Virtuousness and the Common Good as a Conceptual Framework for Harmonizing the Goals of the Individual,Organizations, and the Economy

Despite the expansion of the regulatory state, we continue to witness widespread unethical practices across society. This paper addresses these challenges of ethical failure, misalignment, and dissonance by developing a conceptual framework that provides an explicit basis for understanding virtuousness and the common good directed toward the goal of eudaimonia or human flourishing. While much of the literature on virtuousness has focused on the organization, this paper uses a more comprehensive understanding that also incorporates the agent and the economy examined through their relational order. The common good provides direction for guiding behavior of all the various stakeholders and the context for understanding virtuousness, while it is through virtuousness that the common good is effectively realized. Virtuousness and the common good are therefore in effect ‘two sides of the same coin.’ This paper develops a virtuousness–common good conceptual framework which explores the basis for harmonizing the goals of the individual, organization, and the economy.     

Do Cold Images Cause Cold-Heartedness? The Impact of Visual Stimuli on the Effectiveness of Negative Emotional Charity Appeals

Previous research shows that negative emotional charity appeals tend to be more effective than other emotional charity appeals because they evoke sympathy. However, feelings of loneliness reduce individuals' ability to sympathize with others. Based on grounded cognition research, we propose that exposure to images of cold objects will lead to feelings of physical coldness, which in turn will increase perceptions of loneliness, such that negative emotional charity appeals that are viewed following exposure to cold (versus neutral or warm) images will be less effective at eliciting donations. Findings from four studies provide support for this hypothesis and delineate the link between the presence of certain commonplace visual images in the media and their influence on the effectiveness of embedded negative charity appeals, and identify a new context effect that attenuates the effectiveness of charity appeals.     

The odd-ending price justification effect: the influence of price-endings on hedonic and utilitarian consumption

This paper examines how odd-ending pricing influences consumption of hedonic and utilitarian products. Four studies test the hypothesis that the discount image associated with odd-ending prices reduces anticipated guilt and provides justification for hedonic consumption – an effect the authors label the odd-ending price justification effect (OPJE). Study 1 reveals people are more likely to choose hedonic over utilitarian products when they have odd-ending prices. Study 2 finds that the effect of odd-ending prices on hedonic consumption is mediated by guilt reduction. Study 3 reveals a boundary condition for the OPJE – purchase likelihood of hedonic products increases only when monetary, not nonmonetary, guilt is reduced. Study 4 suggests the OPJE operates at an unconscious level, as consumers who are made aware of the trivial difference between odd- and round-ending prices are no longer influenced by odd-ending prices. The theoretical, practical, and research implications of these findings are discussed.     

Virtue Theory as a Dynamic Theory of Business

This paper develops a meta-theory of business based on virtue theory which links the concept of virtues, the common good, and the dynamic economy into a unifying and comprehensive theory of business. Traditional theories and models of business have outlived their usefulness as they are unable to adequately explain social reality. Virtue theory shows firms that pursue ethically-driven strategies can realise a greater profit potential than those firms who currently use profit-driven strategies. The theory expounds that the business of business is ethical business and that the crises that business and society face today are crises of leadership and ethics. The issues of leadership and corporate social responsibility are discussed in the context of the proposed theory.     

AN ECONOMETRIC ANALYSIS OF THE CANADIAN EGG MARKET

This paper analyzes the market forces - demand, supply, price and trade - operative in the Canadian egg market. Quarterly data for the period 1961–1973 (inclusive) was employed, and Three-Stage least squares procedure was applied to a 12-equation model. Eggs were found to have a very small (–.003) coefficient of direct price elasticity and a negative (–.267) coefficient of income elasticity. At supply level, lagged egg-feed price ratio had an inelastic coefficient. The model was used to forecast for 1974, and was found satisfactory.
Cette étude analyse les forces qui influencent Ie marché des œufs - la demande, l'approvisionnement, les prix et le commerce - au Canada. Les données trimestrielles couvrant la période de 1961 à 1973 (inclusif) fûrent basées sur le système du moindre carré en trois stages sur un modèle à 12 équations. II fut trouvé que les œufs donnent us très petit coefficient (– .003) d'élasticité de prix directe, ainsi qu'un coefficient négatif (–.267) d'élasticité de revenu. Au niveau d'approvisionnement, la proportion ceuf-nourriture retarded avait aussi un coefficient inelastique. Le modéle fut 'employ' pour les predictions de 1974, et fut trouvé satisfaisant.