Moral reasoning and business ethics: Implications for research,education, and management

This paper reviews Kohlberg's (1969) theory of cognitive moral development, highlighting moral reasoning research relevant to the business ethics domain. Implications for future business ethics research, higher education and training, and the management of ethical/unethical behavior are discussed.Linda Klebe Trevino is Assistant Professor of Organizational Behavior at the Mary Jean and Frank B. Smeal College of Business Administration, The Pennsylvania State University. She received her Ph.D. in management from Texas A&M University. Her current research focuses on ethical decision-making behavior in organizations, justice perceptions in disciplinary situations, and new information technologies in managerial communication.