Who is the Ethics Expert? the Original Footnote to Plato

1999 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 693-697 ◽  
Author(s):  
John Morse

Abstract:In her recent article, “The One Necessary Condition for a Business Ethics Course: The Teacher Must be a Philosopher,” Ellen Klein argues that philosophers are best qualified to teach business ethics by virtue of their expertise in ethical theory. Klein likens her claim to that of Plato’s “philosopher-king,” who claimed that the philosopher is best suited to be “king,” because he possesses a theoretical understanding of justice. In response to Klein, I point to Aristotle’s objection to Plato, which shows that theoretical knowledge of ethics is not sufficient for making a person ethical, because ethics requires both theoretical and practical knowledge. Ultimately, I argue that in order to have a successful business ethics class, one must address both the issues unique to ethical theory, and the particular structures and contexts that are unique to making an ethical decision within the business environment.

1998 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 561-574 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. R. Klein

Abstract:The responses to the questions of why? when?, how?, where?, and in what ways? business ethics should be taught in the Business Ethics classroom inundate the scholarly literature. Yet, to date, despite some very interesting ideas, with respect to the answers given to the above question, not only has nothing even close to consensus been reached, but this particular area of pedagogy is in stagnation—authors still challenge both the very idea of teaching business ethics as well as the practical value of such courses for our students once they graduate to the corporate world.In this paper I will suggest that the reason for this lack of pedagogical progress is that there has been a serious oversight regarding the most important teaching question of all: Who? I will show that the pedagogical issue of whom should be teaching Business Ethics has been largely ignored, skirted or answered incorrectly. I will then boldly argue that the only necessary condition for successful courses in Business Ethics is that they be taught by experts in ethics, i.e., Ph.D.s in philosophy.


2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 31-43 ◽  
Author(s):  
Igor Klopotan ◽  
Ana Aleksić ◽  
Nikolina Vinković

AbstractBackground: Research in business ethics shows that individual differences can influence one’s ethical behaviour. In addition, variability in attitudes towards ethical issues among different generations is emphasized. Still, results are inconclusive and call for an additional examination of possible generational differences with regard to ethics and ethical values.Objectives: Our objective is to test if the perception of the importance of business ethics, attitudes towards ethical issues and aspects influencing ethical behaviour, differ among the four generations currently present in the workforce.Methods/Approach: Theoretical implications are empirically tested on a sample of 107 individuals, members of Baby Boomers, Generation X, Millennials and Generation Z.Results: In general, the results indicate that there are little or no generational differences related to the analysed aspects of business ethics. The significant difference is present only in the importance given to factors that influence ethical decision-making: (i) formal rules and procedures, (ii) performance management system and (iii) job pressures, between the members of Generation Z and older generations.Conclusions: In spite of employee diversity, ethics continues to present an important aspect of the business environment. Thus, organizations need to be oriented towards creating ethical leaders and a positive ethical climate that ensures that ethical values and behaviours are present throughout the organization.


2021 ◽  
pp. 33-39
Author(s):  
I.A. Butyrska ◽  

Not every appeal to the court means the automatic opening of proceedings, because the statement of claim must still be checked by a judge for compliance with the requirements of procedural law on form and content, compliance with the rules of jurisdiction, lack of abuse of the right to appeal by the plaintiff etc. All this allows for a balance between the rights of the parties to the dispute. The purpose of the article is a theoretical understanding of the stage of opening proceedings in economic procedure, a systematic analysis of the grounds and consequences of procedural decisions made by the economic court at this stage, and highlighting on this basis the author’s vision and purpose of the stage of opening proceedings. The author emphasizes that based on the results of checking the statement of claim for compliance with the Code of Economic Procedure of Ukraine, the judge makes one of four decisions: leaves the statement of claim without motion, returns the statement of claim, opens proceedings or refuses to open proceedings. The opening of proceedings is a ne cessary condition for further consideration of the business case, and therefore is the logical conclusion of this stage. Leaving the statement of claim without action does not lead to the opening of proceedings immediately, but such proceedings may be opened later, after eliminating the shortcomings of the statement of claim. If the plaintiff has not eli minated the shortcomings of the statement of claim within the period established by the court, the statement is considered unfiled and returned to the person who filed the statement of claim. According to the results of the study, the author concludes that the stage of initiating proceedings in commercial litigation is important because, on the one hand, it acts as a kind of procedural filter that allows to “screen out” claims filed in violation of legal requirements for their form and content, as well as lawsuits filed in violation of the rules of jurisdiction and jurisdiction, and on the other hand — allows the court to make priority preparatory actions for future litigation (to determine whether the rules of general or summary proceedings will be considered, to resolve conducting several cases, to set a deadline for the parties to submit relevant documents on the merits of the case, etc.). The opening of proceedings is a necessary condition for further consideration of the business case, and therefore is the logical conclusion of this stage. The judge is unable to detect the existence of most grounds for refusal to initiate proceedings (except when the application is not subject to consideration under the rules of commercial procedure) without taking additional actions that are not provided by the Code of Economic Procedure of Ukraine.


