MGTS1601 Lecture Notes - Lecture 8: Categorical Imperative, Cultural Relativism, Machiavellianism
MGTS1601 Lecture 8 – Ethics
*Philosophical approaches to ethical decision-making
1) Utilitarianism
- actions are right or wrong by virtue of their consequences
2) Categorical Imperative
- relies on absolute rules and universal laws that must be followed, regardless
of the situation at hand
3) Cultural relativism
- on the basis of adapting to cultural differences
4) Enlightened self-interest
- focus purely on costs and benefits of decisions and how these will affect the
decision maker
5) Legalism
- suggests that a decision is prohibited by law or policy, it is unethical.
Conversely, if the decision is not prohibited, is ethical.
6) Light-of-day
- weights the costs and benefits according to the opinions of others
*Rational and deliberative model of individual ethical decision-making
*Predictors of unethical behaviour
1) Organisational factors
- Organisational values such as greed and intense competition can underpin
the unethical culture and encourage the unethical behaviour
2) Contextual factors
- actions such as cost-cutting, restricting and re-engineering have been linked
to greater hostility and increased employees stress
3) Individual factors
- personality traits linked to an increased likelihood of deviance include a type
of personality, Machiavellianism and neuroticism conscientiousness and
emotional stability associated with a lower propensity to engage in deviance
- people who have higher NA will have potential of the unethical behaviour
- low person-organisation value will have potential of the unethical behaviour
*Reducing unethical behaviour in organisations
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
