Abstract
This study examines factors impacting ethical behavior of 208 employees of a Chinese state-owned steel company. Only rules climate had a significant impact on ethical behavior of respondents. Other ethical climate types such as professional, caring, instrumental, independence, and efficiency did not impact ethical behavior of respondents. Ethical behavior of peers, ethical behavior of successful managers, and overclaiming had a significant impact on ethical behavior of subjects.
References
Andreoli, N., & Lefkowitz, J. (2009). Individual and organizational antecedents of misconduct in organizations. Journal of Business Ethics, 85(3), 309–332.
Appelbaum, S. H., Deguire, K. J., & Lay, M. (2005). The relationship of ethical climate to deviant workplace behavior. Corporate Governance, 5(4), 43–55.
Bandura, A. (1977). Social learning theory. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Holt, Rinehart, and Winston.
Chandler, C. (2004). Inside the New China. Fortune, 150(7), 84–98.
Chu, A. G. H., Du, X., & Jiang, G. (2011). Buy, lie, or die: An investigation of Chinese ST firms’ voluntary interim audit motive and auditor independence. Journal of Business Ethics. doi:10.1007/s10551-011-0804-2.
Deshpande, S. P. (1996). Ethical climate and the link between success and ethical behavior: An empirical investigation of a non-profit organization. Journal of Business Ethics, 15, 315–320.
Deshpande, S. P., George, E., & Joshph, J. (2000). Ethical climates and managerial success in Russian organizations. Journal of Business Ethics, 23, 211–217.
Deshpande, S. P., Joseph, J., & Shu, X. (2010). Ethical climate and managerial success in China. Journal of Business Ethics. doi:10.1007/s10551-010-0666-z.
Elci, M., & Alpkan, L. (2009). The impact of perceived organizational ethical climate on work satisfaction. Journal of Business Ethics, 84, 297–311.
Ferrel, O. C., Fradrich, J., & Ferrell, L. (2005). Business ethics (6th ed.). Boston: Houghton Mifflin.
Ferrell, O. C., & Gresham, L. G. (1985). A contingency framework for understanding ethical decision making in marketing. Journal of Marketing, 49, 87–96.
Fritzche, D. J., & Becker, H. (1984). Linking management behavior to ethical philosophy. Academy of Management Journal, 27, 166–175.
Gallagher, P. (2009). Food products from China destroyed. The Irish Times.
Hunt, S. D., Chonko, L. B., & Wilcox, J. B. (1984). Ethical problems of marketing researchers. Journal of Marketing Research, 21, 309–324.
Jackson, T. (2001). Cultural values and management ethics: A 10-nation study. Human Relations, 54, 1267–1302.
Joseph, J., Berry, K., & Deshpande, S. P. (2009). Impact of emotional intelligence and other factors on perception of ethical behavior of peers. Journal of Business Ethics, 89, 539–546.
Kohlberg, L. (1984). The philosophy of moral development. New York: Harper & Row.
Lin, L. H., & Ho, Y. L. (2010). Guanxi and OCB: The Chinese cases. Journal of Business Ethics, 96, 285–298.
Lu, X. (2009). A Chinese perspective: Business ethics in China now and in the future. Journal of Business Ethics, 86, 451–461.
Martin, K. D., & Cullen, J. B. (2006). Continuities and extensions of ethical climate theory: A meta-analysis review. Journal of Business Ethics, 69, 175–194.
Mathuri, J. N., & Gilbert, V. (2011). An institutional analysis of corporate social responsibility in Kenya. Journal of Business Ethics, 84, 457–478.
O’Fallon, M. J., & Butterfield, K. D. (2005). A review of the empirical ethical decision-making literature: 1996–2003. Journal of Business Ethics, 59, 375–413.
Oumlil, B. A., & Balloun, J. L. (2009). Ethical decision making differences between American and Moroccan managers. Journal of Business Ethics, 69, 175–194.
Peterson, D. K. (2002). The relationship between unethical behavior and the dimensions of the ethical climate questionnaire. Journal of Business Ethics, 41(4), 313–326.
Randall, D. M., & Fernandes, M. F. (1991). The social desirability response bias in ethics research. Journal of Business Ethics, 10, 805–817.
Resick C. J., Martin, G. S., Keating, M. A., Dickson, M. W., Kwan, H. K., & Peng, C. (2011). What ethical leadership means to me: Asian, American, and European Perspectives. Journal of Business Ethics. doi:10.1007/s10551-010-0730-8.
Schneider, B. (1983). Work climates: An interactionist perspective. In N. W. Feimer & E. S. Geller (Eds.), Environmental psychology: Directions and perspectives (pp. 106–128). New York: Praeger.
Tang, R. Y. W., Metwalli, A. M., & Smith, O. M. (2010). Foreign investment: Impact on China’s economy. Journal of Corporate Accounting and Finance, 21(6), 25–40.
The Economist. (2004). China’s growing pains, Aug 21, p. 11.
Tsalikis, J., & Fu, W. (2010). Business ethics index: China revisited. Journal of Global Business Issues, 4(1), 79–85.
Tsalikis, J., & Lassar, W. (2009). Measuring consumer perceptions of business ethical behavior in two Muslim countries. Journal of Business Ethics, 89, 91–98.
Vaiman, V., Sigurjonsson, T. O., & Davidsson, P. A. (2011). Weak business culture as an antecedent of economic crisis: The case of Iceland. Journal of Business Ethics, 98, 259–272.
Victor, B., & Cullen, J. B. (1987). A theory and measure of ethical climate in organizations. In W. C. Frederick (Ed.), Research in corporate social performance (pp. 57–71). Greenwich, CT: JAI.
Victor, B., & Cullen, J. B. (1988). The organizational bases of ethical work climates. Administrative Science Quarterly, 33, 101–125.
Vitell, S. J., & Davis, D. L. (1990). Ethical beliefs of MIS professionals: The frequency and opportunity for unethical behavior. Journal of Business Ethics, 9, 63–70.
Waagstein, P. R. (2011). The mandatory corporate social responsibility in Indonesia problems and implications. Journal of Business Ethics, 98, 455–466.
Wang, M., Qiu, C., & Kong, D. (2010). Corporate social responsibility, investor behaviors and stock market returns: Evidence from a natural experiment in China. Journal of Business Ethics. doi:10.1007/s10551-010-0713-9.
Weber, J. (1995). Influences upon organizational ethical subclimates: A multi-departmental analysis of a single firm. Organization Science, 6, 509–523.
Weber, J., & Seger, J. E. (2002). Influences upon organizational ethical subclimates: A replication study of a single firm at two points in time. Journal of Business Ethics, 41, 69–84.
Williams, B. (1985). Ethics and the limits of philosophy. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
Xu, G. (2010). State-owned enterprises in China: How big are they? World Bank Live, Oct. 2.
Zhang, H., Cone, M. H., Everett, A. M., & Elkin, G. (2011). Aesthetic leadership in Chinese business: A philosophical perspective. Journal of Business Ethics. doi:10.1007/s10551-011-0734-z.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Fu, W., Deshpande, S.P. Factors Impacting Ethical Behavior in a Chinese State-Owned Steel Company. J Bus Ethics 105, 231–237 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-011-0962-2
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-011-0962-2