Reliability and the design of ethical organizations: A rational systems approach

This paper argues that the concept of reliability provides a useful framework for analyzing defects in organizational design and for prescribing changes that will facilitate ethical decision making. Reliability becomes an ethical concern when the individual or organizational interest diverges from the collective interest. Redundancy and requisite variety provide two design tools which can enable organizations to act reliably in the collective interest. The paper then discusses potential disadvantages to the use of a reliability framework as well as possible problems of implementation. It concludes by examining avenues for future research.Bryan W. Husted is an assistant professor in the Management Department of the Instituto Tecnologico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey in Mexico.