Abstract
Internal due process systems are the formal mechanisms thatmany organizations use to address and resolve ethics conflicts.Problematical due process systems such asinvestigation-punishment and grievance-arbitration systemsnarrowly constrain the political and moral space needed formeaningful ethics voice, praxis, and community. The relativelyuncommon employee board and mediator-counselor types of systemscan help solve such problems. The employee board andmediator-counselor systems permit questioning not only of guiltwith respect to policy violations but also the appropriateness ofthe policies as well as potential biases in an organization'sembedded tradition-system that may be contributing to unethicalbehavior. Theoretical implications for organization ethics,praxis, community, and integrative social contracts theories areexplored. Several case examples are discussed.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Argyris, Chris and Donald A. Schon: 1988, 'Reciprocal Integrity: Creating Conditions that Encourage Personal and Organizational Integrity', in Surest Srivastva and Association, Executive Integrity (Jossey-Bass, San Francisco), pp. 197–222.
Argyris, Chris, Robert Putnam and Smith Diana McLain: 1987, Action Science (Jossey-Bass Publishers, San Francisco).
Argyris, C.: 1990, Overcoming Organizational Defenses: Facilitating Organizational Learning (Allyn and Bacon, Boston).
Aristotle: 4th c. B.C. 1984, 'The Nicomachean Ethics', in Jonathan Barnes (ed.), The Complete Works of Aristotle: The Revised Oxford Translation (Princeton University Press, Bollingen Series, Princeton).
Aristotle: 4th c. B.C. 1984, 'Metaphysics', in Jonathan Barnes (ed.), The Complete Works of Aristotle: The Revised Oxford Translation (Princeton University Press, Bollingen Series, Princeton).
Bateson, G.: 1972, Steps to an Ecology of Mind (Ballantine Books, New York).
Bowie, Norman E. and R. Edward Freeman (eds.): 1992, Ethics and Agency Theory: An Introduction (Oxford University Press, New York).
Calton, Jerry M. and Nancy B. Kurland: 1995, 'A Theory of Stakeholder Enabling: Giving Voice to an Emerging Praxis of Organizational Discourses', in D. Boje, R. Gephart and T. Joseph (eds.), Postmodern Management and Organizational Theory (Sage).
Cases: 1991- 1995, Unless otherwise noted, all the cases presented in this paper were collected by the author and the author's research assistants from 1991 to 1995. Also unless otherwise noted, the companies and individuals prefer that their identities be kept confidential.
Donaldson, Thomas and Lee E. Preston: 1995, 'The Stakeholder Theory of the Corporation: Concepts, Evidence, and Implications', Academy of Management Review 20(1), 65–91.
Donaldson, Thomas and Thomas Dunfee: 1994, 'Toward a Unified Conception of Business Ethics: Integrative Social Contracts Theory', Academy of Management Review 19(2), 252–284.
Drucker, Peter: 1980, Managing in Turbulent Times (Harper and Row, New York).
Ethics Resource Center: 1988, 'Xerox Programs in Business Ethics and Corporate Responsibility. Business Roundtable', Corporate Ethics (Business Roundtable, New York).
Ewing, David W.: 1989, Justice on the Job: Resolving Grievances in the Nonunion Workplace (Harvard Business School Press, Boston).
Fama, Eugene F.: 1980, 'Agency Problems and the Theory of the Firm', Journal of Political Economy 88, 288–307.
Freeman, R. Edward and Daniel R. Gilbert: 1988, Corporate Strategy and the Search for Ethics (Prentice-Hall, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey).
Hegel, G. W. F.: 1896, 1942, Philosophy of Mind (Clarendon, Oxford).
Hirschman, A. O.: 1970, Exit, Voice, and Loyalty: Responses to Decline in Firms, Organizations, and States (Harvard University Press, Cambridge).
Jacobs, Margaret A.: 1994, 'Riding Crop and Slurs: How All Street Dealt with a Sex-Bias Case', The Wall Street Journal ( June 9), 1, 6.
Jensen, Michael C. and William H. Meckling: 'Theory of the Firm: Managerial Behavior, Agency Costs and Ownership Structure', Journal of Financial Economics 3, 305–360.
Liebowitz, Ann G.: 1991, The Polaroid due process system as an approach for integrating ethics into the organization. Address given to Boston College Faculty Workshop on Integrating Ethics into the Organization, February 15, 1991. Mr. Liebowitz is responsible for managing the Polaroid due process system.
McCoy, Charles S. and Fred N. Twining: 1988, 'The Corporate Values Program at Champion International Corporation. Business Roundtable', Corporate Ethics (Business Roundtable, New York).
Nielsen, R. P.: 1993a, 'Organizational Ethics from a Perspective of Action (Praxis)', Business Ethics Quarterly 3, 131–151.
Nielsen, Richard P.: 1993b, 'Woolman's “I Am We” Triple-Loop, Action-Learning: Origin and Application in Organization Ethics', Journal of Applied Behavioral Science 29, 117–138.
Nielsen, R. P.: 1996, 'Upbuilding Dialog as Organization Ethics Method: Kierkegaard Triple-Loop Action-Learning', Organization Science.
Simon, H. A.: 1947, Administrative Behavior (Macmillan, New York).
Simon, H. A.: 1952, 'A Behavioral Model of Rational Choice', Quarterly Journal of Economics 59, 99–118.
Smith, A.: 1973, 1776, The Wealth of Nations, Andre Skinner (ed.), (Pelican Classics, 1973).
Vanesse, Richard: 1991, The Champion International organizational development approach for integrating ethics into the organization. Address given to Boston College Faculty Workshop on Integrating Ethics into the Organization, February 15, 1991. Mr. Venesse is a divisional Organizational Development manager at Champion International, Inc.
Weick, K. E.: 1979, The Social Psychology of Organizing (Random House, New York).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Nielsen, R.P. "Do Internal Due Process System Permit Adequate Political and Moral Space for Ethics Voice, Praxis, and Community?". Journal of Business Ethics 24, 1–27 (2000). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1005968228336
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1005968228336