corporate culture
a set of values, norms, and artifacts, including ways of solving problems that members (employees) of an organization share
education
the number of years spent in pursuit of academic knowledge
ethical culture
a function of many factors, including corporate policies on ethics, top management's leadership on ethical issues, the influence of coworkers, and the opportunity for unethical behavior
ethical-issue intensity
the relevance or importance of an ethical issue in the eyes of the individual, work group, and/or organization
external control
view held by those who believe that the events in their lives are due to uncontrollable forces, considering what they want to achieve depends on luck, chance, and powerful people in their company
immediate job context
where individuals work, whom they work with, and the nature of the work, including the motivational "carrots and sticks"that superiors use to influence employee behavior
internal control
view held by those who believe that they control the events in their lives by their own effort and skill, viewing themselves as masters of their destinies and trusting in their capacity to influence their environment
leadership
the ability or authority to guide and direct others toward achievement of a goal
locus of control
individual differences in relation to a generalized belief about how one is affected by internal versus external events or reinforcements; how people view themselves in relation to power
moral intensity
a person's perception of social pressure and the harm the decision will have on others
nationality
is the legal relationship between a person and the country in which he or she is born
obedience to authority
one means used by many employees to resolve business ethics issues
opportunity
the conditions in an organization that limit or permit ethical or unethical behavior
significant other
an individual who has influence in a work group, including peers, managers, coworkers, and subordinates
transactional leader
attempts to create employee satisfaction through negotiating, or "bartering," for desired behaviors or levels of performance
transformational leader
strives to raise employees' level of commitment and to foster trust and motivation
act deontologist
holds that actions are the proper basis on which to judge morality or ethicalness; requires that a person use equity, fairness, and impartiality when making and enforcing decisions
act utilitarian
individual who examines a specific action itself, rather than the general rules governing it, to assess whether it will result in the greatest utility
consequentialism
teleological theories that assess the moral worth of a behavior by looking at its consequences
deontology
moral philosophies that focus on the rights of individuals and on the intentions associated with a particular behavior rather than on its consequences
descriptive relativism
assumes that through observation of the different norms, customs, and values exhibited by different cultures one can arrive at a factual description of a culture
distributive justice
justice based on the evaluation of the outcomes or results of the business relationship
economic value orientation
a theory associated with values that can be quantified by monetary means
egoism
theory that defines right or acceptable behavior in terms of its consequences for the individual
enlightened egoism
theory that allows for the well being of others although the self-interest of the individual remains paramount
goodness theory
focuses on the end result of actions and the goodness or happiness created by them
hedonism
concept that defines right or acceptable behavior as that which maximizes personal pleasure
idealism
a moral philosophy that places special value on ideas and ideals as products of the mind, in comparison with the world's view
instrumentalist
rejects the idea that (1) ends can be separated from the means that produce them and (2) ends, purposes, or outcomes are intrinsically good in and of themselves
interactional justice
justice based on evaluating the communication processes used in the business relationship
justice
as applied in business ethics, involves evaluations of fairness or the disposition to deal with perceived injustices of others
Kohlberg's model of cognitive moral development
theory stating that people make different decisions in similar ethical situations because they are in different stages of six cognitive moral development stages
metaethical relativist
holds that one culture's moral philosophy cannot logically be preferred to another because there exists no meaningful basis for comparison
monist
individual who believes that only one thing is intrinsically good
moral philosophy
the specific principles or rules that people use to decide what is right or wrong
nonconsequentialist
ethics based on respect for persons
normative relativism
assumes that one person's opinion is as good as another's
obligation theory
emphasizes the means and motives by which actions are justified.
