No abstract

More than ever before, the ability of managers to recognize and deal with complex business ethical issues has become a significant priority. Ethical behavior has always been a concern for managers because they are the ones that have major responsibility in company when it is about business ethics. Managers’ work is manly the work of making decisions. On a daily basis they are making decisions - big and small ones - on which company future depends. Interest in business ethics and ethical behavior is on the rise, especially in recent years when widespread moral corporate scandals have brought this topic to the fore. Therefore, the organizational environment demands effective managers - decision makers -with the ability to behave ethically and the ability to make right choices. There is no doubt that the ethical behavior of decision makers is of strategic importance for successful business. It could be acknowledged that among the numerous different factors that can determine a company’s progress, the key elements that contribute to a more successful achievement of company competitive advantage is the ethical behavior of managers. This paper aims at analyzing the benefits of business ethics and at identifying the ethical behavior of managers in a big company in Croatia. Qualitative research was conducted and interesting and somewhat puzzling results were found. Based on the overall findings, this research offers the foundation for future research in this area. The implications of the findings are discussed in terms of value for managers and their companies due to the improvement and development of business ethics and their ethical behavior.

More than ever before, success or a failure of a modern company is the result of managers’ ability to adopt his/her way of managing everyday changing circumstances. The organizational environment demands effective managers with the ability to make effective decisions which will shape business performance. So, it could be acknowledged that among several different factors that can determine a company’s progress, the key factors are managers - their qualities and skills. This paper considers similarities and differences among managers in two companies in Croatia - family owned and nonfamily owned - analyzing eight essential skill areas where they should focus their efforts: understanding team dynamics, selecting and developing the right people, delegating, motivating, managing conflict, communicating, decision making and problem solving, and avoiding common managerial mistakes. Qualitative research was conducted and interesting and somewhat puzzling results were found. Results indicated that ownership made a difference concerning managerial skills. Based on the overall findings, the research offers foundation for future research in this area. The implications of the findings are discussed in terms of value for managers and their companies due to the improvement and development of all essential areas of managing.