IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/kap/jbuset/v73y2007i2p219-229.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

A Model of Ethical Decision Making: The Integration of Process and Content

Author

Listed:
  • Roselie McDevitt
  • Catherine Giapponi
  • Cheryl Tromley

Abstract

We develop a model of ethical decision making that integrates the decision-making process and the content variables considered by individuals facing ethical dilemmas. The process described in the model is drawn from Janis and Mann’s [1977, Decision Making: A Psychological Analysis of Conflict Choice and Commitment (The Free Press, New York)] work describing the decision process in an environment of conflict, choice and commitment. The model is enhanced by the inclusion of content variables derived from the ethics literature. The resulting integrated model aids in understanding the complexity of the decision process used by individuals facing ethical dilemmas and suggests variable interactions that could be field-tested. A better understanding of the process will help managers develop policies that enhance the likelihood of ethical behavior in their organizations. Copyright Springer Science+Business Media, Inc. 2007

Suggested Citation

  • Roselie McDevitt & Catherine Giapponi & Cheryl Tromley, 2007. "A Model of Ethical Decision Making: The Integration of Process and Content," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 73(2), pages 219-229, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:kap:jbuset:v:73:y:2007:i:2:p:219-229
    DOI: 10.1007/s10551-006-9202-6
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10.1007/s10551-006-9202-6
    Download Restriction: Access to full text is restricted to subscribers.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1007/s10551-006-9202-6?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. McCabe, Donald L. & Trevino, Linda Klebe & Butterfield, Kenneth D., 1996. "The Influence of Collegiate and Corporate Codes of Conduct on Ethics-Related Behavior in the Workplace," Business Ethics Quarterly, Cambridge University Press, vol. 6(4), pages 461-476, October.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Fouilloux, Jessica & Moraux, Franck & Viviani, Jean-Laurent, 2015. "Investing in finite-life carbon emissions reduction program under risk and idiosyncratic uncertainty," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 82(C), pages 310-320.
    2. Ya-Hui Hsu & Wenchang Fang & Yuanchung Lee, 2009. "Ethically Questionable Behavior in Sales Representatives – An Example from the Taiwanese Pharmaceutical Industry," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 88(1), pages 155-166, April.
    3. Chase Thiel & Zhanna Bagdasarov & Lauren Harkrider & James Johnson & Michael Mumford, 2012. "Leader Ethical Decision-Making in Organizations: Strategies for Sensemaking," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 107(1), pages 49-64, April.
    4. Rafael Morales & Carmen Cabello, 2012. "Improving Ethical Decision-Making in Organizations through Ethical Competencies," Working Papers 12.02, Universidad Pablo de Olavide, Department of Business Organization and Marketing (former Department of Business Administration).
    5. Rafael Morales-Sánchez & Manuel Orta-Pérez & M. Ángeles Rodríguez-Serrano, 2020. "The Benefits of Auditors’ Sustained Ethical Behavior: Increased Trust and Reduced Costs," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 166(2), pages 441-459, October.
    6. Ashari Ashari & Marthin Nanere & Philip Trebilcock, 2018. "Corruption awareness and ethical decision making in Indonesia," Business and Economic Horizons (BEH), Prague Development Center, vol. 14(3), pages 570-586, June.
    7. J. Kuntz & J. Kuntz & Detelin Elenkov & Anna Nabirukhina, 2013. "Characterizing Ethical Cases: A Cross-Cultural Investigation of Individual Differences, Organisational Climate, and Leadership on Ethical Decision-Making," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 113(2), pages 317-331, March.
    8. Timo Busch & Volker Hoffmann, 2009. "Ecology-Driven Real Options: An Investment Framework for Incorporating Uncertainties in the Context of the Natural Environment," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 90(2), pages 295-310, December.
    9. George Gotsis & Zoe Kortezi, 2010. "Ethical Considerations in Organizational Politics: Expanding the Perspective," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 93(4), pages 497-517, June.
    10. Luca Casali, Gian & Perano, Mirko, 2021. "Forty years of research on factors influencing ethical decision making: Establishing a future research agenda," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 132(C), pages 614-630.
    11. Willy Bolander & William J. Zahn & Terry W. Loe & Melissa Clark, 2017. "Managing New Salespeople’s Ethical Behaviors during Repetitive Failures: When Trying to Help Actually Hurts," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 144(3), pages 519-532, September.
    12. Geert Demuijnck, 2009. "From an Implicit Christian Corporate Culture to a Structured Conception of Corporate Ethical Responsibility in a Retail Company: A Case-Study in Hermeneutic Ethics," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 84(3), pages 387-404, February.
    13. McVea, John F., 2009. "A field study of entrepreneurial decision-making and moral imagination," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 24(5), pages 491-504, September.
    14. Dianru Zhang & Chi Zhang & Li Wang, 2023. "Preventing Moral Crisis and Promoting Sustainable Development in Enterprises: A Study of Managers’ Moral Decision-Making," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(15), pages 1-18, July.
    15. Matthew A. Douglas & Stephen M. Swartz, 2017. "Knights of the Road: Safety, Ethics, and the Professional Truck Driver," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 142(3), pages 567-588, May.
