Skip to main content
Log in

The Effect of Firm Profit versus Personal Economic Well Being on the Level of Ethical Responses Given by Managers

Journal of Business Ethics Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Members of organizations are continually making decisions that have important consequences for themselves and the firms for which they work. In some cases these decisions affect human well being and social welfare and thus have important ethical impacts for those affected by the decisions.

This study examines if certain strategic situations (enhancement of firm profits versus personal economic well being) cause decision makers to act more or less ethically. A questionnaire consisting of two vignettes which depicted actual business situations was used to collect data from 171 managers of a large Southeastern financial and communication conglomerate. Results from multivariate repeated measures tests suggest that managers will vary their level of ethical response when faced with a situation where their own economic well being is at stake.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Alexander, C. and M. Becker: 1978, ‘The Use of Vignettes In Survey Research’, Public Opinion Quarterly 42, 93–104.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dubinsky, A. J. and B. Loken: 1989, ‘Analyzing Ethical Decision Making’, Journal of Business Research 19, 83–107.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ferrell, O. and L. Gresham: 1985, ‘A Contingency Framework for Understanding Ethical Decision Making in Marketing’, Journal of Marketing(Summer), 87–96.

  • Ferrell, O. and M. Weaver: 1978, ‘Ethical Beliefs of Marketing Managers’, Journal of Marketing( July), 69–73.

  • Fritzsche, D. and H. Becker: 1982, ‘Business Ethics of future Marketing Managers’, Journal of Marketing Education(Fall), 2–7.

  • Fritzsche, D. and H. Becker: 1983, ‘Ethical Behavior of Marketing Managers’, Journal of Business Ethics 2, 291–299.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hallett, G.: 1984, Reason and Right(Notre Dame Press, Notre Dame).

    Google Scholar 

  • Hunt, S. and S. Vitell: 1986, ‘A General Theory of Marketing Ethics’, Journal of Macromarketing 6, 5–16.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jones, T.: 1991, ‘Ethical Decision Making by Individuals in Organizations: An Issue-Contingent Model’, Academy of Management Review 16, 366–395.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kohlberg, L.: 1971, ‘From Is to Ought (How to Commit the Naturalistic Fallacy and Get Away with It in the Study of Moral Development)’, in T. Mischel (ed.), Cognitive Development and Epistemology(Academic Press, New York).

    Google Scholar 

  • Kohlberg, L. and D. Candee: 1984, ‘The Relationship of Moral Judgment To Moral Action’, in Kurtines and Gerwitz (eds.), Morality, Moral Behavior, and Moral Development(Wiley, New York).

    Google Scholar 

  • Rest, J.: 1979, Development in Judging Moral Issues(University of Minnesota Press, Minneapolis).

    Google Scholar 

  • Stevens, G.: 1983, ‘The Congruence of Ethics Between Managers Past and Present: Clark's Study Revisited’. Paper presented at the Academy of Management.

  • Trevino, L.: 1986, ‘Ethical Decision Making in Organizations: A Person-Situation Interactionist Model’, Academy of Management Journal 11, 601–617.

    Google Scholar 

  • Weber, J.: 1990, ‘Managers' Moral Reasoning: Assessing Their Responses to Three Moral Dilemas’, Human Relations 43, 687–702.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Hoffman, J.J., Couch, G. & Lamont, B.T. The Effect of Firm Profit versus Personal Economic Well Being on the Level of Ethical Responses Given by Managers. Journal of Business Ethics 17, 239–244 (1998). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1017936322433

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1017936322433

Keywords

Navigation