Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

An investigation of the moral reasoning of managers

  • Published:
Journal of Business Ethics Aims and scope Submit manuscript

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

References

  • Barnett, J. H. and M. J. Karson: 1987, ‘Personal Values and Business Decisions: An Exploratory Investigation’,Journal of Business Ethics 6, 371–382.

    Google Scholar 

  • Berscheid, E., W. Graziano, T. C. Monson and M. Dermer: 1976, ‘Outcome Dependency: Attention, Attribution, and Attraction’,Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 34, 978–989.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bird, F. and J. A. Waters: 1987, ‘The Nature of Managerial Moral Standards’,Journal of Business Ethics 6, 1–13.

    Google Scholar 

  • Blasi, A.: 1980, ‘Bridging Moral Cognition and Moral Action: A Critical Review of the Literature’,Psychological Bulletin, 1–45.

  • Blass, T.: 1984, ‘Social Psychology and Personality: Toward a Convergence’,Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 47, 1013–1027.

    Google Scholar 

  • Blatt, M. and L. Kohlberg: 1975, ‘The Effects of Classroom Moral Discussion Upon Childrens' Level of Moral Development’,Journal of Moral Education 4(2), 129–161.

    Google Scholar 

  • Briggs, S. R., J. M. Check and A. H. Buss: 1980, ‘An Analysis of the Self-monitoring Scale’,Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 38, 679–686.

    Google Scholar 

  • Briggs, S. R. and J. M. Cheek: 1986, ‘The Role of Factor Analysis in the Development and Evaluation of Personality Scales’,Journal of Personality 54, 106–148.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bommer, M., C. Gratto, J. Gravander and M. Tuttle: 1987, ‘A Behavioral Model of Unethical Decision Making’,Journal of Business Ethics 6, 265–280.

    Google Scholar 

  • Calas, M. and L. Smircich: Nov. 1990, Predicando la Moral en Calzoncillos? Feminist Inquiries into Business Ethics. Paper presented at theRuffin Lectures in Business Ethics, University of Virginia.

  • Carroll, A.: 1978, ‘Linking Business Ethics to Behavior in Organizations’,SAM Advanced Management Journal 43, 4–11.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cheek, J. M. and M. Busch: 1982, Self-monitoring and the Inner-outer Metaphor: Principled Versus Pragmatic Self? Paper Presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Psychological Association.

  • Coder, R: 1975, Moral Judgment in Adults. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, University of Minnesota.

  • Davis, L.: 1987, Cultural Differences in Moral Reasoning. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, University of Minnesota.

  • Davison, M. L.: 1982,Multidimensional Scaling (McGraw Hill, New York).

    Google Scholar 

  • Davison, M. L.: 1979, ‘The Internal Structure and the Psychometric Properties of the Defining Issues Test’, in J. R. Rest (ed.),Development in Judging Moral Issues (University of Minnesota Press, Minneapolis).

    Google Scholar 

  • Davison, M. L. and S. Robbins: 1978, ‘The Reliability and Validity of Objective Indices of Moral Development’,Applied Psychological Measurement 2(3), 391–403.

    Google Scholar 

  • Derry, R.: 1987, ‘Moral Reasoning in Work-Related Conflicts’, in W. C. Frederick (ed.),Research in Corporate Social Performance and Policy, Vol. 9 (IAI Press, Greenwich Conn.), pp. 24–49.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dukerich, J. M., M. L. Nichols, D. R. Elm and D. Vollrath: 1990, ‘Moral Reasoning in Groups: Leaders Make a Difference’,Human Relations 43(5), 473–493.

    Google Scholar 

  • Eysenck, M. J. and S. B. G. Eysenck: 1975,Manual of the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire (Hodder & Stoughton, Kent).

    Google Scholar 

  • Forsyth, D. R.: 1980, ‘A Taxonomy of Ethical Ideologies’,Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 39, 175–184.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fritzche, D. J. and H. Becker: 1984, ‘Linking Management Behavior to Ethical Philosophy — an Empirical Investigation’,Academy of Management Journal 27, 166–175.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gangestad, S. and M. Synder: 1985, ‘To Carve Nature at Its Joints: On the Existence of Discrete Classes in Personality’,Psychological Review 92, 317–349.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gilligan, C.: 1982,In A Different Voice (Harvard University Press, Cambridge).

    Google Scholar 

  • Glick, W. H.: 1985, ‘Conceptualizing and Measuring Organizational and Psychological Climate’,Academy of Management Review 10, 601–616.

    Google Scholar 

  • Glick, W. H.: 1988, ‘Response: Organizations Are Not Central Tendencies: Shadowboxing In The Dark, Round Two’,Academy of Management Review 13(1), 133–137.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gregory, A.: 1990, ‘Are Women Different and Why Are Women Thought to be Different? Theoretical and Methodological Perspectives’,Journal of Business Ethics 9, 257–266.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gutkin, D. C. and J. Suls: 1979, ‘The Relation between the Ethics of Personal Conscience: Social Responsibility and Principled Moral Reasoning’,Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 433–441.

