Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Moral reasoning and business ethics: Implications for research, education, and management

  • Behavioral Aspects Of Business Ethics
  • Published:
Journal of Business Ethics Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

This paper reviews Kohlberg's (1969) theory of cognitive moral development, highlighting moral reasoning research relevant to the business ethics domain. Implications for future business ethics research, higher education and training, and the management of ethical/unethical behavior are discussed.

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

Access this article

Log in via an institution

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

  • Armstrong, M. B.: 1987, ‘Moral Development and Accounting Education’,Journal of Accounting Education 5, pp. 27–43.

    Google Scholar 

  • Barrett, R. A.: 1984,Culture and Conduct: An Excursion in Anthropology (Wasworth, Belmont, CA).

    Google Scholar 

  • Basinger, K. S. and Gibbs, J. C.: 1987, ‘Validation of the Sociomoral Reflection Objective Measure — Short Form’,Psychological Reports 61, pp. 139–146.

    Google Scholar 

  • Blasi, A.: 1980, ‘Bridging Moral Cognition and Moral Action: A Critical Review of the Literature,’Psychological Bulletin 88, pp. 1–45.

    Google Scholar 

  • Blatt, M. and Kohlberg, L.: 1975, ‘The Effects of Classroom Moral Discussion upon Children's Moral Development’,Journal of Moral Education 4(2), pp. 129–161.

    Google Scholar 

  • Boyd, D. P.: 1981–1982, ‘Improving Ethical Awareness Through the Business and Society Curriculum’,Business and Society 20-1 and20-1, pp. 27–31.

    Google Scholar 

  • Brabeck, M.: 1984, ‘Ethical Characteristics of Whistle Blowers’,Journal of Research in Personality 18, pp. 41–53.

    Google Scholar 

  • Candee, D.: 1985, ‘Classical Ethics and Live Patient Simulations in the Moral Education of Health Care Professionals’, in M. W. Berkowitz and F. Oser (eds.),Moral Education: Theory and Application (Erlbaum, Hillsdale, NJ), pp. 297–320.

    Google Scholar 

  • Colby, A. and Kohlberg, L.: 1987,The Measurement of Moral Judgment: Theoretical Foundations and Research Validations, and Standard Issue Scoring Manual (Vols. 1 and 2) (Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, Mass.).

    Google Scholar 

  • Colby, A., Kohlberg, L., Gibbs, J. and Lieberman, M.: 1983, ‘A Longitudinal Study of Moral Development’,Monographs of the Society for Research in Child Development, Vol. 48 (1, 2), Series # 200, pp. 1–107.

  • Cortese, A.: 1984, ‘The Internal Consistency of Moral Reasoning: A Multitrait-Multimethod Assessment’,The Journal of Psychology 121(4), pp. 373–386.

    Google Scholar 

  • Darley, J. M. and Latane, B.: 1986, ‘Bystander Intervention in Emergencies: Diffusion of Responsibility’,Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 8, pp. 377–383.

    Google Scholar 

  • Davison, M. L. and Robbins, S.: 1978, ‘The Reliability and Validity of Objective Indices of Moral Development’,Applied Psychological Measurement 2, pp. 389–401.

    Google Scholar 

  • Derry, R.: 1987, ‘Moral Reasoning in Work-Related Conflicts’,Research in Corporate Social Performance and Policy, Vol. 9 (JAI Press, Greenwich, CT).

    Google Scholar 

  • Derry, R.: 1989, ‘An Empirical Study of Moral Reasoning Among Managers’,Journal of Business Ethics 8, pp. 855–862.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dukerich, J. M., Nichols, M. L., Elm, D. R. and Vollrath, D. A.: 1990, ‘Moral Reasoning in Groups: Leaders Make a Difference’,Human Relations 43(5), pp. 473–493.

    Google Scholar 

  • Durkheim, E.: 1961,Moral Education (Free Press, NY).

  • Elm, D. and Nichols, M. L.: 1990, ‘Influences on the Moral Reasoning of Managers’, discussion paper # 139 (Strategic Management Research Center, University of Minnesota).

