...Ethics and Organizational Design- A Literature Review Abstract This literature review observes the views of organizational design and business ethics as they relate to one another in business. The first portion of this paper defines organizational design and business ethics to establish their importance and also examines managerial ethics and corporate social responsibility, sources of ethical principles. The second portion pursues to explain the relationship between business ethics and organizational design and how managers shape ethics through use of value-based leadership and formal structure systems. The third portion pursues to review the importance of ethics to organizational design and the structures that support or enforce ethical behavior in organizations. The fourth portion links literature reviewed and published over the past few years together based on their reference to ethics and organizational design. The literatures are linked together based on commonalities found in the opinions of the authors relating to a spiritual perspective, ethics and corporate structure, organizational and ethical theories, and ethical strategy. Last but not least, the review concludes with a summary of the important role that ethics plays in the organizational design and structure of a business and how it applies to members of management. Keywords: business ethics, organizational design, corporate social responsibility Outline INTRODUCTION I. Organizational Design/Business...
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...Organizational Design & Business Ethics: A Literature Review Abstract A review of the current literature regarding business ethics was conducted analyzing scholarly peer-reviewed articles about business ethics and their relation to leadership, managerial decision making, corporate social responsibility and overall corporate structure. Increased corporate scandals and the discovery of a rise in unethical business practices have thrown the topic of business ethics into the spotlight. Organizations are expected by their stakeholders to implement strong ethics within their corporate structure and culture. This expectation could be accomplished through strong ethical leadership, formal structures and regulations that place emphasis on ethics, and by making a commitment to corporate social responsibility. Using these guidelines will help organizations overcome the various challenges allowing the business to build a strong ethical foundation that will ultimately benefit the company through increased customer and employee satisfaction, which could result in increased profits, organizational sustainability and social status. The review of the literature reveals that there is still plenty of room for exploration on the topic of business ethics and particularly with the topic of ethical leadership. It is recommended that more focus be placed on understanding the influence of strong ethical leadership within an organization and how this influence flows down the organizational...
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...A Literature Review: Incorporating Ethics Training in Business Abstract As the need for showing the importance of ethical behavior standards has become more prominent of the past decade, this review intends to show the need for standards of ethics in businesses based on previous research. Ethical training within a business is a topic that has been debated on importance. It has been discussed as a benefit and as more of a cosmetic topic. There are many articles written that discuss what business ethics is, and then there are articles that talk about the need for or against training of business ethics by businesses. This review is aimed towards showing the pros and cons of ethics training by businesses as discussed in current or recent surveys, studies, and articles. Introduction Business ethics has been a controversial topic for many years. It is said to be a double-edged sword and is seen as both an evil and as a proactive approach to preventing lies and motive good behavior (Bayley, 2012). There have been many surveys and articles that have been written on the subject matter. Many of these show the importance of ethical standards and training within a business. There seems to be controversy on whether training on ethics in a business is a benefit or just a cosmetic cover. It has been shown through several surveys and discussed in many articles of the benefits of providing ethics training within a business. However, some still believe that it is a short-lived...
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...Analysing moral issues in stakeholder relations Johanna Kujala Introduction Empirical research on business ethics has traditionally concentrated on examining managers' attitudes to\yard unethical behaviour (e.g. Izraeli 1988, Preble & Reichel 1988, Small 1992) or toward moral dilemmas presented in scenarios (e.g. Cohen et al. 1993, Cruz et al. 2000, Kujala 2000, Reidenbach et al. 1991). A lot of attention has also been given to case studies describing lifethreatening or demanding situations, corporate tragedies or human catastrophes (e.g. Beauchamp 1993, Hoffman 1984, Post 1986, Sethi & Stedlmeier 1991, Shrivastava 1987, and Velasquez 1992). Although all these issues are of utmost importance, they more or less deal with unusual situations and unexpected behaviour, and they can be argued to be beyond the scope of issues on which the managers feel they can exert influence (Waters et al. 1986). It seems that empirical research on ethics in business should be more interested in how managers see the "ordinary life"; the everyday managing situations where they have to face many issues that are moral in their nature (Hosmer 1996: 1, Stark 1993). In the context of studying moral issues in business, the stakeholder approach has gained increasing support in recent years (Van Luijk 2000). It has been found to be a suitable tool for analysing a company's relations with its environment and for dealing with moral issues raised in these relations (Nasi 1995,...