  • Harris, J. R.: 1990, ‘Ethical Values of Individuals at Different Levels in the Organizational Hierarchy of a Single Firm’,Journal of Business Ethics 9, 471–950.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hegarty, W. H. and H. P. Sims, Jr.: 1978, ‘Some Determinants of Unethical Decision Behavior: An Experiment’,Journal of Applied Psychology 63, 451–457.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hegarty, W. H. and H. P. Sims, Jr.: 1979, ‘Organizational Philosophy, Policies and Objectives Related to Unethical Decision Behavior: A Laboratory Experiment’,Journal of Applied Psychology 64, 331–338.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Higgins, A., C. Power and L. Kohlberg: 1984, ‘The Relationship of Moral Atmosphere to Judgments of Responsibility’, in W. Kurtines and J. Gerwirtz (eds.),Morality, Moral Behavior, and Moral Development (Wiley, New York).

    Google Scholar 

  • Ickes, W. and R. D. Barnes: 1977, ‘The Role of Self and Self-Monitoring in Unstructured Dyadic Interactions’,Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 35, 315–330.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jackall, R.: 1988,Moral Mazes: The World of Corporate Managers (Oxford University Press, New York).

    Google Scholar 

  • James, L. R., W. F. Joyce and J. W. Slocum, Jr.: 1988, ‘Comment: Organizations Do Not Cognize’,Academy of Management Review 13, 129–132.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jones, E. E. and R. Baumeister: 1986, ‘The Self Monitor Looks at the Ingratiator’,Journal of Personality 44, 654–674.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jones, G. R.: 1983, ‘Psychological Orientation and the Process of Organizational Socialization: The Interactionist Perspective’,Academy of Management Review, 464–473.

  • Kanter, R. M.: 1977,Men and Women of the Corporation (Basic Books, New York).

    Google Scholar 

  • Kohlberg, L.: 1969, ‘Stage and Sequence: The Cognitive-Developmental Approach to Socialization’, in D. Goslin (ed.),Handbook of Socialization Theory and Research (Rand McNally, Chicago).

    Google Scholar 

  • Kohlberg L.: 1973,Collected Papers on Moral Development and Moral Education (Laboratory of Human Development, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA).

    Google Scholar 

  • Kohlberg, L.: 1976, ‘Moral Stages and Moralization’, in T. Lickona (ed.),Moral Development and Behavior (Holt, Rinehart, & Winston, New York).

    Google Scholar 

  • Kohlberg, L.: 1984, ‘Essays in Moral Development’,The Psychology of Moral Development, Vol. II. (Harper & Row, New York).

    Google Scholar 

  • Kurtines, W. and E. B. Greif: 1974, ‘The Development of Moral Thought: Review and Evaluation of Kohlberg's Approach’,Psychological Bulletin 81, 453–470.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lennox, R. and R. Wolfe: 1984, ‘Revision of the Self-Monitoring Scale’,Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 46, 1349–1364.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lewis-Beck, M. J.: 1980,Applied Regression (Sage Series, New York).

    Google Scholar 

  • Lippa, R.: 1976, ‘Expressive Control and the Leakage of Dispostional Introversion-extraversion During Role-played Teaching’,Journal of Personality 44 541–559.

    Google Scholar 

  • Longnecker, J. G.: 1985, ‘Management Priorities and Management Ethics’,Journal of Business Ethics 4, 65–70.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lyons, N. P.: 1985, ‘Two Perspectives: On Self, Relationships, and Morality’,Harvard Educational Review 53(2), 125–145.

    Google Scholar 

  • McGraw, K. M. and J. Bloomfield: 1987, ‘Social Influence on Group Moral Decisions: The Interactive Effects of Moral Reasoning and Sex Role Orientation’,Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 53(6), 1080–1087.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rest, J. R.: 1979,Development in Judging Moral Issues (University of Minnesota Press, Minneapolis).

    Google Scholar 

  • Rest, J. R.: 1983, ‘Morality’, in P. Musson (Gen. ed.),Manual of Child Psychology, Vol. III.: Cognitive Development, Flavell and E. Markman (eds.) (Wiley, New York), pp. 556–629.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rest, J. R.: 1984, ‘The Major Components of Morality’, in W. M. Kurtines and J. L. Gerwitz (eds.),Morality, Moral Behavior, and Moral Development (Wiley, New York).

    Google Scholar 

  • Rest, J. R., R. Barnett, M. Bebeau, D. Deemer, I. Getz, Y. Moon, J. Speickelmeir, S. Thoma and J. Volker: 1986,Moral Development: Advances in Research and Theory (Praeger Press, New York).

    Google Scholar 

  • Rim, Y.: 1982, ‘Self-Monitoring, Ethical Position, Personality, Values, and Cognitive Performance’,Personality and Individual Differences 3, 219–220.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sampson, E. E.: 1987, ‘Personality and the Location of Identity’,Journal of Personality 46, 552–568.