  • Endler, N. S., Rushton, J. P. and Roediger, H. L.: 1978, ‘Productivity and Scholarly Impact’,American Psychologist 33, pp. 1064–1082.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ferrell, O. C. and Gresham, L. G.: 1985, ‘A Contingency Framework for Understanding Ethical Decision Making in Marketing’,Journal of Marketing 49, pp. 87–96.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fleming, J. E.: 1987, ‘A Survey and Critique of Business Ethics Research, 1986’,Research in Corporate Social Performance and Policy 9, pp. 1–23.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gibbs, J., Arnold, K. D., Morgan, R. L., Schwartz, E. S., Gavaghan, M. P. and Tappan, M. B.: 1984, ‘Construction and Validation of a Multiple-Choice Measure of Moral Reasoning’,Child Development 55, pp. 527–536.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gibbs, J. C. and Schnell, S. V.: 1985, ‘Moral Development “Versus” Socialization’,American Psychologist 40, pp. 1071–1080.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gibbs, J. C. and Widaman, K. F.: 1982,Social Intelligence: Measuring the Development of Sociomoral Reflection (Prentice-Hall, Englewood Cliffs, NJ).

    Google Scholar 

  • Gilligan, C.: 1977, ‘In a Different Voice: Women's Conceptions of the Self and Morality’,Harvard Educational Review 49, pp. 431–446.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gilligan, C. and Attanucci, J.: 1988, ‘Two Moral Orientations: Gender Differences and Similarities’,Merrill-Palmer Quarterly 34(3), pp. 223–237.

    Google Scholar 

  • Goldman, S. A. and Arbuthnot, J.: 1979, ‘Teaching Medical Ethics: The Cognitive Developmental Approach’,Journal of Medical Ethics 5, pp. 171–181.

    Google Scholar 

  • Grimm, P. F., Kohlberg, L. and White, S. H.: 1968, ‘Some Relationships Between Conscience and Attentional Processes’,Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 8, pp. 239–252.

    Google Scholar 

  • Haan, N.: 1977,Coping and Defending: Processes of Self-Environment Organization (Academic Press, NY).

    Google Scholar 

  • Hamilton, V. L. and Sanders, J.: 1981, ‘The Effect of Roles and Deeds on Responsibility Judgments: The Normative Structure of Wrongdoing’,Social Psychological Quarterly 44, pp. 237–254.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hartshorne, H. and May, M. S.: 1928,Studies in the Nature of Character: Vol. 1 Studies in Self-Control (Macmillan, NY).

    Google Scholar 

  • Higgins, A. and Gordon, F.: 1985, ‘Work Climate and Socio-Moral Development in Two Worker-Owned Companies’, in M. W. Berkowitz and F. Oser (eds.),Moral Education: Theory and Application (Erlbaum, Hillsdale, NJ), pp. 241–268.

    Google Scholar 

  • Higgins, A., Power, C. and Kohlberg, L.: 1984, ‘The Relationship of Moral Atmosphere to Judgments of Responsibility’, in W. M. Kurtines and J. L. Gewirtz (eds.),Morality, Moral Behavior, and Moral Development (Wiley, NY), pp. 74–106.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kahn, W. A.: 1990, ‘Toward an Agenda for Business Ethics Research’,Academy of Management Review 15, pp. 311–328.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kohlberg, L.: 1969, ‘Stage and Sequence: The Cognitive-Developmental Approach to Socialization’, in D. A. Goslin (ed.),Handbook of Socialization Theory and Research (Rand McNally, Chicago).

    Google Scholar 

  • Kohlberg, L.: 1981,Essays on Moral Development. Volume 1: The Philosophy of Moral Development (Harper & Row, San Francisco).

    Google Scholar 

  • Kohlberg, L. and Candee, D.: 1984, ‘The Relationship of Moral Judgment to Moral Action’, in W. M. Kurtines and J. L. Gewirtz (eds.),Morality, Moral Behavior and Moral Development (Wiley, NY), pp. 52–73.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kohlberg, L. and Kramer, R.: 1969, ‘Continuities and Discontinuities in Childhood and Adult Moral Development’,Human Development 12, pp. 93–120.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kohlberg, L., Levine, C. and Hewer, A.: 1983,Moral Stages: A Current Formulation and a Response to Critics (Karger, Basel, NY).