2021 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 77-105
Author(s):  
Violeta Jovanović

Business ethics has become an indispensable part of business practice, and in the long run, a prerequisite for successful business. Unethical business can damage the reputation of the organization, which can be the cause of many negative consequences for the organization. Ethics as a key element of successful business should enable the provision of true information, as well as a correct and honest attitude of the organization towards stakeholders, the social community and the environment in which it operates. Achieving these goals was a challenge for a large number of organizations in the business environment before the COVID-19 pandemic, and it is especially increased during this pandemic. Leadership has the most important role in creating the ethical culture of the organization. Because of that, it is very important for future managers to develop awareness of the importance of business ethics for the organization's business, as well as awareness of ethical decision-making in conditions of risk and major crises, as is the case with the pandemic. The paper analyzes the attitudes of students of management, as future managers, about business ethics in the organization's business operations during the COVID-19 pandemic. The research results showed that students are aware of the importance of business ethics, but not equally of all segments that it covers.


2015 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 289-305 ◽  
Author(s):  
Loan N.T Pham ◽  
Lam Dang Nguyen ◽  
Monica J Favia

Purpose – The purpose of this study is to examine the attitudes toward business ethics of Vietnamese business students based on gender and the experience of having taken a business ethics course. Design/methodology/approach – A quantitative self-administered survey was conducted with a convenience sample of Vietnamese business students at a banking university in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. This study used the 30-item Attitudes Toward Business Ethics Questionnaire (ATBEQ) constructed by Neumann and Reichel (1987) based on the work of Stevens (1979). The Vietnamese version questionnaire was distributed, and 282 surveys were used for analysis. An item-by-item analysis was conducted based on gender and the experience of having taken a business ethics course. Findings – Significant differences were found on seven items based on gender and four items based on the experience of having taken a business ethics course. However, respondents appeared to have similar attitudes on the majority of the items. Research limitations/implications – Perhaps the greatest limitation of this study is the relatively uneven distribution of the respondents in the sample. The sample is skewed slightly toward women who are a bit older, fourth year or post-graduate and those who have not taken a business ethics course. In addition convenience sampling technique reduced its generalizability. This study is important because it supports the idea of ethics education to improve ethical decision-making of future business leaders and that education has an effect in Vietnam. Practical implications – As business students are the main subjects of this research, it can be useful for those involved in development of management and business education in Vietnam to have an overview on how gender impacts business students’ ethics perception. For the executives of multinational corporations, this study provides important information and adds support to a decision to do business in Vietnam. Social implications – Although there may be a perception of a less than ethical climate in Vietnam based on its Corruption Perception Index scores, it appears that Vietnamese business students in general express an ethical viewpoint. This study emphasizes the importance of ethics education that is culture-specific to build a strong ethical business environment that can help Vietnam prevent bribery and corruption and achieve sustainable growth and prosperity. Originality/value – This study contributes to the attitudes toward business ethics research and sheds light on the impact of gender and education (business ethics course) on Vietnamese business students’ ethical attitudes. There has been little research on business ethics in Vietnam. Academicians, managers, practitioners, policymakers, government leaders and the like can benefit from the findings of this paper.


2007 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 83
Author(s):  
Anida Mahmood ◽  
Haswira Nor Mohamad Hashim ◽  
Kamarul Ariffin Mansor

This paper was written based on part of the findings of a survey made on young lawyers who are practicing in the state of Kedah. Young lawyers are advocates and solicitors with less than seven y ears of active practice. The objective of this study is to determine what factors positively influenced young lawyers' ethical decision making. Data was collected from /33 young lawyers who are practicing in the state of Kedah between January - June 2006 through self-administered and close- end questionnaires. The finding suggests that knowledge in professional legal ethics gained at the law faculty, pupil age and short ethics course does not contribute much to the ethical decision making of the young lawyers. Moved by this finding. this paper attempts to discuss the current legal ethics education in Malaysia. The main contention of the writers is their firm belief that the current practice of professional legal ethics education in Malaysia is insufficient and far from being adequate in producing ethical lawyers. Therefore the writers have proposed for professional legal ethics education in Malaysia to be reformed and this proposal serves as the basic premise of this paper.