pluralist
takes the position that no one thing is intrinsically good
procedural justice
justice based on the processes and activities that produce the outcome or results
qualitative hedonist
those who believe that it is possible to get too much of a good thing (such as pleasure)
quantitative hedonist
those who believe that more pleasure is better
realism
the view that an external world exists independent of our perception of it
relativist perspective
holds that definitions of ethical behavior are derived subjectively from the experiences of individuals and groups
rule deontologist
believes that conformity to general moral principles determines ethicalness; use reason and logic to formulate rules for behavior
rule utilitarian
individual who determines behavior on the basis of principles, or rules, designed to promote the greatest utility rather than on an examination of each particular situation
teleology
moral philosophies in which an act is considered morally right or acceptable if it produces some desired result such as pleasure, knowledge, career growth, the realization of self-interest, utility, wealth, or even fame
utilitarianism
theory that seeks the greatest good for the greatest number of people by making decisions that result in the greatest total utility and that achieve the greatest benefit for all those affected
virtue ethics
posits that what is moral in a given situation is not only what conventional morality or moral rules (current societal definitions) require but also what the mature person with a "good" moral character would deem appropriate
white-collar crime
an individual or group committing an illegal act in relation to his/her employment, who is highly educated (college), in a position of power, trust, respectability and responsibility, within a profit/nonprofit business or government organization and who a
apathetic culture
shows minimal concern for either people or performance; individuals focus on their own self-interests
caring culture
exhibits high concern for people but minimal concern for performance issues
centralized organization
organizational structure in which decision-making authority is concentrated in the hands of top-level managers and little authority is delegated to lower levels
coercive power
the ability to influence behavior by penalizing actions or behavior
compliance culture
transaction-based culture that focuses on compliance with policies and procedures
corporate
a set of values, norms, and artifacts including ways of solving problems that members (employees) of an
culture
organization share
cultural audit
tool to help companies assess their culture and benchmark against previous years' results to measure for organizational improvements
decentralized organization
organizational structure in which decision-making authority is delegated as far down the chain of command as possible
differential association
idea that people learn ethical or unethical behavior while interacting with others who are part of their role-sets or belong to other intimate personal groups
exacting culture
shows little concern for people but a high concern for performance; focuses on the interests of the organization
expert power
derived from a person's knowledge (or the perception that the person possesses knowledge)
formal group
an assembly of individuals that has an organized structure accepted explicitly by the group
group norm
standards of behavior that groups expect of their members
growth needs
needs that are satisfied by creative or productive activities
informal group
two or more individuals with a common interest but without an explicit organizational structure
integrative culture
combines high concern for people and for performance
job performance
considered to be a function of ability and motivation; in that employees can be motivated, but resources and know-how are also needed to get the job done
legitimate power
stems from the belief that a certain person has the right to exert influence and that certain others have an obligation to accept it
motivation
a force within the individual that focuses his or her behavior toward achieving a goal
qui tam relator
an employee providing information to the government about their company's wrongdoing
referent power
exists when a person perceives that his or her goals or objectives are similar to another person's and influences the other to take actions that will lead both to achieve their objectives.
relatedness needs
needs that are satisfied by social and interpersonal relationships
reward power
a person's ability to influence the behavior of others by offering them something desirable
Sarbanes-Oxley 404 compliance
section of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act that codifies actions required to effect cultural change, not merely accounting changes, within an organization; the intent is to expose mismanagement, fraud, theft, abuse, and to sustain a corporate culture that does not
values based ethics culture
relies upon an explicit mission statement that defines the firm as well as how customers and employees should be treated; focus is on values, not rules that help employees to decide to "do the right thing
whistle blowing
exposing an employer's wrongdoing to outsiders (external to the company) such as the media or government regulatory agencies
corporate culture
a set of values, norms, and artifacts, including ways of solving problems that members (employees) of an organization share
education
the number of years spent in pursuit of academic knowledge
ethical culture
a function of many factors, including corporate policies on ethics, top management's leadership on ethical issues, the influence of coworkers, and the opportunity for unethical behavior
ethical-issue intensity
the relevance or importance of an ethical issue in the eyes of the individual, work group, and/or organization
external control
view held by those who believe that the events in their lives are due to uncontrollable forces, considering what they want to achieve depends on luck, chance, and powerful people in their company
immediate job context
where individuals work, whom they work with, and the nature of the work, including the motivational "carrots and sticks"that superiors use to influence employee behavior
internal control
view held by those who believe that they control the events in their lives by their own effort and skill, viewing themselves as masters of their destinies and trusting in their capacity to influence their environment
leadership
the ability or authority to guide and direct others toward achievement of a goal
locus of control
individual differences in relation to a generalized belief about how one is affected by internal versus external events or reinforcements; how people view themselves in relation to power
moral intensity
a person's perception of social pressure and the harm the decision will have on others
nationality
is the legal relationship between a person and the country in which he or she is born
obedience to authority
one means used by many employees to resolve business ethics issues
opportunity
the conditions in an organization that limit or permit ethical or unethical behavior
significant other
an individual who has influence in a work group, including peers, managers, coworkers, and subordinates
transactional leader
attempts to create employee satisfaction through negotiating, or "bartering," for desired behaviors or levels of performance
transformational leader
strives to raise employees' level of commitment and to foster trust and motivation
act deontologist
holds that actions are the proper basis on which to judge morality or ethicalness; requires that a person use equity, fairness, and impartiality when making and enforcing decisions
act utilitarian
individual who examines a specific action itself, rather than the general rules governing it, to assess whether it will result in the greatest utility
consequentialism
teleological theories that assess the moral worth of a behavior by looking at its consequences
deontology
moral philosophies that focus on the rights of individuals and on the intentions associated with a particular behavior rather than on its consequences
descriptive relativism
assumes that through observation of the different norms, customs, and values exhibited by different cultures one can arrive at a factual description of a culture
distributive justice
justice based on the evaluation of the outcomes or results of the business relationship
economic value orientation
a theory associated with values that can be quantified by monetary means
egoism
theory that defines right or acceptable behavior in terms of its consequences for the individual
enlightened egoism
theory that allows for the well being of others although the self-interest of the individual remains paramount
goodness theory
focuses on the end result of actions and the goodness or happiness created by them
hedonism
concept that defines right or acceptable behavior as that which maximizes personal pleasure
idealism
a moral philosophy that places special value on ideas and ideals as products of the mind, in comparison with the world's view
instrumentalist
rejects the idea that (1) ends can be separated from the means that produce them and (2) ends, purposes, or outcomes are intrinsically good in and of themselves
interactional justice
justice based on evaluating the communication processes used in the business relationship
justice
as applied in business ethics, involves evaluations of fairness or the disposition to deal with perceived injustices of others
Kohlberg's model of cognitive moral development
theory stating that people make different decisions in similar ethical situations because they are in different stages of six cognitive moral development stages
metaethical relativist
holds that one culture's moral philosophy cannot logically be preferred to another because there exists no meaningful basis for comparison
monist
individual who believes that only one thing is intrinsically good
moral philosophy
the specific principles or rules that people use to decide what is right or wrong
nonconsequentialist
ethics based on respect for persons
normative relativism
assumes that one person's opinion is as good as another's
obligation theory
emphasizes the means and motives by which actions are justified.