    Google Scholar 

  • Kohlberg, L. and Turiel, E: 1973,Moralization, the Cognitive Development Approach (Holt, Rinehart, & Winston, NY).

    Google Scholar 

  • Kurtines, W. and Grief, E.: 1974, ‘The Development of Moral Thought: Review and Evaluation of Kohlberg's Approach’,Psychological Bulletin 81, pp. 453–470.

    Google Scholar 

  • Latane, B. and Darley, J.: 1968, ‘Group Inhibition of Bystander Intervention in Emergencies’,Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 10, pp. 215–221.

    Google Scholar 

  • Malinowski, C.: 1979, ‘Cheating as a Function of Moral Judgment and Selected Personality and Situation Variables’,Dissertation Abstracts International 39, pp. 5143B-5144B (University Microfilms No. 7908462).

    Google Scholar 

  • Malinowski, C. I. and Smith, C. P.: 1985, ‘Moral Reasoning and Moral Conduct: An Investigation Prompted by Kohlberg's Theory’,Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 49, pp. 1016–1027.

    Google Scholar 

  • Manning, F. V.: 1981,Managerial Dilemmas and Executive Growth (Reston, Reston, VA).

    Google Scholar 

  • Mischel, W. and Mischel, H. N.: 1976, ‘A Cognitive Social Learning Approach to Morality and Self-Regulation’, in T. Lickona (ed.),Moral Development and Behavior (Holt, Rinehart & Winston, NY), pp. 84–107.

    Google Scholar 

  • Nichols, M. L. and Day, V. E.: 1982, ‘A Comparison of Moral Reasoning of Groups and Individuals on the “Defining Issues Test”’,Academy of Management Journal 25, pp. 201–208.

    Google Scholar 

  • Payne, S. L. and Giacolone, R. A.: 1990, ‘Social Psychological Approaches to the Perception of Ethical Dilemmas’,Human Relations 43, pp. 649–665.

    Google Scholar 

  • Penn, W. Y. and Collier, B. D.: 1985, ‘Current Research in Moral Development as a Decision Support System’,Journal of Business Ethics 4, pp. 131–136.

    Google Scholar 

  • Piaget, J.: 1932,The Moral Judgment of the Child (Kegan Paul, London).

    Google Scholar 

  • Ponemon, L. A.: 1990, ‘Auditor Underreporting and Moral Reasoning; An Experimental Lab Study’, unpublished manuscript (SUNY-Albany).

  • Power, F. C., Higgins, A. and Kohlberg, L.: 1989,Lawrence Kohlberg's Approach to Moral Education (Columbia University Press, NY).

    Google Scholar 

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

    Google Scholar 

  • Rest, J.: 1983, ‘Morality’, in P. Mussen (ed.),Manual of Child Psychology (Wiley, NY), pp. 556–629.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rest, J.: 1986,Moral Development: Advances in Research and Theory (Praeger, NY).

    Google Scholar 

  • Rest, J.: 1988, ‘Can Ethics be Taught in Professional Schools? The Psychological Research’,Easier Said than Done (Winter).

  • Rest, J. and Deemer, D.: 1986, ‘Life Experiences and Developmental Pathways’, in R. Rest,Moral Development: Advances in Research and Theory (Praeger, NY), pp. 28–58.

  • Rest, R. and Thoma, S. J.: 1986, ‘Educational Programs and Interventions’, in R. Rest,Moral Development: Advances in Research and Theory (Praeger, NY).

  • Rest, R., Thoma, S. J., Moon, Y. L. and Getz, I.: 1986, ‘Moral Judgment, Behavior, Decision Making, and Attitudes’,Moral Development: Advances in Research and Theory (Praeger, NY).

  • Snarey, J. R.: 1985, ‘Cross-Cultural Universality of Social-Moral Development: A Critical Review of Kohlbergian Research’,Psychological Bulletin 97, pp. 202–232.

