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RESEARCH PRODUCT

(A)moral Agents in Organisations? The Significance of Ethical Organisation Culture for Middle Managers’ Exercise of Moral Agency in Ethical Problems

Minna-maaria HiekkataipaleAnna-maija Lämsä

subject

Economics and EconometricsVirtue ethicsvirtue ethicsmedia_common.quotation_subjectmiddle managerOrganizational culturehyve-etiikkaethical culture of organisations0603 philosophy ethics and religionArts and Humanities (miscellaneous)corporate ethical virtuesMoral agency0502 economics and businessyritysetiikkaethical problemSociologyBusiness and International ManagementEthical codemedia_commonMoral disengagement05 social sciencesEnvironmental ethics06 humanities and the artseettisyysMoralityGeneral Business Management and Accountingyrityksetmoraalinen toimijuusEthical leadershipkeskijohtomoral agency060301 applied ethicsetiikkaBusiness ethicskvalitatiivinen tutkimusLawSocial psychology050203 business & management

description

This paper investigates qualitatively the significance of different dimensions of ethical organisation culture for the exercise of middle managers’ moral agency in ethical problems. The research draws on the social cognitive theory of morality and on the corporate ethical virtues model. This study broadens understanding of the factors which enable or constrain managers’ potential for moral agency in organisations, and shows that an insufficient ethical organisational culture may contribute to indifference towards ethical issues, the experiencing of moral conflicts, lack of self-efficacy and morally disengaged reasoning. In contrast, a healthy ethical culture can contribute to motivation to tackle ethical problems, an increased capacity for self-regulation and ultimately ethical behaviour. peerReviewed

yearjournalcountryeditionlanguage
2017-03-22Journal of Business Ethics
https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-017-3511-9