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...BUSI610: Organization Design and Business Ethics Mitzi N. Harvey Liberty University Abstract This literature review examines the concepts of business ethics and how it is related to the organizational design of a corporation. The first section of this review defines the concepts of business ethics and organizational design to establish their meaning and use throughout this paper. The second aspect of understanding the relationship between business ethics and organizational design comes from understanding how and/or why ethics is important to organizational design. This will illustrate any underlying influences ethics has on business structure and design. The third section of this paper reviews and groups the literature found linking ethics and organizational design. Literature is grouped together based on the similarities found in authors’ opinions, research and/or results. The next section discusses the ideas of micro and macro ethics; first defining them, illustrating the differences and then explaining how they come into play when examining the link between ethics and design. The following sections of the review, provides examples of formal organizational structures, ethical programs, and the ethical decisions that impacted them. Finally, in the conclusion of the review it summarizes the relationship between business ethics and organizational design, how this relationship impacts business, and what this means for business managers. Introduction To sustain...
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...BUSI610: Organization Design and Business Ethics Mitzi N. Harvey Liberty University Abstract This literature review examines the concepts of business ethics and how it is related to the organizational design of a corporation. The first section of this review defines the concepts of business ethics and organizational design to establish their meaning and use throughout this paper. The second aspect of understanding the relationship between business ethics and organizational design comes from understanding how and/or why ethics is important to organizational design. This will illustrate any underlying influences ethics has on business structure and design. The third section of this paper reviews and groups the literature found linking ethics and organizational design. Literature is grouped together based on the similarities found in authors’ opinions, research and/or results. The next section discusses the ideas of micro and macro ethics; first defining them, illustrating the differences and then explaining how they come into play when examining the link between ethics and design. The following sections of the review, provides examples of formal organizational structures, ethical programs, and the ethical decisions that impacted them. Finally, in the conclusion of the review it summarizes the relationship between business ethics and organizational design, how this relationship impacts business, and what this means for business managers. Introduction To sustain...
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...An Analysis of Accounting Ethics Anna Aspras ACC 770 Proposal Hunter College INTRODUCTION Ethics refers to the discipline that deals with the bad and the good and also with the moral duties as well as moral obligations (Stolowy and Breton 2004). As Weidmann and Lenzen (2006) points out, ethics entails doing the right thing. Accounting ethics is mainly in the area of applied ethics and at the same time, it is also a part of business ethics as well as human ethics. It is worth pointing out that the kind of work that is always carried out by the auditors, as well as the accountants generally needs very huge ethics levels (Stolowy and Breton, 2000). The shareholders of the firms, the potential shareholders, as well as the other people who use the financial statements that are prepared by the accountants generally depend on the annual financial statements of the firms given that they are capable of using the information in making highly informed decisions concerning investments. At the same time, they depend on the accountants’ opinion and the verification of the financial statements by the auditors in order to make sure that the financial statements are giving a true, as well as a fair view of the firm (Weidmann and Lenzen, 2006). It is worth pointing out that the knowledge of ethics is capable of helping the accountants, as well as the auditors to overcome various kinds of ethical dilemmas, and this generally ensures that the correct choice is made though it might not be of benefit...
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...Corporate Social Responsibility and Accounting - A Literature Review Master thesis in Financial Accounting Fall semester 2012 Supervisor: Kristina Jonäll Author: Ulla-Christel Götherström Abstract Master Thesis in Financial Accounting, School of Business, Economics and Law, University of Gothenburg, fall semester 2012 Author: Ulla-Christel Götherström Supervisor: Kristina Jonäll Title: Corporate Social Responsibility and Accounting - A literature review. Background and problem: Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is an area which has gained much attention the last 10-15 years. To satisfy various stakeholders, corporate social responsibility has increased its importance and often constitutes a substantial part of the firms´ financial reports, in spite of the fact that there are no legal requirements. However, to perform strategic CSR-reporting has become more or less compulsory for firms. The research question is: What research has been performed in the area of corporate social responsibility and accounting? Aim: The aim is to provide a structured overview of the literature in the area of corporate social responsibility and accounting regarding the years 2002-2012. The overview will provide a basis for future research and constitute a framework for focused research question. Delimitation: The focus of this study is on research published in scientific journals from 2002 until 2012. Method: A literature review was performed including peer-reviewed papers published...
