2. Learning Module
Learning Module

3. A Model of Ethical Behavior in the Workplace
A-1 Figure A-1
Internal Organizational
Influences
Neutralizing
Enhancing
Factors
Role Expectations
Individual
- Personality
- Values
- Moral
principles
- History of
reinforcement
- Gender
Ethical behavior
External Organizational
Influences
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4. Neutralizing/Enhancing Factors
Top Management Team (TMT): consists of the CEO and his or her direct reports.
An older, more experienced group of leaders is less likely to allow unethical behavior to occur.
Prior military experience favorably influences the ethical behavior of executives.
Increasing the diversity of the TMT will reduce the chances of unethical decision making.
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5. An Ethical Decision Tree
A-3 Figure A-2
Is the proposed action legal?
Does it maximize shareholder value?
Don’t do it.
Is it ethical?
Would it be ethical not to take action?
Do it.
Yes No
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6. Do Moral Principles Vary by Gender?
Males perceived moral problems in terms of a justice perspective. Women relied on a care perspective
Justice Perspective
Based on the ideal of reciprocal rights and driven by rules and regulations
Care Perspective
Involves compassion and an ideal of attention and response to need
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7. How to Improve the Organization’s Ethical Climate
Behave ethically yourself
Screen potential employees
Develop a meaningful code of ethics
Provide ethics training
Reinforce ethical behavior
Create positions, units, and other structural mechanisms to deal with ethics
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© 2005 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

8. Developing a Meaningful Code of Ethics
Codes of ethics can have a positive impact if they satisfy four criteria:
Distributed to every employee
Firmly supported by top management
Refer to specific practices and ethical dilemmas likely to be encountered by target employees
Evenly enforced with rewards for compliance and strict penalties for noncompliance
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9. The Magnificent Seven: General Moral Principles for Managers
A-7 Table A-1
Dignity of Human Life: The lives of people are to be respected.
Autonomy: All persons are intrinsically valuable and have the right to self-determination.
Honesty: The truth should be told to those who have a right to know it.
Loyalty: Promises, contracts, and commitments should be honored.
Fairness: People should be treated justly
Humaneness: 1. Our actions ought to accomplish good, and 2. we should avoid doing evil.
The common good: Actions should accomplish the ‘greatest good for the greatest number” of people.
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© 2005 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.