The Significance of Gender in Predicting the Cognitive Moral Development of Business Practitioners Using the Sociomoral Reflection Objective Measure |
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Authors: | Beverly Kracher Robert P Marble |
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Institution: | (1) Creighton University, Omaha, NE, 68178, U.S.A. |
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Abstract: | This study constitutes a contribution to the discussion about moral reasoning in business. Kohlberg’s (1971, in Cognitive Development and Epistemology (Academic Press, New York), 1976, in Moral Development and Behavior: Theory and Research and Social Issues (Holt, Rienhart and Winston, New York)) cognitive moral development (CMD) theory is one explanation of moral reasoning. One
unresolved debate on the topic of CMD is the charge that Kohlbergian-type CMD theory is gender biased. This research puts
forth the proposal that the issue may be elucidated by exposing an ambiguity in “gender” (Borna and White: 2003, Journal of Business Ethics
47, 89–99; Gentile: 1993, Psychological Science
4(2), 120–122; Unger: 1979, American Psychologist
34(11), 1085–1094). We use the Sociomoral Reflective Objective Measure (SROM) to measure CMD and the Bem Sex Role Inventory
(BSRI) to measure gender as a psychosocial concept, rather than as a biological classification. The results of our study indicate
that high femininity, measured as a psychosocial attribute, is associated with significantly lower Kohlbergian-type CMD scores
among business practitioners. Sex moderates the effect of gender on CMD, but only indirectly. Our research also reveals that
education plays a significant moderating role in the relationship between gender and moral reasoning. In addition, age has
a significant direct effect on CMD scores of business practitioners.
Beverly Kracher is an Associate Professor of Business Ethics & Society in the College of Business Administration at Creighton
University. Her research areas include moral reasoning in business, e-commerece ethics & online trust, business ethics pedagogy,
and business & the environment. Her research appears in Journal of Business Ethics, Business Ethics Quarterly, Business & Society, International Journal of Human-Computer Studies,
Teaching Business Ethics, Interdisciplinary Environmental Review and more.
Robert P. Marble is an Associate Professor of Decision Sciences in the College of Business Administration at Creighton University.
His research is in the areas of information systems implementation, artificial intelligence, and statistical modeling of business
processes. He has published in such journals as the European Journal of Information Systems and Information & Management. |
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Keywords: | Bem Sex Role Inventory business ethics education business practitioners cognitive moral development gender Gibbs Kohlberg sex Sociomoral Reflection Objective Measure |
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