Organizational Justice, Ethics, and Corporate Social Responsibility

CHAPTER 2 • ORGANIZATIONAL JUSTICE, ETHICS, AND CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY 55
ethics
Standards of conduct that guide
people’s decisions and behavior
(e.g., not stealing from others).
wrong, good or bad. One of the most important sources of moral values is the religious
background, beliefs, and training we receive. Although people’s moral values may differ,
several are widely accepted. For example, most people believe that being charitable to
someone in need is right whereas killing an innocent person is wrong. Based on these
beliefs, people are guided in ways that influence the decisions they make and the actions in
which they engage. These standards are referred to as ethics. Thus, ethics refers to standards
of conduct that guide people’s decisions and behavior (e.g., not stealing from others). 28 For
a summary of the distinction between moral values and ethics, see Figure 2.8.
When looking at Figure 2.8 please note the row of rounded boxes at the bottom. These
identify some of the factors affecting moral values, ethics, decisions, and behavior. The
ones corresponding to ethics and values are described in this section of the chapter.
However, as indicated in the box in the lower right corner, the decisions people make and
the behavior in which they engage are determined by a wide variety of considerations
beyond ethics. Accordingly, these are discussed elsewhere throughout this book (note the
references to other chapters throughout this book).
Most organizational scientists acknowledge that it is not a company’s place to teach
employees moral values. After all, these come with people as they enter the workplace.
However, it is a company’s responsibility to set clear standards of behavior and to train employees
in recognizing and following them. 29 Just as organizations prescribe other kinds of behavior
that are expected in the workplace (e.g., when to arrive and leave), so too should they prescribe
appropriate ethical behavior (e.g., how to complete expense reports and what precisely is considered
a bribe). Not surprisingly, most top business leaders recognize that clearly prescribing
ethical behavior is a fundamental part of good management. After all, says Kent Druyversteyn,
former vice president of ethics at General Dynamics, “Ethics is about conduct.” 30
The Epidemic of Ethical Scandals
Pick up any newspaper today and you’re bound to find a story or two about some sort of
ethically questionable act alleged to have occurred in the world of business. Consider just
the following now-classic examples from recent years. 31
Moral Values
Ethics
Decision
Behavior
(fundamental
beliefs about what
is good or bad,
right or wrong)
Example: It is wrong
to harm
another person
(standards of
conduct in keeping
with one’s moral
values)
Example: I should
not steal
(plan for behaving in
an ethical fashion)
Example: I decide
not to steal money
from a coworker
even though I
need the money
(action taken
following from
the decision
made)
Example: I do
not steal
• Religious
background,
beliefs,
training
• Level of
cognitive moral
development
• Clearly articulated
ethical standards
• Training in
recognizing and
applying ethical
standards
• Organizational and group norms (Chapter 8)
• Culture of the organization (Chapter 14)
• Observations of leaders’ behavior (Chapter 13)
• Work attitudes and motives (Chapters 6 and 7)
• External stressors (Chapter 5)
FIGURE 2.8
Moral Values Versus Ethics
As summarized here, moral values (which reside within an individual) provide the basis for ethics
(which are standards of behavior that can be regulated by organizations). Ethical standards
influence both decisions and behavior in the workplace, which also are affected by a host of other
variables identified throughout this book.