Ethics Learning Module McGraw-Hill/Irwin Organizational Behavior: Key Concepts, Skills & Best Practices, 3/e Copyright © 2008 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
Ethics Ethics Study of moral issues Concerned with right versus wrong Many shades of gray
A Model of Ethical Behavior in the Workplace Figure A-1
Internal Organizational Influences Positive relationship between organizational size and unethical behavior Larger firms more likely to behave illegally Managers more likely to behave unethically in decentralized organizations Tendency among middle and lower-level managers to act unethically in the face of perceived pressure for results
Neutralizing/Enhancing Factors Top Management Team (TMT) - consists of the CEO and his or her direct reports. Prior military experience favorably influences the ethical behavior of executives Organizations are encouraged to increase the diversity of its TMT if they want to reduce the chances of unethical decision making
A Decision Tree for Ethical Decisions Figure A-2
Do Moral Principles Vary by Gender? Males perceived moral problems in terms of a justice perspective Based on the ideal of reciprocal rights and driven by rules and regulations Women relied on a care perspective Involves compassion and an ideal of attention and response to need
General Moral Principles There are no absolute ethical answers for decision makers Goal for managers should be to rely on moral principles so decisions are principled, appropriate, and defensible
The Magnificent Seven: General Moral Principles for Managers Table A-1
How to Improve the Organization’s Ethical Climate Behave ethically yourself Screen potential employees Develop and communicate a meaningful code of ethics Provide ethics training Reinforce ethical behavior
Video: PBS-Good Deeds Paul Solman reports on how companies are being more socially responsible. (13:09)