Abstract
The purpose of this study, which took place in Western Australia,was to identify situations where management practitioners and academics worked closely together to bridge the `theory-practice gap'in the field of business ethics. Four organizations, two in the accounting field, one a corporate secretaries institute and the Western Australia Police Service were asked if they would participatein a study to examine the extent to which their members made use ofethical theory in their day-to-day activities. A concomitant questionwas whether such theory had an impact on the way organizations carriedout their functions. Each organization was actively involved in teaching ethical theory to their members at an advanced level. The four organizations offered a range of teaching/learning strategies i.e. guest lectures, seminar and discussion groups, training videos and workbooks. The courses that were developed by these organisationswere equal to, and in some cases superior to, ethics courses offered in some business schools. This paper illustrates that by these innovative approaches the four organisations were taking a lead in re-defining ethical practice and teaching ethical theory in their respective organisations. The study illustrates that the programs were effective to the extent that they were instrumental in changingthe behavior and the culture of their members.
Similar content being viewed by others
REFERENCES
Andersen, A.: 1999, Ethical Concerns and Reputation Risk Management; A study of leading UK companies, London Business School, London.
Boatright, R.: 1991, 'Bridging the Gulf Between Management Practice and Ethical Theory', Review Article, Business Ethics Quarterly (October) 1(4), 449.
Boatright, R.: 2000, 'Globalisation and the Ethics of Business', Business Ethics Quarterly (January) 10(1), 1-6.
Cavanagh, G. F. D., J. Moberg and M. Velaquez: 2000, 'Making Business Ethics Practical', Business Ethics Quarterly (July) 5(3), 399–418.
Cowton, C. J.: 1999, 'Playing by the Rules: Ethical Criteria at an Ethical Investment Fund', Business Ethics: A European Review (January) 8(1), 62.
Hardy, H. and R. Hansheer (eds.): 1998, The Proper Study of Mankind: An Anthology of Essays of Isaiah Berlin, Pimlico, London.
Hoffman, W. M. and D.-M. Driscoll: 2000, 'Business Ethics in the New Millennium: Will the Patient Survive?', Business Ethics Quarterly (January) 10(1), 221–231.
Leung, P. and B. J. Cooper: 2000, Professional Ethics: A Survey of Australian Accountants, Australian Society of Practising Accountants, Melbourne.
McDonald, G.: 1999, 'Business Ethics: Practical Proposals for Organizations', Journal of Business Ethics (April) 19(2), 144.
Masden, P.: 1995, 'A Theoretical Ground for the Practice of Business Ethics', Business Ethics Quarterly (July) 5(3), 458.
Middleton, P. et al.: 1996, Ethics in Business: Facilitator's Guide, The Institute of Chartered Accountants in Australia, Sydney.
Paine, L. S.: 1996, 'Moral Thinking in Management: An Essential Capability', Business Ethics Quarterly (October) 6(4), 477–492.
Seneca (trans. R. Campbell): 1995, Letters From A Stoic Epistulae Morales ad Lucilium, Penguin Books, Harmondsworth.
Sexton, T. L.: 2000, Correspondence dated 22nd March, Australian Society of Certified Practising Accountants, Hobart.
Wood, N.: 1998, Cicero's Social and Political Thought, University of California Press, Berkley.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Small, M.W., Dickie, L. Conjoining Ethical Theory and Practice: An Australian Study of Business, Accounting, and Police Service Organizations. Teaching Business Ethics 7, 379–393 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1023/B:TEBE.0000005706.31388.26
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/B:TEBE.0000005706.31388.26