Abstract
Communicating ethical values is a serious issue for a number of organizations. While ethical codes are useful, they cannot exist alone. Organizations must make certain codes reflect the ideals of individuals in the organization and the ethical expectations must be clearly communicated. This study examined the sources (people) and channels (ways messages were received) that affected how employees learned about ethics. Results showed that training and orientation programs were affirmed as sources of learning along with teaching others. Codes and handbooks were also identified as ways employees learned about ethics in their organization. Ethical issues were discussed more frequently with fellow employees than with supervisors suggesting that managers could be more proactive about discussing ethics with employees.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Badaracco, J. L. and R. R. Ellsworth: 1989, Leadership and the Quest for Intergrity (Harvard Business School Press, Boston.)
Baumhart, R.: 1968, Ethics in Business (Holt, Rinehart and Winston, New York).
Becker, H. and D. Fritzche: 1987, ‘Business Ethics: A Cross-cultural Comparison of Manager' Attitudes’, Journal of Business Ethics 6, 289–295.
Berenbeim, R. E.: 1987, Corporate Ethics (Random House, New York).
Brooks, L. J.: 1989, ‘Corporate Codes of Ethics’, Journal of Business Ethics 8, 117–119.
Brownell, J. and D. Jameson: 1996, ‘Getting Quality Out on the Street: A Case of Show and Tell’, Cornell Hotel and Restaurant Administration Quarterly 37(1), 28–33.
Carroll, Archie B.: 1975, ‘Managerial Ethics: A Post-Watergate View’, Business Horizons (April), 79.
Cragg, W.: 1997, ‘Teaching Business Ethics: The Role of Ethics in Business and Business Education’, Journal of Business Ethics 16(3), 231–245.
Cressey, D. and C. A. Moore: 1983, ‘Managerial Values and Corporate Codes of Ethics’, California Management Review 25(53), 53–77.
Ferrell, O. C. and M. K. Weaver: 1978, ‘Ethical Beliefs of Marketing Managers’, Journal of Marketing (July).
Goldhaber, G.: 1990, Organizational Communication (Wm. C. Brown, Dubuque, IA).
McAneny, L.: 1993, ‘Pharmacists Retain WideLead as Most Honorable Profession’, The Gallup Poll Monthly 334, 37.
McAneny, L.: 1992, ‘Pharmacists again Top “Honesty and Ethics” Poll; Ratings for Congress Hit a New Low’, The Gallup Poll Monthly 322, 2–4.
McKeachie, W.: 1986, Teaching Tips: A Guidebook for the Beginning College Teacher (D.C. Heath, Lexington, MA).
Peters, T. and N. Austin, N.: 1985, A Passion for Excellence: The Leadership Difference (Random House, New York).
Pfeffer, J.: 1992, Managing with Power: Politics and Influence in Organizations (Harvard Business School Press, Boston).
Pierce, M. A. and J. W. Henry: 1996, ‘Computer Ethics: The Role of Personal, Informal, and Formal Codes’, Journal of Business Ethics 15, 425–437.
Ruegger, D. and E. King: 1992, ‘A Study of the Effect of Age and Gender upon Student Business Ethics’, Journal of Business Ethics 11, 179–186.
Scarborough, R.: 1996, ‘Marines add Values Training to Boot Camp’, The Washington Times, A1, A8.
Scism, L.: 1996, July 9, ‘Prudential Management Knew of Abuses by Its Agents, Regulators Report Says’, The Wall Street Journal, A4.
Singhapakedi, A, C. Roa and S. Vitell: 1996, ‘Ethical Decision-making: An Investigation of Services Marketing Professions’, Journal of Business Ethics 15, 635–644.
Stevens, B.: 1994, ‘An Analysis of Corporate Ethical Codes Studies: Where Do We Go from Here?’, Journal of Business Ethics 13, 63–69.
Stevens, B.: 1997, ‘Business Communication and the Ethical Context’, in H. Murphy, H. Hildebrandt and J. Thomas (eds.), Effective Business Communication 7th ed. pp. 95–116.
Stern, G. and J. S. Lublin: 1996, ‘New GM Rules Curb Wining and Dining’, The Wall Street Journal (June 5), B1, Col 3–5).
Tyson, T.: 1992, ‘Does Believing that Everyone Else is Less Ethical Have an Impact on Work Behavior?’, Journal of Business Ethics 11, 707–717.
Weick, K. E. and L. D. Browning: 1986, ‘Argument and Narration in Organizational Communication’, Journal of Management 12(2), 243–259.
Whorf, B.: 1956, Language, Thought, and Reality (MIT Press, Cambridge, MA).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Stevens, B. Communicating Ethical Values: A Study of Employee Perceptions. Journal of Business Ethics 20, 113–120 (1999). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1005869431079
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1005869431079