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Ethical Work Climate 2.0: A Normative Reformulation of Victor and Cullen’s 1988 Framework

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  • James Weber

    (Duquesne University)

  • Akwasi Opoku-Dakwa

    (Duquesne University)

Abstract

Ethical work climate (EWC), introduced by Bart Victor and John Cullen, plays a central role in the business ethics literature due to its influence on employee’s ethical decision-making. Yet, the often-used framework is limited as a descriptive and prescriptive model because it lacks a normative focus and does not allow for organizations guided by (arguably) universal ethical principles. We revisit Victor and Cullen’s original conceptualization of ethical climate and propose a reformulation of the ethical criteria to be conceptually consistent with Kohlberg’s theory of cognitive moral development and to accommodate principled climates. We also describe how the locus of analysis dimension can be simplified to allow for a more parsimonious and potentially more valid theory. In doing so, we eliminate redundancy noted in the original model and clarify normative preference among the ethical climate types. We discuss implications for research, teaching, and practice.

Suggested Citation

  • James Weber & Akwasi Opoku-Dakwa, 2022. "Ethical Work Climate 2.0: A Normative Reformulation of Victor and Cullen’s 1988 Framework," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 178(3), pages 629-646, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:kap:jbuset:v:178:y:2022:i:3:d:10.1007_s10551-021-04778-4
    DOI: 10.1007/s10551-021-04778-4
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    1. K. Praveen Parboteeah & Matthias Weiss & Martin Hoegl, 2024. "Ethical Climates Across National Contexts: A Meta-Analytical Investigation," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 189(3), pages 573-590, January.

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