Social Influences On Ethical Behavior In Organizations

For too long, organizational scientists have not adequately attended to the problems of unethical behavior in organizations. This collection of essays provides the stimulus needed to help move the study of unethical behavior to center stage in the organizational sciences. It does so by posing provocative questions that not only entail a concern for understanding unethical behavior but that also strike at the very core of how and why organizations function as they do. The book addresses: * the asymmetries in power and influence created by hierarchies that give rise to ethical problems; * the tactics that might reduce the effectiveness of improper influence attempts; and * how the inappropriate use of influence diffuses, for example, through a market.

This volume provides up-to-date reviews of the research on a number of social and ethical issues of increasing concern confronting today's managers and organizations. The authors, who are recognized international experts on the topics they treat, provide new theories and innovative perspectives on these issues. Further, they use a research base to identify ways for managers and human resources professionals to address these issues in their organizations. Given its breadth of coverage, practitioners faced with these issues, as well as researchers and graduate students in management and organizational psychology, should find this volume of interest. This collection of ten chapters provides the cutting edge on a number of the most pressing challenges in management today. Readers of the volume will discover new models, innovative theoretical approaches, comprehensive reviews, theoretical and methodological critiques, and specific and insightful suggestions for research on these different social and ethical issues facing organizations. Perhaps more importantly, the practical suggestions that come from the research provide a useful bridge between what we know and what we can do to address these challenges, and thus contribute, even in a small way, to workplaces that respect ethics and individuals in all their diversity.

A Contemporary Look at Business Ethics provides a ‘present day’ look at business ethics to include the challenges, opportunities and increased need for ethical leadership in today’s and tomorrow’s organizations. The book discusses current and future business ethics challenges, issues and opportunities which provides the context leaders and their organizations must navigate. The book includes an in?depth look at lessons learned about the causes of unethical behavior by examining a number of real?world examples of ethical scandals from around the world that have taken place over the past few decades. The analysis of the various ethical scandals focuses on concepts like ethical versus unethical leadership, received wisdom, the bottom?line mentality, groupthink and moral muteness, all of which contribute to the kind of organizational culture and ethical behavior one finds in an organization. The book discusses ethical decision making in general and the increased role of religion and spirituality, in confronting unethical behavior in contemporary organizations. The book also takes an in?depth look at the impact ethical scandals have on employees and more specifically the psychological contract and person?organization ethical fit with the goal of identifying, along with other things, what leaders can do to restore relationships with employees and rebuild the organization’s reputation in the eyes of various stakeholders.

Compiling empirical work from management and social science disciplines, the Research Companion to Ethical Behavior in Organizations provides an entry point for academic researchers and compliance officers interested in measuring the moral dimensions o

Despite ongoing efforts to maintain ethical standards, highly publicized episodes of corporate misconduct occur with disturbing frequency. Firms produce defective products, release toxic substances into the environment, or permit dangerous conditions to existin their workplaces. The propensity for irresponsible acts is not confined to rogue companies, but crops up in even the most respectable firms. Codes of Conduct is the first comprehensive attempt to understand these problems by applying the principles of modern behavioral science to the study of organizational behavior. Codes of Conduct probes the psychological and social processes through which companies and their managers respond to a wide array of ethical dilemmas, from risk and safety management to the treatment of employees. The contributors employ a wide range of case studies to illustrate the effects of social influence and group persuasion, organizational authority and communication, fragmented responsibility, and the process of rationalization. John Darley investigates how unethical acts are unintentionally assembled within organizations as a result of cascading pressures and social processes. Essays by Roderick Kramer and David Messick and by George Loewenstein focus on irrational decision making among managers. Willem Wagenaar examines how worker safety is endangered by management decisions that focus too narrowly on cost cutting and short time horizons. Essays by Baruch Fischhoff and by Robyn Dawes review the role of the expert in assessing environmental risk. Robert Bies reviews evidence that employees are more willing to provide personal information and to accept affirmative action programs if they are consulted on the intended procedures and goals. Stephanie Goodwin and Susan Fiske discuss how employees can be educated to base office judgments on personal qualities rather than on generalizations of gender, race, and ethnicity. Codes of Conduct makes an important scientific contribution to the understanding of decisionmaking and social processes in business, and offers clear insights into the design of effective policies to improve ethical conduct.

Focuses on the forces that perpetuate or mitigate unethical behavior in groups. This volume reflects on these forces and their role in unethical behavior. It contains articles that underscore the importance of considering the role that groups play in unethical behavior.

Employees have personal responsibilities as well as responsibilities to their employers. They also have rights. In order to maintain their well-being, employees need opportunities to resolve conflicting obligations. Employees are often torn between the ethical obligations to fulfill both their work and non-work roles, to respect and be respected by their employers and coworkers, to be responsible to the organization while the organization is reciprocally responsible to them, to be afforded some degree of autonomy at work while attending to collaborative goals, to work within a climate of mutual employee-management trust, and to voice opinions about work policies, processes and conditions without fear of retribution. Humanistic organizations can recognize conflicts created by the work environment and provide opportunities to resolve or minimize them. This handbook empirically documents the dilemmas that result from responsibility-based conflicts. The book is organized by sources of dilemmas that fall into three major categories: individual, organizational (internal policies and procedures), and cultural (social forces external to the organization), including an introduction and a final integration of the many ways in which organizations can contribute to positive employee health and well-being. This book is aimed at both academicians and practitioners who are interested in how interventions that stem from industrial and organizational psychology may address ethical dilemmas commonly faced by employees.