Ethics and the organisation
Whether or not a person chooses to behave in an ethical or unethical manner can, without a doubt, affect an entire organisation. The choices an individual makes regarding their own moral code can lead to both positive and negative outcomes for the organisation as a whole. When confronting a moral decision, a member of an organisation must consider the possible short term and long term effects of any decision that he or she makes. Although the ethics displayed by an individual can affect the behaviour seen in an organisation, the business ethics of the organisation itself also play a role in determining the types of behaviour that will be seen. ... Managers who accept the classical view believe that the organisation’s only responsibility is to maximise the shareholders return at any cost to society and the environment. ... This approach, called the socioeconomic view, is more concerned with the social responsibility that the organisation has to both the environment and the society in which the organisation exists. ... The case of Manville Corporation is a good example of how adopting the classical view can be an advantage to the organisation in the short term, but create massive problems in the long run. ... It was this corporate pressure that made the senior Morton-Thiokol officials forget their professionalism and ethics, and not recommend to NASA that the launch be delayed. ... It would have cost much more than $2 million if the building had of collapsed, many innocent lives would have been lost and there would have been a devastating effect for the organisation that constructed the building. ... The unethical path resulted in very dire consequences that included loss of life, while the ethical decision resulted in damage minimisation with regards to both, the amount of money the organisation had to pay, and the loss of human life. ... McDaniel, Schoeps and Lincourt (2001), conducted a survey in an effort to identify the differences in ethics that may be apparent between males and females. ... The respondents to the survey all worked for the same organisation, and varied in terms of age and level of education, this variation is necessary in order to achieve results that are as accurate as possible. ... This raises the question of whether or not this feeling could be brought about by the two genders generally have a different opinion on whether ethical issues such as sexism are prevalent in the organisation.