    Google Scholar 

  • Stratton, W. E., Flynn, W. R. and Johnson, G. A.: 1981, ‘Moral Development and Decision Making. A Study of Student Ethics’,Journal of Enterprise Management 3, pp. 35–41.

    Google Scholar 

  • Thoma, S. J.: 1985, ‘On Improving the Relationship between Moral Reasoning and External Criteria: The Utilizer/Nonutilizer Dimension’, unpublished doctoral dissertation (University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota).

    Google Scholar 

  • Trevino, L. K.: 1986, ‘Ethical Decision Making in Organizations: A Person-Situation Interactionist Model’,Academy of Management Review 11(3), pp. 601–617.

    Google Scholar 

  • Trevino, L. K.: 1988, ‘Reasoning about Business Ethics: A Cross-Cultural Research Perspective’,Proceedings of the Pan-Pacific Conference V; A Business Economic, and Technological Exchange (Singapore).

  • Trevino, L. K.: 1990, ‘A Cultural Perspective on Changing and Developing Organizational Ethics’, in R. W. Woodman and W. Passmore,Research in Organizational Change and Development 4, pp. 194–230.

    Google Scholar 

  • Trevino, L. K., Sutton, C. D. and Woodman, R. W.: 1985, ‘Effects of Reinforcement Contingencies and Cognitive Moral Development on Ethical Decision Making Behavior: An Experiment’, paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the Academy of Management, San Diego.

  • Trevino, L. K. and Youngblood, S. A.: 1990, ‘Bad Apples in Bad Barrels: A Causal Analysis of Ethical Decision-Making Behavior’,Journal of Applied Psychology 75(4), pp. 378–385.

    Google Scholar 

  • Turiel, E.: 1969, ‘Developmental Processes in the Child's Moral Thinking’, in Mussen, Langer, and Covington,Trends and Issues in Developmental Psychology (Holt, Rinehart, & Winston, NY).

    Google Scholar 

  • Turiel, E. and Smetana, J. G.: 1984, ‘Social Knowledge and Action: The Coordination of Domains’, in W. M. Kurtines and J. L. Gewirtz (eds.),Morality, Moral Behavior, and Moral Development (Wiley, NY), pp. 261–280.

    Google Scholar 

  • Vecchio, R. P.: 1981, ‘An Individual Difference Interpretation of the Conflicting Predictions Generated by Equity Theory and Expectancy Theory’,Journal of Applied Psychology 66(4), pp. 470–481.

    Google Scholar 

  • Weber, J.: 1990, ‘Managers' Moral Reasoning: Assessing their Responses to Three Moral Dilemmas’,Human Relations 43(7), pp. 687–702.

    Google Scholar 

  • Turiel, E. and Smetana, J. G.: 1984, ‘Social Knowledge and Action: The Coordination of Domains’, in W. M. Kurtines and J. L. Gewirtz (eds.),Morality, Moral Behavior, and Moral Development (Wiley, NY), pp. 261–280.

    Google Scholar 

  • Vecchio, R. P.: 1981, ‘An Individual Difference Interpretation of the Conflicting Predictions Generated by Equity Theory and Expectancy Theory’,Journal of Applied Psychology 66(4), pp. 470–481.

    Google Scholar 

  • Weber, J.: 1990, ‘Managers' Moral Reasoning: Assessing their Responses to Three Moral Dilemmas’,Human Relations 43(7), pp. 687–702.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Smeal College of Business Administration, Pennsylvania State University, 16802, University Park, PA, USA

    Linda Klebe Trevino

Authors
  1. Linda Klebe Trevino
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Additional information

Linda Klebe Trevino is Assistant Professor of Organizational Behavior at the Mary Jean and Frank B. Smeal College of Business Administration, The Pennsylvania State University. She received her Ph.D. in management from Texas A&M University. Her current research focuses on ethical decision-making behavior in organizations, justice perceptions in disciplinary situations, and new information technologies in managerial communication.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Trevino, L.K. Moral reasoning and business ethics: Implications for research, education, and management. J Bus Ethics 11, 445–459 (1992). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00870556

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00870556

Keywords

Search

Navigation