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... The literature being studied is an article written by Hellen O’ Sullivan, the Director of Scientific Methods Australia. The article entitled “Business ethics are set to stage a comeback” was published on the 75th page of The Australian Financial Review on the 6th February 1990. 2. Literature Review Basically, the article discussed several important issues about business ethics. One of the most prominent was the remark she made about business ethics making a comeback. The conclusion was made upon the fact that business ethics are becoming more and more popular among business practitioners as the era of ‘Me-generation’, and its obsession with greed and profit at any cost draws to a close. Besides that, another notable issue addressed was the positive correlation between business ethics and corporate performance. She suggested that recent corporate failures resulted from a singularly motivated strategy of making profits. She also noted that the 1990’s avalanche of corporate collapse could be all attributed directly or indirectly to the decline in business ethics. The third issue raised was the role of managers or business leaders to actually uphold business ethics. She suggested that the formulation of a sound ethical code of practice should be a part of every company’s strategy and that it is the first responsibility of every business leadership. 3. Procedures I have made a research regarding the issues identified in the literature mainly through...
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...A Review of the Literature Concerning Ethical Leadership in Organizations Kelly Monahan Regent University The following article explores the literature regarding the topic of ethical leadership. Thirty-eight articles were identified that are written by authors who focused on four main topics. These topics are the definition of ethical leadership, the personal integrity and morality of a leader, how a leader ethically influences followers, and current challenges facing ethical leaders. These four topics are explored in further detail within the literature review. Overall, it is found that ethical leadership is complex and a relatively newer field of study. Yet, common themes include the need for establishing trust and gaining ethical knowledge by way of study and application. Also, major organizational failures, such as Enron, have ignited an interest within the field. Possible further research is recommended at the end of this review. T his article examines the literature regarding the topic of ethical leadership within organizations. The literature review was conducted by utilizing databases such as scholar.google.com, the Library of Congress database, Academic Search Complete, EBSCOhost Discovery, and OmniFile Full-Text Mega. Additional resources were secured at Barnes and Nobles bookstore. A list of keywords used during the search is ethical leadership, ethics, morality, virtues, values, morals, and management. Thirty-eight articles were ultimately selected due to their...
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...employee commitment, and performance. Journal of Business Ethics, 97, 341-363.Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com.ezproxy.liberty.edu:2048/docview/821301766 The authors of this business journal explore the recent activities of today’s retail giants and how their ethical behavior affects their brand, objectives, performance and stakeholders. The authors investigate the origins of certain variables that affect the ethical values of an organization. In addition, a review is performed on how both ethics along with these variables contribute to the success of the organization with respect to quality and quantity of output. A link is established between power, ethics and commitment to productivity. Brickley, J.A., Smith , C.W. & Zimmerman, J.L. (2002). Business ethics and organizational architecture. Journal of Banking and Finance, 26 (9), 1821-1835. Retrieved from http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0378-4266(02)00193-0 This journal implies that there is potential for a balance between economics and business ethics in several instances. One instance is found in the presumptions of how organizational members make decisions and from what ethical foundation they are considered? In addition, the importance of the union between business ethics and organizational structure is visited considering their value to the motivation of the internal stakeholders. The journal explores another instance where there may be a balance between business ethics and economics by evaluating an organization’s...
