Abstract
How might a transition from closely-held to shared management help or hinder the presence of the ethical in a corporation? I propose three fictional scenarios according to which such a transition might occur. In one, managerial power is shared, but without any examination of the firm's presuppositions. In another the presuppositions are shared as well, but only insofar as top management seeks to generate cultic enthusiasm for the ‘corporate family’. In the third scenario the firm's presuppositions are discussed openly by all employees. I argue that only this third scenario embodies the conditions which make it possible for a firm to be moral.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
Cyril Dwiggins is Associate Professor and Chair of Philosophy at Dickinson College, Carlisle, Pennsylvania. He has taught at Northwestern University, Kendall College, and St. Xavier College. He has received grants from the Ford and Mellon Foundations. He has written on aesthetics and phenomenology as well as on problems in management ethics; his book Experiencing Metaphor is forthcoming from Indiana University Press.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Dwiggins, C. Sharing management: Three ethical scenarios. J Bus Ethics 5, 213–218 (1986). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00383628
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00383628