E. Murphy 《Journal of Business Ethics》1995,14(9):727-740
This paper reports on a study of large U.S. based corporations concerning the status of formal ethics statements. Almost all responding firms (91%) have promulgated a formal code of ethics while one-half have published values statements and about one-third have a corporate credo. Analysis of these statements concentrated on to whom they are communicated; whether codes of ethics contain information pertinent to the industry, include sanctions for violations and provide specific guidance regarding gifts. Conclusions and implications for managers and researchers are drawn.Patrick E. Murphy is Professor and Chairman of the Department of Marketing at the University of Notre Dame. He is coauthor (with G. R. Laczniak) ofEthical Marketing Decisions: The Higher Road, Allyn & Bacon, 1993. His research interests focus on ethical and public policy issues facing marketing and business. He serves on the editorial review boards of several marketing and ethics journals. 相似文献
15.
Attempting to determine solutions for unethical practices in the field, this research was designed to assess the effectiveness
of public relations firms’ ethics statements in decreasing the incidence of malpractice. This study revealed an encouraging
finding that practitioners working in firms with ethical parameters were significantly more likely to engage in ethical practices.
Moreover, educating public relations practitioners about the content of ethics statement could positively influence their
ethical practices. At the same time, this study’s findings suggest further questions for consideration in future scholarship
and in the application of ethics statements to practice within the field. 相似文献
16.
This study analyzes the at-will employment doctrine using a tool that encompasses the complementarity of results-based utilitarian
ethics, rule-based duty ethics, and virtue-based character ethics. The paper begins with a discussion of the importance of
the problem followed by its evolution and current status. After describing the method of analysis, the central section evaluates
the employment at-will doctrine, and is informed by Lord Acton’s dictum, “power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts
absolutely.” The conclusion explores the implications of the findings.
This is a revised version of a paper presented at the World Ethics Forum, Oxford University, Oxford, UK April 9–12, 2006. 相似文献
17.
Edwin M. Hartman 《Journal of Business Ethics》2008,78(3):313-328
To teach that being ethical requires knowing foundational ethical principles – or, as Socrates claimed, airtight definitions
of ethical terms – is to invite cynicism among students, for students discover that no such principles can be found. Aristotle
differs from Socrates in claiming that ethics is about virtues primarily, and that one can be virtuous without having the
sort of knowledge that characterizes mathematics or natural science. Aristotle is able to demonstrate that ethics and self-interest
may overlap, that ethics is largely compatible with common sense, and that Aristotle’s virtuous person can make ethical decisions
rationally. Case studies can help students improve their ethical perception and keep their values from being overwhelmed by
corporate culture.
Edwin M. Hartman is the Peter Schoernfeld Visiting Faculty Fellow at the Stern School of New York University. He has degrees
from Haverford, Oxford, and Wharton, and a PhD from Princeton. Hartman’s most recent book is Organizational Ethics and the
Good Life (Oxford). 相似文献
18.
19.
Ziad Swaidan Scott J. Vitell Gregory M. Rose Faye W. Gilbert 《Journal of Business Ethics》2006,64(1):1-16
This study examines the role of acculturation in shaping consumers’ views of ethics. Specifically, it examines the relationships
between the desire to keep one’s original culture, the desire to adopt the host culture, and the four dimensions of the Muncy
and Vitell (Journal of Business Research Ethics 24(4), 297, 1992) consumer ethics scale. Using two separate immigrant populations – one of former Middle-Eastern residents now
living in the U.S. and the other of Asian immigrants in the U.S. – results indicate that those who want to keep their original
culture are less tolerant of unethical consumer activities, while those who are more willing to adopt the host culture are more tolerant of these same consumer activities. Furthermore, the immigrants in both studies who are more tolerant of unethical consumer activities are those who are generally somewhat younger and with less formal education. The
relationship between gender and consumer ethics was not significant. 相似文献
20.
Kipton E. Jensen 《Journal of Business Ethics》2009,89(1):99-107
From a certain philosophical perspective, one that is at least as old as Plato but which is addressed also by Aristotle and
Kant, business ethics – to the extent that it is marketed as form of enlightened self-interest – constitutes a Thrasymachean
compromise: to argue that it is to our advantage to conduct business ethically, perhaps even advantageous to the bottom-line,
comes curiously close to endorsing what Plato called the ‹shadow of virtue’ – i.e., of becoming temperate for the sake of
ill-temperance. And yet it also seems true that moralistic campaigns to achieve the impossible, e.g., pursuing justice for
its own sake or eradicating egoism, often “detract from attaining really important things.” This essay explores the need,
in business ethics as well as elsewhere, to make – what Dewey and Niebuhr considered to be – painful if not principled philosophical
compromises in order to secure is a society in which there would be “enough justice to avoid complete disaster.” 相似文献