Information Technology Professionals’ Perceived Organizational Values and Managerial Ethics: An Empirical Study

This paper summarizes the results of an analysis of empirical data on ethical attitudes of professionals and managers in relation to organizational core values in the Information Technology (IT) industry. This study investigates the association between key organizational values as independent variables and the ethical attitudes of IT managers as dependent variables. The study also delves into differences among IT non-managerial professionals, mid-level managers, and upper-level managers in their ethical attitudes and perceptions. Research results indicated that IT professionals from mechanistic organizations were much more likely to report – compared to those from organic organizations – that managers in their corporate environment engage in behaviors considered unethical and that successful managers were more unethical relative to unsuccessful managers. There were significant differences between the upper-level managers and the mid-level managers and between the mid-level managers and the IT non-managerial professionals on certain key ethical issues. This paper discusses the conceptual framework, hypotheses, research methodology, data analysis, implications of the findings, and suggested areas of further research. K. Gregory Jin, D.B.A, is Professor of the MIS Department, Ancell School of Business, Western, Connecticut State University. He has published numerous conference papers, chapters, and articles in such areas as MIS professional ideology and ethics, communication and control, behavioral issues in information systems development, role of IT and human factors in business process reengineering, service learning in database design, systems theory, MIS participant action research strategy, and political factors in IT management. He has more than twenty years of MIS administrative and professional experiences. He holds a D.B.A. in Information Technology Management from George Washington University. He is a member of the Association of Information Technology Professionals and a former member of DSI. Ronald G. Drozdenko, Ph.D., is Professor and Chair of the Marketing Department, Ancell School of Business, Western Connecticut State University. He is also the founding Director of the Center for Business Research at the Ancell School. Dr. Drozdenko has co-directed more than 100 proprietary research projects since 1978 for the marketing and research and development departments of several corporations, including major multinationals. These projects were in the areas of strategic planning, marketing research, product development, direct marketing, and marketing database analysis. Dr. Drozdenko co-authored Optimal Database Marketing: Strategy, Development and Data Mining and also has published professional and academic articles and book chapters. He holds a Ph.D. in Experimental Psychology from the University of Missouri and is a member of the American Marketing Association, the Society for Consumer Psychology, and the Academy of Marketing Sciences. Richard A. Bassett, D.P.S, is an Associate Professor of Management Information Systems at Western Connecticut State University. He was founder and CEO of Bassett Computer Systems, Inc. for 17 years where he was involved with the design and implementation of information systems for hundreds for small and midsized businesses. He has authored several papers and articles in such areas as web-design as a web-master, web-based course design, the security threats and concerns faced by telecommuters, minimal steps required to secure a Local Area Network and the technology decision challenges which growing companies face. He is actively involved with technology endeavors of numerous nonprofit organizations including: The Children’s Center, Bridges of Milford, North Haven Rotary, Communicare, and the Amber Alert System. He holds a D.P.S. in Computing from Pace University.     

An Examination of Personal Values: Differences between Accounting Students and Managers and Differences between Genders

In this study we investigate whether work experience and genderdifferences impact personal values. Personal values areimportant to study because they provide the foundational beliefsthat ultimately shape behavior. Differences in personal valuescould have several important implications for public accountingincluding recruiting, training, behavior, and retention. Wefound more significant differences between genders than relatedto work experience, however, we did find some interestinginteractions between gender and experience. Within bothexperience level groups, the dominant value type among males wasthat of an Independent Maximizer (an individual value typeexemplified by Ivan Boesky and Donald Trump, who utilizescompetence to attain personal goals). The most dominant typeamong females was Virtuous Advocate (an individual value type,exemplified by Mahatma Gandhi and Mother Teresa, who utilizesmoral means to obtain social goals). Experience had very littleeffect on males, but major differences in value types were foundbetween the undergraduate females and the female businessmanagers, with a shift (student to manager) toward servingothers but using competence rather than moral means to reachthese ends. The implications of these results are discussed.     

The Antecedents of Prosocial Service Behaviours: An Empirical Investigation

Frontline employee attitudes and behaviours during service encounters influence customers' perceptions of service quality. For this reason, the identification of variables that influence service behaviours is important. Much remains unknown about the factors affecting service behaviours in service settings. This study investigates service employees' attitudinal (job satisfaction and organisational commitment) and behavioural (prosocial service behaviours) responses to management strategies (internal communication, professional development and empowerment). One hundred and eighty-eight service employees contributed data, which were analysed using a structural modelling methodology. The authors found that management strategies influence service behaviours directly but the mediating role of job attitudes is not supported.     