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...to introduce you to the academics in the Strategy, Marketing, Governance, Economics and International Business Area. We also want to share with you our research focus areas to assist you to select a topic for your MBL research report in which we could offer you quality supervision. Should you select to do your research in our area you will work with seasoned academics who has a strong track record of successfully supervising both Master’s and Doctoral candidates. Academic Profiles Prof Greg Brown | Greg Brown is an Associate Professor in Economics. | Prof Annemarie Davis | Annemarie is an Associate Professor in Business Management. Her research focus areas are in strategy-as-practice and the middle management perspectives. Annemarie supervises Masters and Doctoral candidates in the Strategy-as-Practice focus area and is currently directing higher degrees in the College of Economic and Management Sciences. | Dr Francois du Toit | Francois is a senior lecturer in strategy and international business. His areas of interest are at the intersections of strategy, marketing and finance; especially the different presentations of social capital in relationship strategies. He has held senior positions in executive management,finance, and, sales and marketingin multinational corporates in the healthcare industry. He a registered chartered business strategist with the Canadian Business Strategy Association. | Prof Mari Jansen van Rensburg | Mari is a Professor of Marketing Management...
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...the absence of any communal decision making process with defined criteria, it has been clear that globalization continues to be challenged with respect to ethical decision making for sustainable development. This paper summarizes the role and function of the major globalization oversight organizations and touches on the extent of the power that they wield. It briefly discusses the advantages and disadvantages of globalization and attempts to identify the goals of globalization and given these goals and the identification of the stakeholders and subsequently to evaluate whether or not it is a driver or barrier to ethical decision making and sustainable development. ‘Ethics is more than the right thing to do: it's the smart thing to do.’ Global Institute of Ethics 1.0 Introduction It appears to be no easy feat to get a precise definition for Globalization. The definition can range from that of Nobel prize-winning economist Joseph Stiglitz who defined it as “the closer integration of the countries and peoples of the world which has been brought about by the enormous reduction of costs of transportation and communication, and the breaking down of artificial barriers to the flows of goods, services, capital, knowledge, and (to a lesser extent) people across borders,” or one that focuses on the construction of a vast global economy through the, ‘interaction and integration among the people, companies and governments of different nations...
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...MSc Business Management BS7916 Principles of Responsible Management Semester One 2013- Module Handbook Module Leader : Dr Roz Sunley Room 201 Roz.Sunley@winchester.ac.uk Room 201 West Downs 01962 827339 In this module study guide you will find much of what you need in order to successfully complete the module. Further learning materials and information are available on the learning network under the module code BS7916. Module Code BS7916 Module Name: Principles of Responsible Management It is your responsibility to: * Collect a copy of the reading pack from the faculty office * Attend both lecture and seminar sessions as stated on your timetable * Arrive in time for the start of all taught sessions * Read the preparatory reading before the taught sessions each week * Undertake any directed learning that may be set * Seek help from the module tutor if you are having any problems with any aspect of the module * Hand in assignments on time Tutor contact details: Module leader: Dr Roz Sunley Roz.Sunley@winchester.ac.uk Module tutor: Dr Natalia Yakovleva Natalia.Yakovleva@winchester.ac.uk Module administrator: Karen Robbertze Karen.Robbertze@winchester.ac.uk Contents Introduction and learning outcomes 3 Weekly schedule 4-6 Assessment 7-9 Useful texts 9-11 Feedback, Harvard referencing etc 12 Study guide for each week 12 - 17 Marking criteria 18 – 20 Background...
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...UNIVERSITY OF ZIMBABWE GRADUATE SCHOOL OF MANAGEMENT BUSINESS RESEARCH METHODS COURSE OUTLINE COURSE DESCRIPTION Business Research Methods seeks to expose MBA students to the theory and praxis of epistemological notions in relation to business phenomena. The course seeks to create an inter-face between the theoretical construct of corporate world. Emphasis is on understanding real corporate life experiences within their proper intellectual framework. The idea is to add value to a student’s appreciation of the business world, its structure, networks and composition. To facilitate this, the course equips the student with practical business research tools and skills such as questionnaire design and application, interview process design and techniques. In essence, BRM is integrative course which seeks to synthesise students’ experiences from other MBA courses into a coherent appreciation of the methodological configuration of business phenomena. Thus, BRM prepares students for their dissertation work. COURSEWORK ASSESSMENT: 30% 1. Research Proposal- First Semester- 10% 2. Research Project- Second Semester- 10% 3. Intra-Sessional Test – Second Semester- 10% COURSE OUTLINE 1. Introduction to business research -The purpose of business and management research -The research process -Outsourcing or internally administered researches 2. Formulating and designing research topics -Attributes of a good research topic ...
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