mgmt 309

unethical behavior

Behavior that does not conform to generally accepted social norms

procedural justice

Individual perceptions of the fairness used to determine various outcomes. (process used to make a decision)

corporate social audit

A formal and through analysis of the effectiveness of a firm's social performance conducted by a task force of high-level managers from within the organization

written code of ethics

A formal, written statement of the values and ethical standards that guides a firms' actions

caring

An act that is consistent with people's responsibilities to each other

justice

An act that is consistent with what is considered fair

utility

An act that optimizes what is best for its constituencies (benefits only or primarily those who are directly involved)

rights

An act that respects the rights of others the individuals involved

ethics

An individual's personal beliefs regarding what is right and what is wrong or good and bad

arguments for social responsibility

Business creates problems and should therefore help solve them; corporations are citizens in our society; business often has the resources necessary to solve problems; business is a partner in our society along with the government and the general population

concept of control in evaluating social responsibility

Evaluating responses to questionable legal or unethical conduct. Does the company initiate an immediate follow-up in response; seek punishment for those involved; engage in delay or cover-up tactics?

organizational stakeholders

People and organizations directly affected by the behaviors of an organization and that have a stake in its performance. (customers, employees, investors, suppliers, trade associations, state/federal government, interest groups, local community, creditors)

distributive justice

People's perceptions of the fairness with which rewards are distributed within an organization. (reward or result)

interpersonal justice

The degree of fairness people see in how they are treated by others in an organization.

whistle blowing

The disclosure by an employee of illegal or unethical conduct on the part of others within the organization.

whistle blowing

The organizational response to the disclosure by an employee of illegal or unethical conduct on the part of others within the organization is indicative of the organization's stance on social responsibility.

arguments against social responsibility

The purpose of business in the US society is to generate profit for owners; involvement in social programs gives business too much power; there is potential for conflicts of interest; business lacks the expertise to manage social programs

social responsibility

The set of obligations an organization has to protect and enhance the societal context in which it functions

defensive stance

The stance taken when an organization does only what is legally required and nothing more for social responsibility

accommodative stance

The stance taken when an organization meets legal and ethical obligations and goes beyond that in selected areas when solicited

proactive stance

The stance taken when an organization views itself as a citizen and proactively seeks opportunities to contribute to society

obstructionist stance

The stance taken where an organization does as little as possible to solve social or environmental problems

managerial ethics

The standards of behavior that guide individual managers in their work

family, values and morals, peers, individual experiences

These are determinants of individual ethics

utility, rights, justice, and caring

These are ethical norms that affect actions and should be considered in determining the most appropriate moral values

behavior, conscious, and privacy

These are individual issues with ethics

stakeholders, the natural environment, the general social welfare

These are the areas of social responsibility

distributive justice, procedural justice, interpersonal justice, informational justice

These are the four basic forms of organizational justice

obstructionist stance, defensive stance, accommodative stance, proactive stance

These are the four stances that an organization can take in regards to social responsibility

organizational leadership and culture and whistle blowing process

These are the informal methods organizations use to manage social responsibility

gather relevant factual information, determine the most appropriate moral values, make an ethical judgement based on the rightness or wrongness of the proposed activity or policy

These are the step involved in the model for deciding whether or not a particular action or decision is ethical

personal contacts, lobbying, political action committees (PACs), favors

These are the ways organizations influence government

legal compliance, ethical compliance, philanthropic giving

These are the ways that organizations formally manage social responsibility

organization leadership and culture

These parts of an organization can help define the social responsibility stance an organization and its members will adopt.

ethical behavior

This behavior is in the eye of the beholder, but it also refers to behavior that conforms to generally accepted social norms

managerial ethics

This concerns how a firm treats employees, how employees treats the firm, and how the firm treats other economic agents

general social welfare

This has to do with items such as charitable contributions and support for social issues such as child labor and human rights

natural environment

This has to do with protecting the earth, such as producing environmentally sensitive products, recycling, and public safety

philanthropic giving

This is the awarding by an organization of funds to charities and other social programs

ethical compliance

This is the extent to which members of the organization follow basic ethical and legal standards of behavior

legal compliance

This is the extent to which the organization conforms to local, state, and federal laws

informational justice

This is the perceived fairness of information used to arrive at decisions. (data used to make decisions)

managing ethical behavior

This must begin with top management which establishes the organization's culture and defines what will and will not be acceptable behavior. Also, training employees how to handle different ethical dilemmas and developing a written code of ethics.

organizational justice

This refers to the perceptions of people in an organization regarding fairness

corporate social audit

This requires the organization to clearly define its social goals, analyzes resources committed to the goals, determines how well goals are being met, and makes recommendations for areas needing additional attention