1996 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 43-65 ◽  
Author(s):  
Georges Enderle

AbstractRecalling several profound disagreements about business ethics as it is currently discussed in Western societies, I emphasize the need for business ethics as an academic discipline that constitutes the “backbone” for both teaching business ethics and improving business practice (section 1). Then I outline a conceptual framework of business ethics that promotes a “bottom-up” approach (section 2). This “problem-and action-oriented” conception appears to be fruitful in terms of both practical relevance and theoretical understanding. Finally, I argue for (section 3) the relevance of discussing goals at all levels of human action (i.e., individuals, organizations, systems) as well as the indispensability of human rights, and propose Amartya Sen's “goal-rights-system” approach as a normative-ethical framework for business ethics that integrates these two fundamental aspects.


2018 ◽  
Vol 3 (4) ◽  
pp. 331-345
Author(s):  
Laurie L. Levesque

Critics of ethics education suggest that students need to learn about contextual pressures of workplace ethical decisions and develop skills to handle them. Thus, instructors are often challenged to integrate an ethics unit into organizational behavior courses in ways that complement, rather than duplicate, what may have been covered in their degree program’s stand-alone ethics course. This article outlines a multistage class exercise that incorporates student-authored cases. As homework, students write about a firsthand work or team ethical decision. The instructor selects several for subsequent class discussions and activities that foster skill development around contextual analysis and anticipatory strategies adapted from the Giving Voice to Values methodology. Students report peers’ ethics vignettes to be interesting and relevant, and a multiperspective exploration and strategizing of these situations prepares them to face future ethical dilemmas in the workplace.


Jurnal Socius ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Gusti Noor Fanani

AbstractIn the people of South Kalimantan, there are sub-ethnic groups who are well-known as successful business people / entrepreneurs and can maintain their business in a relatively long time, namely Alabio. historically, Alabio have become traders/businessmen who are undoubtedly their trade characteristics. His success in commerce even began when there was a belief in "mysticism", namely since the days of the state of Daha and Dipa were founded. The results of research on business ethics values used by Alabio for social studies showed that the business ethics values of Alabio for social studies learning were not fully utilized by social studies teachers, to facilitate teachers in compiling learning resources based on the Competency Standards of Business Ethics / Economic Ethics, namely Business ethics values used by Alabio can be used in social studies material in class VII, namely on the material of economic ethics in utilizing the factors of production in the life of business, the definition of business, company and business entity, and considerations that need to be considered in doing business.Key Word:  Business Ethics, Alabio People, Social Studies Learning AbstractMasyarakat Kalimantan Selatan, ada kelompok sub-etnis yang dikenal sebagai pengusaha sukses dan dapat mempertahankan bisnis mereka dalam waktu yang relatif lama, yaitu Alabio. Secara historis, Alabio telah menjadi pedagang/pengusaha yang tidak diragukan lagi adalah karakteristik perdagangan mereka. Keberhasilannya dalam perdagangan bahkan dimulai ketika ada keyakinan dalam "mistisisme", yaitu sejak zaman negara bagian Daha dan Dipa didirikan. Hasil penelitian tentang nilai etika bisnis yang digunakan oleh Alabio untuk studi sosial menunjukkan bahwa nilai etika bisnis Alabio untuk pembelajaran IPS tidak sepenuhnya dimanfaatkan oleh guru IPS, untuk memfasilitasi guru dalam menyusun sumber belajar berdasarkan Standar Kompetensi Etika Bisnis. Etika Ekonomi, yaitu nilai etika bisnis yang digunakan oleh Alabio dapat digunakan dalam bahan studi sosial di kelas VII, yaitu pada materi etika ekonomi dalam memanfaatkan faktor-faktor produksi dalam kehidupan suatu perusahaan dan entitas bisnis, dan pertimbangan yang perlu dipertimbangkan dalam melakukan bisnis.Kata Kunci: Etika Bisnis, Masyarakat Alabio, Pembelajaran IPS


2021 ◽  
Vol 7 ◽  
pp. e505
Author(s):  
Noha Ahmed Bayomy ◽  
Ayman E. Khedr ◽  
Laila A. Abd-Elmegid

The one constant in the world is change. The changing dynamics of business environment enforces the organizations to re-design or reengineer their business processes. The main objective of such reengineering processes is to provide services or produce products with the possible lowest cost, shortest time, and best quality. Accordingly, Business Process Re-engineering (BPR) provides a roadmap of how to efficiently achieve the operational goals in terms of enhanced flexibility and productivity, reduced cost, and improved quality of service or product. In this article, we propose an efficient model for BPR. The model specifies where the breakdowns occur in BPR implementation, justifies why such breakdowns occur, and proposes techniques to prevent their occurrence again. The proposed model has been built based on two main sections. The first section focuses on integrating Critical Success Factors (CSFs) and the performance of business processes during the reengineering processes. Additionally, it implements the association rule mining technique to investigate the relationship between CSFs and different business processes. The second section aims to measure the performance of business processes (intended success of BPR) by process time, cycle time, quality and cost before and after reengineering processes. A case study of the Egyptian Tax Authority (ETA) is used to test the efficiency of the proposed model.


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