Exploring the ethical behavior of managers: A comparative study of four countries

Linking Linear/Nonlinear Thinking Style Balance and Managerial Ethical Decision-Making

“…The results of the seminal Fritzsche and Becker study (1984), and subsequent empirical research that utilized the same conceptual and methodological approach, demonstrated that managers predominantly based their responses to the ethical dilemmas on utilitarian theories. Indeed, studies by Premeaux (2004), Premeaux and Mondy (1993), Fritzsche et al (1995), and Whitcomb et al (1998) showed that managers tend to use act or rule utilitarian theories to base their decisions on ethical dilemmas in the workplace, and that act utilitarianism generally leads to unethical decisionmaking. Specifically, managers basing their responses on act utilitarianism were significantly more likely to engage in unethical behavior (e.g., take action to pollute the environment when a competitive advantage could be gained), while managers adopting rule utilitarianism tended to reject coercive action designed to extort a bribe, were reluctant to provide information when faced with a conflict of interest, and were willing to blow the whistle on their company when human life was at stake.…”

“…For this vignette, response ''a'' represents rule utilitarianism, responses ''b'' and ''d'' represent act utilitarianism, and responses ''c'' and ''e'' represent a rights perspective. The Fritzsche and BeckerÕs (1984) ethical decision-making measure has been utilized extensively in empirical research on business ethics (e.g., Fritzsche et al, 1995;Premeaux, 2004;Premeaux and Mondy, 1993;Whitcomb et al, 1998).…”

Bribery: Australian Managers’ Experiences and Responses When Operating in International Markets

“…de Arruda and de Arruda, 1999;Fritzsche et al, 1995;Husted et al, 1996;Moon and Franke, 2000;Singhapakdi et al, 2001;Volkema and Fleury, 2002). However, qualitative research methodologies have emerged in this research area.…”

Empirical Business Ethics Research and Paradigm Analysis

“…For the majority of contributions, use of qualitative techniques has had a limited impact on what appear to be underlying positivist perspectives, and is suggestive instead of what might be called at most a semi-non-positivist position (e.g. French et al 2001French et al , 2002Fritzsche et al, 1995;Su and Richelieu, 1999). Some examples suggest more strongly non-positivist inclinations, but remain essentially descriptive in their analysis of data and do not purport to address latent content in any depth (e.g.…”

“…Qualitative methodologies employing a slightly nonpositivist stance can provide a little more of the picture, but leave large sections of territory unexplored. What might be called semi-qualitative, seminon-positivist approaches (such as fairly rigid coding of responses to open-ended questions, as occurred in Fritzsche et al (1995)) can provide a slightly different perspective, but both approaches can only reveal part of the picture. Contextual material, insights into perceptions and critical detail, nuance and complexity of the kind traditionally offered by qualitative approaches that can support a non-positivist stance (such as in-depth interviews) are lost.…”