C HAPTER 5
Ethical Decision Making and
Ethical Leadership
The Ethical Decision Making Process
• In business, people make decisions differently than at
home
– Organizational pressures
• The ethical decision making process in business
includes ethical issue intensity, individual factors, and
organizational factors, such as corporate culture and
opportunity
Source: Triangle Images
Framework for Understanding the Ethical
Decision Making Process in Business
Ethical Issue Intensity
• Ethical issue intensity is the perceived relevance or
importance of an ethical issue to the individual, work
group, and/or organization
– Reflects the ethical sensitivity of the individual or
work group
– Triggers the ethical decision process
• Moral Intensity relates to a person’s perception of
social pressure and the harm the decision will have
on others
Individual Factors
• People often base their decisions regarding ethical
issues on their own values and principles of right or
wrong
• Research on gender and ethical decision making
women are generally more ethical than males
– Education, Nationality, and Age are other
individual factors
• Locus of control relates to individual differences in
relation to a generalized belief about how one is
affected by internal versus external events or
reinforcements
– Can be external or internal
Organizational Factors
• Corporate culture is a set of
values, norms, and artifacts that
members (employees) of an
organization share
• Those who have influence in a
work group (e.g. managers,
coworkers, subordinates) are
referred to as significant others
• Obedience to authority helps to
explain why many employees
simply follow the directives of a
superior
Source: Digital Vision
Opportunity
• Describes the conditions in an
organization that limit/permit
ethical/unethical behavior
• Relates to individuals’ immediate
job context
– Where they work, with whom they work,
and the nature of the work
• Opportunities for misconduct can be
reduced by establishing formal
codes, policies, and enforced rules
Source: Triangle Images
Items that Employees Pilfer in the
Workplace
Business Ethics Evaluations and
Intentions
• Ethical dilemmas involve decision rules which are
often vague or in conflict
• Critical thinking plays a key role
• A person’s intentions and the final decision on what
action to take is the final step in the process
• If intentions and behavior are not consistent with
ethical judgments, the individual may feel guilt
• Most businesspeople will make ethical mistakes
Using the Framework to Improve
Ethical Decisions
•
•
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It is impossible to objectively determine right and
wrong
Having a thorough knowledge about how ethical
decisions are made will not solve ethical problems
– Business ethics involves value judgments and
collective agreement about acceptable patterns
of behavior
Ethical decision making in business does not rely
strictly on the personal values and morals of
individuals
– Organizations take on a culture of their own,
which have a significant influence on business
ethics
Leadership in Corporate Culture
• Leadership: The ability or
authority to guide and direct
others toward achievement of
a goal
– Leaders are key to
influencing an
organization’s corporate
culture and ethics
• Leadership styles influence
organizational behavior
– Including employees’
acceptance of/adherence to
organizational norms and
values.
Source: © Jack Hollingsworth/Corbis
The Managerial Role in Developing
Ethics Program Leadership
Leadership Styles
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Coercive leaders
Authoritative leaders
Affiliative leaders
Democratic leaders
Pacesetting leaders
Coaching leaders
Source: Stockybte
Types of Leaders
• Transactional leaders create employee
satisfaction through bartering for desired
behaviors/performance
• Transformational leaders raise employees’
commitment and foster trust and motivation
– Transformational ethical leadership is best
suited for organizations with high ethical
commitment among employees and strong
stakeholder support for an ethical culture
Habits of Strong Ethical Leaders
Challenges of Leadership
Being a leader today is more complex and
difficult than ever.