pluralist
takes the position that no one thing is intrinsically good
procedural justice
justice based on the processes and activities that produce the outcome or results
qualitative hedonist
those who believe that it is possible to get too much of a good thing (such as pleasure)
quantitative hedonist
those who believe that more pleasure is better
realism
the view that an external world exists independent of our perception of it
relativist perspective
holds that definitions of ethical behavior are derived subjectively from the experiences of individuals and groups
rule deontologist
believes that conformity to general moral principles determines ethicalness; use reason and logic to formulate rules for behavior
rule utilitarian
individual who determines behavior on the basis of principles, or rules, designed to promote the greatest utility rather than on an examination of each particular situation
teleology
moral philosophies in which an act is considered morally right or acceptable if it produces some desired result such as pleasure, knowledge, career growth, the realization of self-interest, utility, wealth, or even fame
utilitarianism
theory that seeks the greatest good for the greatest number of people by making decisions that result in the greatest total utility and that achieve the greatest benefit for all those affected
virtue ethics
posits that what is moral in a given situation is not only what conventional morality or moral rules (current societal definitions) require but also what the mature person with a "good" moral character would deem appropriate
white-collar crime
an individual or group committing an illegal act in relation to his/her employment, who is highly educated (college), in a position of power, trust, respectability and responsibility, within a profit/nonprofit business or government organization and who a
apathetic culture
shows minimal concern for either people or performance; individuals focus on their own self-interests
caring culture
exhibits high concern for people but minimal concern for performance issues
centralized organization
organizational structure in which decision-making authority is concentrated in the hands of top-level managers and little authority is delegated to lower levels
coercive power
the ability to influence behavior by penalizing actions or behavior
compliance culture
transaction-based culture that focuses on compliance with policies and procedures
corporate
a set of values, norms, and artifacts including ways of solving problems that members (employees) of an
culture
organization share
cultural audit
tool to help companies assess their culture and benchmark against previous years' results to measure for organizational improvements
decentralized organization
organizational structure in which decision-making authority is delegated as far down the chain of command as possible
differential association
idea that people learn ethical or unethical behavior while interacting with others who are part of their role-sets or belong to other intimate personal groups
exacting culture
shows little concern for people but a high concern for performance; focuses on the interests of the organization
expert power
derived from a person's knowledge (or the perception that the person possesses knowledge)
formal group
an assembly of individuals that has an organized structure accepted explicitly by the group
group norm
standards of behavior that groups expect of their members
growth needs
needs that are satisfied by creative or productive activities
informal group
two or more individuals with a common interest but without an explicit organizational structure
integrative culture
combines high concern for people and for performance
job performance
considered to be a function of ability and motivation; in that employees can be motivated, but resources and know-how are also needed to get the job done
legitimate power
stems from the belief that a certain person has the right to exert influence and that certain others have an obligation to accept it
motivation
a force within the individual that focuses his or her behavior toward achieving a goal
qui tam relator
an employee providing information to the government about their company's wrongdoing
referent power
exists when a person perceives that his or her goals or objectives are similar to another person's and influences the other to take actions that will lead both to achieve their objectives.
relatedness needs
needs that are satisfied by social and interpersonal relationships
reward power
a person's ability to influence the behavior of others by offering them something desirable
Sarbanes-Oxley 404 compliance
section of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act that codifies actions required to effect cultural change, not merely accounting changes, within an organization; the intent is to expose mismanagement, fraud, theft, abuse, and to sustain a corporate culture that does not
values based ethics culture
relies upon an explicit mission statement that defines the firm as well as how customers and employees should be treated; focus is on values, not rules that help employees to decide to "do the right thing
whistle blowing
exposing an employer's wrongdoing to outsiders (external to the company) such as the media or government regulatory agencies