Determinants of Managerial Values on Corporate Social Responsibility: Evidence from China

This article empirically investigates how Chinese executives and managers perceive and interpret corporate social responsibility (CSR), to what extent firms’ productive characteristics influence managers’ attitudes towards their CSR rating, and whether their values in favour of CSR are positively correlated to firms’ economic performance. Although a large proportion of respondents express a favourable view of CSR and a willingness to participate in socially responsible activities, we find that the true nature of their assertion is linked to entrepreneurs’ instincts of gaining economic benefits. It is the poorly performing firms, or rather, firms with vulnerable indicators – smaller in size, State-owned, producing traditional goods and located in poorer regions that are more likely to have managers who opt for a higher CSR rating. Managers’ personal characteristics per se are not significant in determining their CSR choice. Moreover, controlling for other observed variables, we find that managers’ CSR orientation is positively correlated with their firms’ performance. The better-off a firm is, the more likely its manager is to get involve in CSR activities. Firms with better economic performance before their restructuring would sustain higher post-restructuring performance.     

我国银行同业拆借市场“传染”风险的实证研究

本文使用矩阵法模型模拟我国银行同业风险头寸分布状况,估计了银行体系内的“传染”风险。结果表明:(1)银行同业资产和负债都与银行的类型和规模相关,国有银行的同业头寸占全部同业头寸的70%以上,但其同业资产占比有逐年下降趋势;(2)银行体系内风险传染的概率非常低,同时风险传染的概率及其导致的损失在逐年下降;(3)如果考虑银行预期和银行安全网对传染风险的降低作用,危机传染的风险甚至会降至零;(4)对“传染”风险的估计也存在低估的可能,同时银行同业拆借市场的“传染”风险正在从银行同业之间向银行与其他金融机构尤其是证券公司之间扩散。     

我国开放式基金选股能力和择时能力的实证研究

本文运用T-M 模型和H-M 模型对我国开放式基金经理的选股能力和择时能力进行实证研究,结果表明,我国开放式基金经理不具备选股能力,但具备一定的择时能力。此外,选股能力和择时能力之间存在强烈的负相关性。     

金融发展与中国投资增长--1981-2002年数据测算及初步分析

本文提出关于广义金融中介投资的定义并测算了1981-2002年中国广义金融中介投资及其占全社会固定资产投资的比例.该指标被用于与同期内投资相对规模及投资相对效率统计的直观几何比较.比较发现,在所考察期间,两组指标的相关程度都十分微弱.这可能意味着,转轨时期中国经济增长过程中,金融发展对促进投资规模扩大或增进投资效率的积极作用都不够显著.     

Internet Technologies in China: Insights on the Morally Important Influence of Managers

Within Science and Technology Studies, much work has been accomplished to identify the moral importance of technology in order to clarify the influence of scientists, technologists, and managers. However, similar studies within business ethics have not kept pace with the nuanced and contextualized study of technology within Science and Technology Studies. In this article, I analyze current arguments within business ethics as limiting both the moral importance of technology and the influence of managers. As I argue, such assumptions serve to narrow the scope of business ethics in the examination of technology. To reinforce the practical implications of these assumptions and to further illustrated the current arguments, I leverage the recent dialog around U.S. Internet technologies in China. The goal of this article is to broaden that which is morally salient and relevant to business managers and business ethicists in the analysis of technology by highlighting key lessons from seminal STS scholars. This article should be viewed as part of a nascent yet burgeoning dialog between business ethics and Science and Technology Studies – a dialog that benefits both fields of study.     

跨国公司在华竞争环境、经营状况与满意度的实证分析

本文通过对100家大型跨国公司的问卷调查,在分析中国外商投资的趋势、影响和回报的基础上,梳理了在华跨国公司及母公司的基本状况和相互关系,以及在竞争环境、经营自由度、决策权、竞争力、长期经营战略、投资满意度等方面的具体情况,总结出近年来跨国公司在华战略调整的重点,并针对中国企业提出对策建议。     

The Effects of Environmental Factors on the Behavior of Chinese Managers in the Information Age in China

This paper examines the effects of environmental factors on the ethical behavior of managers using computers at work in Mainland China. In this study, environmental factors refer to senior management, peer groups, company policies, professional practices, and legal considerations. Ethical behaviors include attitudes to disclosure, protection of privacy, conflict of interest, personal conduct, social responsibility, and integrity. A questionnaire survey was used for data collection, and 125 mainland Chinese managers participated in the study. The results show that peer groups, professional practices, and legal considerations do influence the ethical behavior of mainland Chinese managers in the areas of social responsibility, integrity, and accountability. A discussion of the implications of the results is also provided in this paper.     