    Google Scholar 

  • Schein, E. H.: 1984, ‘Coming to a New Awareness of Organizational Culture’,Sloan Management Review 25(2), 3–16.

    Google Scholar 

  • Schlaefli, A., J. Rest and S. Thoma: 1985, ‘Does Moral Education Improve Moral Judgment: A Meta-Analysis of Intervention Studies Using the Defining Issues Test’,Review of Educational Research 55(3), 319–352.

    Google Scholar 

  • Schuler, R. S.: 1980, ‘Definition and Conceptualization of Stress in Organizations’,Organizational Behavior and Human Performance 25, 1984–213.

    Google Scholar 

  • Snyder, M.: 1972, ‘Individual Differences and the Self-Control of Expressive Behavior. Phd Dissertation, Stanford University’,Dissertations Abstracts International 33, 4533A-4534A.

    Google Scholar 

  • Snyder, M.: 1974, ‘Self-monitoring of Expressive Behavior’,Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 30, 426–537.

    Google Scholar 

  • Snyder, M.: 1979, ‘Self-monitoring Processes’, in L. Berkowitz (ed.),Advances in Experimental Social Psychology, Vol 12 (Academic Press, New York).

    Google Scholar 

  • Snyder, M. and T. C. Monson: 1975, ‘Persons, Situations, and the Control of Social Behavior’,Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 32, 637–644.

    Google Scholar 

  • Snyder, M. and E. D. Tanke: 1976, ‘Behavior and Attitude: Some People are More Consistent Than Others’,Journal of Personality 44, 501–517.

    Google Scholar 

  • Snyder, M. and S. Ganestad: 1982, ‘Choosing Social Situations: Two Investigations of Self-monitoring Processes’,Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 43, 123–135.

    Google Scholar 

  • Snyder, M. and S. Gangestad: 1986, ‘On the Nature of Self-monitoring: Matters of Assessment, Matters of Validity’,Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 51(1), 125–139.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sypher, B. D. and H. H. Sypher: 1983, ‘Self-monitoring and Perceptions of Communication Ability in an Organizational Setting’,Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin 9, 297–304.

    Google Scholar 

  • Thoma, S. J.: 1986, ‘Estimating Gender Differences in the Comprehension and Preference of Moral Issues’,Developmental Review 6, 165–180.

    Google Scholar 

  • Toffler, B. L.: 1986,Tough Choices — Managers Talk Ethics (Wiley, New York).

    Google Scholar 

  • Trevino, L. K.: 1986, ‘Ethical Decision Making in Organizations: A Person-Situation Interactionist Model’,Academy of Management Review 11(3), 601–617.

    Google Scholar 

  • Van Maanen, J. and E. H. Schein: 1979, ‘Toward a Theory of Organizational Socialization’,Research in Organizational Behavior 1, 209–264.

    Google Scholar 

  • Victor, B. and J. B. Cullen: 1987, ‘A Theory and Measure of Ethical Climate in Organizations’, in W. C. Frederick (ed.),Research in Corporate Social Performance and Policy (JAI Press, Greenwich, Conn.).

    Google Scholar 

  • Victor, B. and J. B. Cullen: 1988, ‘The Organizational Bases of Ethical Work Climates’,Administrative Science Quarterly 33(1), 101–125.

    Google Scholar 

  • Waters, J. A., F. Bird and P. D. Chant: 1986, ‘Everyday Moral Issues Experienced by Managers’,Journal of Business Ethics 5, 373–384.

    Google Scholar 

  • Weber, J.: 1990, ‘Managers' Moral Reasoning: Assessing Their Responses to Three Moral Dilemmas’,Human Relations 43.

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Management Department, University of St. Thomas, 55105, St. Paul, MN, USA

    Dawn R. Elm & Mary Lippitt Nichols

  2. Carlson School of Management, University of Minnesota, USA

    Dawn R. Elm & Mary Lippitt Nichols

Authors
  1. Dawn R. Elm
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Mary Lippitt Nichols
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Additional information

Dawn R. Elm is Assistant Professor of Management at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minnesota. She has written and published articles on ethical decision making, moral reasoning, defining and measuring honesty, and womens' studies in ethics. She also has research interests in socialization to work, gender bias imagery in teaching, and parental leave policies.

Mary Lippitt Nichols is Associate Professor of Strategic Management and Organization in the Carlson School of Management, University of Minnesota. She currently serves as Associate Dean for Academic Programs in the Carlson School of Management. Her research focuses on organizational decision making, issue management, and processes of reasoning about moral issues by groups and individuals. She has published the latter work in theAcademy of Management Journal andHuman Relations. She is currently engaged in a large scale study of organisational performance in the nuclear power plant industry, sponsored by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Elm, D.R., Nichols, M.L. An investigation of the moral reasoning of managers. J Bus Ethics 12, 817–833 (1993). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00871663

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00871663

Keywords

Search

Navigation