    16. Dariusz Turek & Agnieszka Wojtczuk-Turek, 2011. "Competence as a determinant of employees' unethical behavior (Kompetencyjne uwarunkowania nieetycznego zachowania pracownikow)," Problemy Zarzadzania, University of Warsaw, Faculty of Management, vol. 9(34a), pages 127-146.
    17. repec:pab:wpbsad:12.03 is not listed on IDEAS
    18. Matej Drašček & Adriana Rejc Buhovac & Dana Mesner Andolšek, 2021. "Moral Pragmatism as a Bridge Between Duty, Utility, and Virtue in Managers’ Ethical Decision-Making," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 172(4), pages 803-819, September.
    19. Guido Palazzo & Franciska Krings & Ulrich Hoffrage, 2012. "Ethical Blindness," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 109(3), pages 323-338, September.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Winrow, Brian, 2016. "Do perceptions of the utility of ethics affect academic cheating?," Journal of Accounting Education, Elsevier, vol. 37(C), pages 1-12.
    2. Dmitry A. Ruban & Natalia N. Yashalova, 2022. "Pro-environmental behavior prescribed by top companies of the world," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 24(6), pages 7918-7935, June.
    3. Eyun-Jung Ki & Soo-Yeon Kim, 2010. "Ethics Statements of Public Relations Firms: What Do They Say?," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 91(2), pages 223-236, January.
    4. Jang Singh, 2011. "Determinants of the Effectiveness of Corporate Codes of Ethics: An Empirical Study," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 101(3), pages 385-395, July.
    5. Gino, Francesca & Pierce, Lamar, 2009. "The abundance effect: Unethical behavior in the presence of wealth," Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, Elsevier, vol. 109(2), pages 142-155, July.
    6. Valentine, Sean & Godkin, Lynn, 2019. "Moral intensity, ethical decision making, and whistleblowing intention," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 98(C), pages 277-288.
    7. Sean Valentine & Connie Bateman, 2011. "The Impact of Ethical Ideologies, Moral Intensity, and Social Context on Sales-Based Ethical Reasoning," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 102(1), pages 155-168, August.
    8. Joseph McKinney & Tisha Emerson & Mitchell Neubert, 2010. "The Effects of Ethical Codes on Ethical Perceptions of Actions Toward Stakeholders," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 97(4), pages 505-516, December.
    9. Kevin Gibson, 2011. "Toward an Intermediate Position on Corporate Moral Personhood," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 101(1), pages 71-81, March.
    10. Kaptein, S.P. & Schwartz, M.S., 2007. "The Effectiveness of Business Codes: A Critical Examination of Existing Studies and the Development of an Integrated Research Model," ERIM Report Series Research in Management ERS-2007-030-ORG, Erasmus Research Institute of Management (ERIM), ERIM is the joint research institute of the Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University and the Erasmus School of Economics (ESE) at Erasmus University Rotterdam.
    11. Till Talaulicar, 2007. "Normierungsansätze unternehmensethischer Kodizes," Schmalenbach Journal of Business Research, Springer, vol. 59(6), pages 752-774, September.
    12. Gazley, Aaron & Sinha, Ashish & Rod, Michel, 2016. "Toward a theory of marketing law transgressions," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 69(2), pages 476-483.
    13. John Pearce, 2013. "Using Social Identity Theory to Predict Managers’ Emphases on Ethical and Legal Values in Judging Business Issues," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 112(3), pages 497-514, February.
    14. Adamska Agata & Dąbrowski Tomasz J. & Homa Magdalena & Mościbrodzka Monika & Tomaszewski Jacek, 2022. "Demutualization, Corporatization, and Sustainability Initiatives: Evidence from the European Stock Exchange Industry," Journal of Management and Business Administration. Central Europe, Sciendo, vol. 30(3), pages 2-35, September.
    15. Constantin Blome & Antony Paulraj, 2013. "Ethical Climate and Purchasing Social Responsibility: A Benevolence Focus," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 116(3), pages 567-585, September.
    16. Aviva Geva, 2006. "A Typology of Moral Problems in Business: A Framework for Ethical Management," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 69(2), pages 133-147, December.
    17. Ossai, Moses C. & Ethe, Nathaniel & Edougha, Dennis E. & Okeh, Onomiroro D., 2023. "Academic integrity during examinations, age and gender as predictors of academic performance among high school students," International Journal of Educational Development, Elsevier, vol. 100(C).
    18. Evangelia Pappa & John Filos, 2019. "Benchmarking the Ethics of Internal Auditors: A Comparative Analysis of Private and Public Sector," SPOUDAI Journal of Economics and Business, SPOUDAI Journal of Economics and Business, University of Piraeus, vol. 69(1-2), pages 30-44, January-J.
    19. Nicole Gillespie & Mattia Anesa & Morgana Lizzio-Wilson & Cassandra Chapman & Karen Healy & Matthew Hornsey, 2024. "How do Sector Level Factors Influence Trust Violations in Not-for-Profit Organizations? A Multilevel Model," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 191(2), pages 373-398, May.
    20. Christof Miska & Günter K. Stahl & Matthias Fuchs, 2018. "The Moderating Role of Context in Determining Unethical Managerial Behavior: A Case Survey," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 153(3), pages 793-812, December.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:kap:jbuset:v:73:y:2007:i:2:p:219-229. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.springer.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.