Environmental Hostility and Firm Behavior—An Empirical Examination of New Technology-Based Firms on Science Parks

Firms often respond to challenging environmental conditions, such as those in high-technology environments. Thus, in a hostile environment, the intensity of competition exerts more pressure on the firm and also a greater necessity for firm behavior. This study was conducted with empirical data collected in 1999 from 134 small firms on science parks in Sweden. The discussion in this paper is focused at the firm level. Analysis of firm behavior was conducted using a multivariate approach. The content of firm-level behavior is defined in terms of the firm's overall collection of business practices and competitive tactics. The investigation of customer preferences and competitors are the manifestations of the firm's more basic strategic direction and how the firm will reach the markets. Two different types of firms were analyzed: university spin-offs (USOs) and corporate spin-offs (CSOs). The importance of the science park was included in the study as a control variable. The variable showed whether the firms had received support from a science park. This study indicated that the relations between change of marketing activities and long-term forecasting are strongest for both USOs and CSOs. The long-term forecasting, technology–importance of science park, was another key factor. This is exemplified by the two samples used in this study.     

Knowledge Recipients,Acquisition Mechanisms,and Knowledge Transfer at Japanese Subsidiaries: An Empirical Study in China

Although knowledge transfer contributes to a firm's competitive advantage, the effect of mechanisms used by a knowledge recipient on knowledge acquisition has been understudied. This article provides some insights on the interplay of knowledge recipients and transfer mechanisms between Japanese multinational corporations and their subsidiaries operating in China. Using structural equation methodology, this research proposes a knowledge transfer model that captures knowledge recipients’ characteristics and acquisition mechanisms, and empirically investigates the impact of knowledge recipients on mechanisms to test the applicability of specific mechanisms in knowledge acquisition. This article argues that knowledge recipients’ motivation and absorptive capacity have a positive impact on knowledge acquisition, and simultaneously provides evidence that mechanisms have mediating effects, which are vital to our understanding of knowledge transfer effectiveness. This study extends our understanding by adding knowledge transfer mechanisms as mediating factors in the relationship between knowledge recipients’ characteristics and knowledge acquisition, and quantifying the relationship. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

我国环境污染与产业结构高级化关系的实证研究

基于2004—2017年我国省级面板数据,对环境污染与产业结构高级化两者进行了协整检验和Granger因果关系检验,并建立了面板误差修正模型。研究表明,环境污染与产业结构高级化之间存在协整关系,即两者的发展在长期来看是均衡的;在一定的滞后期下,两者存在Granger因果关系。最后,根据研究结论提出了相关的政策建议。     

The Role of Brand Orientation in Church Participation: An Empirical Examination

Although a large amount of research has been undertaken into the application of marketing techniques in church organizations, few studies have provided empirical evidence on the effects of brand orientation on church participation. This empirical study sought to contribute to the body of literature via a survey of 344 church attendees of a particular church denomination in Australia. The conceptual model hypothesizes brand orientation as performing direct and indirect effects on church participation through perceived benefits as the mediating variables. A person's perception of the extent to which a church engages in brand-oriented activities and behavior is significantly related with his or her perception of the benefits associated with church activities, which then leads to a higher level of church participation. The results reveal that brand orientation is significantly related with perceived benefits and church participation.     

Entrepreneurial Values and the Ethnic Enterprise: An Examination of Six Subcultures

A vital question receiving only limited attention in the extant research concerns the implications of culturally based values for the successful creation and growth of entrepreneurial ventures. This study explores core values held by entrepreneurs in growth-oriented firms belonging to six subcultures based in the state of Hawaii. Thirty first-generation entrepreneurs each were interviewed from the populations of Japanese, Korean, Filipino, Chinese, Vietnamese, and native Hawaiian firms. Evidence is provided of commonalities and differences in the value profiles of the different types of entrepreneurs. While some of the salient values are clearly traceable to the entrepreneur's native culture, it appears that entrepreneurs share certain core values regardless of cultural origin. Evidence is also provided of linkages between values and specific operational practices within the ventures studied. Implications are drawn for ongoing theory development and managerial practice.     

中国城镇居民的职业流动性研究——来自微观数据的经验分析

采用了微观的城镇居民调查数据,对我国当前职业流动的特征进行了考查,研究了性别、年龄、教育程度、婚姻状况及收入水平等劳动者的个体特征与职业流动性之间的关系。不同性别之间的职业流动并无显著差异,教育程度越高的流动性越强,未婚者的流动性低于已婚者,劳动者的流动性与收入水平成反比,而职业流动性随着年龄的增大而减小。     

中国城镇居民的职业流动性研究——来自微观数据的经验分析

采用了微观的城镇居民调查数据,对我国当前职业流动的特征进行了考查,研究了性别、年龄、教育程度、婚姻状况及收入水平等劳动者的个体特征与职业流动性之间的关系.不同性别之间的职业流动并无显著差异,教育程度越高的流动性越强,未婚者的流动性低于已婚者,劳动者的流动性与收入水平成反比,而职业流动性随着年龄的增大而减小.