Moral Philosophies and Values

Question 1

Moral Philosophy Defined

Answer 1

The specific principles or values people use to decide right from wrong

Person-specific
Guidelines for determining how to settle conflicts and optimize mutual benefit
Provide direction in formulating strategies and resolving ethical issues

No single moral philosophy is accepted by
everyone

Question 2

Value Orientation

Answer 2

Economic value orientation: Values that can be quantified by monetary means
If an act produces value, accept it as ethical

Idealism: Places special value on ideas and ideals as products of the mind
Positive correlation to ethical decision-
making

Realism: The view that an external world exists independent of our perceptions
Everyone is guided by self-interest
Negative correlation to ethical decision-
making

Question 3

Instrumental and Intrinsic Goodness (Theories)

Answer 3

Goodness theories: Focus on the end result of actions and the goodness or happiness created by them

Obligation theories: Emphasize the means and motives by which actions are justified
Divided into two categories
Teleology
Deontology

Question 4

Teleogy

Answer 4

Considers acts as morally right or acceptable if they produce a desired result
Pleasure, knowledge, career growth, realization of self interest, utility, wealth or even fame

Question 5

Deontology

Answer 5

Moral philosophies focusing on the rights of individuals and on the intentions associated with a particular
behavior

Believe individuals have certain absolute rights
Believe compliance with stable moral principles
defines ethicalness
Sometimes referred to as nonconsequentialism, a system of ethics based on respect for persons

Question 6

Relativist Perspective

Answer 6

Individuals and groups derive definitions of ethical behavior subjectively from experience

Descriptive relativism
Metaethical relativism
Normative relativism

Question 7

Justice

Answer 7

Fair treatment and due reward in accordance with ethical or legal standards

Distributive justice
Procedural justice
Interactional justice

Question 8

Kohlberg’s Model of Cognitive Moral Development

Answer 8

Consists of six stages

1. Punishment and obedience
2. Individual instrumental purpose and exchange
3. Mutual interpersonal expectations, relationships, and conformity
4. Social system and conscience maintenance
5. Prior rights, social contract, or utility
6. Universal ethical principles

Question 9

Moral Philosophy and Ethical Decision-Making

Answer 9

Individuals use different moral philosophies for personal decisions than they use for work-related decisions

Two things may explain this behavior
Pressures for workplace success differ from the goals and pressures in outside life
Morale character may change to become compatible with the work environment

Moral philosophies must be assessed on a continuum

Question 10

Common Justifications for White Collar Crimes

Answer 10

1. Denial of responsibility. (Everyone can, with varying degrees of plausibility,
   point the finger at someone else.)
2. Denial of injury. (White-collar criminals often never meet or interact with those who are harmed by their actions.)
3. Denial of the victim. (The offender is playing tit-for-tat and claims to be responding to a prior offense inflicted by the supposed victim.)
4. Condemnation of the condemners. (Executives dispute the legitimacy of the laws under which they are charged, or impugn the motives of the prosecutors who enforce them.)
5. Appeal to a higher authority. (“I did it for my family” remains a popular excuse.)
6. Everyone else is doing it. (Because of the highly competitive marketplace, certain pressures exist to perform that may drive people to break the law.)
7. Entitlement. (Criminals simply deny the authority of the laws they have broken.)

Question 11

Defining Corporate Culture

Answer 11

Corporate culture has many definitions
A set of values, norms, and artifacts, including ways of solving problems shared by organizational members

The shared beliefs top mangers have about how they should manage themselves and other employees and how they should conduct their business

Question 12

Two Dimensions of Organizational Culture

Answer 12

Concern for people
The organization’s efforts to care for its employees’ well-being

Concern for performance
The organization’s efforts to focus on output and employee productivity

Question 13

Questions to Ask before Engaging in External Whistle-Blowing

Answer 13

1. Have I exhausted internal anonymous reporting
   opportunities within the organization?
2. Have I examined company policies and codes that outline acceptable behavior and violations of standards?
3. Is this a personal issue that should be resolved through other means?
4. Can I manage the stress that may result from exposing potential wrongdoing in the organization?
5. Can I deal with the consequences of resolving an ethical or legal conflict within the organization?

Question 14

Five Power Bases

Answer 14

Reward power
Coercive power
Legitimate power
Expert power
Referent power

Question 15

Motivation

Answer 15

A force within the individual that focuses behavior toward achieving a goal

Job performance: A function of ability and motivation

An individual’s hierarchy of needs may 
influence motivation and ethical behavior
Need theories
Process theories
Needs or goals may change over time

Question 16

Groups in Corporate Structure and Culture

Answer 16

Formal groups
Committees, work groups, and teams
Informal groups
The grapevine
Group norms
Standards of behavior that groups expect of members
Define acceptable/unacceptable behavior within the group

Question 17

Variation in Employee Conduct

Answer 17

10% - Follow their own values and beliefs; believe
that their values are superior to those of others in the company

40% - Always try to follow company policies

40% - Go along with the work group

10% - Take advantage of situations if the penalty is less than the benefit and the risk of being caught is low

Question 18

Theological philosophies

Answer 18

assess the moral worth of a behavior by looking at the consequences, so these theories are often referred to as Consequentialism