Social Responsibility and Managerial Ethics

Responsibility and Managerial Ethics
Chapter 5
Management


Stephen P. Robbins Mary Coulter

tenth edition

Outcomes Follow this Learning Outline as you read and study this

chapter.

5.1 What Is Social Responsibility?
Differentiate between social obligation, social responsiveness and social responsibility.
Discuss whether organizations should be socially involved.
Describe what conclusion can be reached regarding social involvement and economic importance.

Outcomes
5.2 Green Management.
Define green management.
Describe how organizations can go green.
Explain

how green management can be evaluated.
5.3 Managers And Ethical Behavior
Define ethics.
Discuss the factors that influence whether a person behave ethically or unethically.
Describe what managers need to know about international ethics.

Outcomes
5.4 Encouraging Ethical Behavior
Describe manager’s important role in encouraging ethical

behavior.
Discuss specific ways managers can encourage ethical behavior.
5.5 Social Responsibility And Ethics Issues In Today’s World.
Discuss how managers can manage ethical lapses and social responsibility.
Explain the role of social entrepreneurs.
Discuss how businesses can promote positive social change.

Outcomes
5.5 Social Responsibility Issues In Today’s World.
Discuss how managers and

organizations can protect employees who raise ethical issues or concerns.
Explain what role social entrepreneurs play.
Discuss how businesses can promote positive social change.

Obligation to Responsiveness to Responsibility
Social Obligation
The obligation of a business

to meet its economic and legal responsibilities and nothing more.
Social Responsiveness
When a firm engages in social actions in response to some popular social need.
Social Responsibility
A business’s intention, beyond its legal and economic obligations, to do the right things and act in ways that are good for society.

Is Social Responsibility?
The Classical View
Management’s only social responsibility is to

maximize profits (create a financial return) by operating the business in the best interests of the stockholders (owners of the corporation).
Expending the firm’s resources on doing “social good” unjustifiably increases costs that lower profits to the owners and raises prices to consumers.

Is Social Responsibility?
The Socioeconomic View
Management’s social responsibility goes beyond

making profits to include protecting and improving society’s welfare.
Corporations are not independent entities responsible only to stockholders.
Firms have a moral responsibility to larger society to become involved in social, legal, and political issues.
“To do the right thing”

5–1 Social Responsibility Versus Social Responsiveness
Source: Adapted from S.L. Wartick and

P.L. Cochran, “The Evolution of the Corporate Social Performance Model,” Academy of Management Review, October 1985, p. 766.

5–2 Arguments For and Against Social Responsibility
For
Public expectations
Long-run profits
Ethical obligation
Public

image
Better environment
Discouragement of further governmental regulation
Balance of responsibility and power
Stockholder interests
Possession of resources
Superiority of prevention over cures

Against
Violation of profit maximization
Dilution of purpose
Costs
Too much power
Lack of skills
Lack of accountability

Social Responsibility Pay?
Studies appear to show a positive relationship between

social involvement and the economic performance of firms.
Difficulties in defining and measuring “social responsibility” and “economic performance” raise issues of validity and causation in the studies.
Mutual funds using social screening in investment decisions slightly outperformed other mutual funds.
A general conclusion is that a firm’s social actions do not harm its long-term performance.

5–3 Trends in

SRI

Source: Social Investment Forum Foundation.

Greening of Management
The recognition of the close link between an

organization’s decision and activities and its impact on the natural environment.
Global environmental problems facing managers:
Air, water, and soil pollution from toxic wastes
Global warming from greenhouse gas emissions
Natural resource depletion

Organizations Go Green
Legal (or Light Green) Approach
Firms simply do what

is legally required by obeying laws, rules, and regulations willingly and without legal challenge.
Market Approach
Firms respond to the preferences of their customers for environmentally friendly products.
Stakeholder Approach
Firms work to meet the environmental demands of multiple stakeholders—employees, suppliers, and the community.
Activist Approach
Firms look for ways to respect and preserve environment and be actively socially responsible.

5–4 Green Approaches
Source: Based on R.E. Freeman. J. Pierce,

and R. Dodd. Shades of Green: Business Ethics and the Environment (New York: Oxford University Press, 1995).

the Greening of Management
Organizations become “greener” by
Using the Sustainability Reporting

Guidelines to document “green” actions.
Adopting ISO 14000 standards for environmental management.
Being named as one of the 100 Most Sustainable Corporations in the World.

Ethics

Ethics Defined
Principles, values, and beliefs that define what is right

and wrong behavior.

5–5 Factors That Determine Ethical and Unethical

Behavior

That Affect Employee Ethics
Moral Development
A measure of independence from outside

influences
Levels of Individual Moral Development
Preconventional level
Conventional level
Principled level
Stage of moral development interacts with:
Individual characteristics
The organization’s structural design
The organization’s culture
The intensity of the ethical issue

5–6 Stages of Moral Development
Source: Based on L. Kohlberg, “Moral Stages

and Moralization: The Cognitive-Development Approach,” in T. Lickona (ed.). Moral Development and Behavior: Theory, Research, and Social Issues (New York: Holt, Rinehart & Winston, 1976), pp. 34–35.

That Affect Employee Ethics
Moral Development
Research Conclusions:
People proceed through the stages

of moral development sequentially.
There is no guarantee of continued moral development.
Most adults are in Stage 4 (“good corporate citizen”).

That Affect Employee Ethics
Individual Characteristics
Values
Basic convictions about what is right

or wrong.
Personality
Ego strength - A personality measure of the strength of a person’s convictions
Locus of Control
A personality attribute that measures the degree to which people believe they control their own life.
Internal locus: the belief that you control your destiny.
External locus: the belief that what happens to you is due to luck or chance.

That Affect Employee Ethics
Structural Variables
Organizational characteristics and mechanisms that guide

and influence individual ethics:
Performance appraisal systems
Reward allocation systems
Behaviors (ethical) of managers

That Affect Employee Ethics
Organization’s Culture
Values-Based Management
An approach to managing in

which managers establish and uphold an organization’s shared values.
The Purposes of Shared Values
Guiding managerial decisions
Shaping employee behavior
Influencing the direction of marketing efforts
Building team spirit
The Bottom Line on Shared Corporate Values
An organization’s values are reflected in the decisions and actions of its employees.
Intensity of the Ethical Issue

5–7 Determinants of Issue Intensity

in an International Context
Ethical standards are not universal.
Social and cultural

differences determine acceptable behaviors.
Foreign Corrupt Practices Act
Makes it illegal to corrupt a foreign official, yet “token” payments to officials are permissible when doing so is an accepted practice in that country.
The Global Compact

5–8 Ten Principles of the United Nations
Human Rights
Principle 1: Support

and respect the protection of international human rights within their sphere of influence.
Principle 2: Make sure business corporations are not complicit in human rights abuses.

Labor Standards
Principle 3: Freedom of association and the effective recognition of the right to collective bargaining.
Principle 4: The elimination of all forms of forced and compulsory labor.
Principle 5: The effective abolition of child labor.
Principle 6: The elimination of discrimination in respect of employment and occupation.

Environment
Principle 7: Support a precautionary approach to environmental challenges.
Principle 8: Undertake initiatives to promote greater environmental responsibility.
Principle 9: Encourage the development and diffusion of environmentally friendly technologies.
Principle 10: Businesses should work against corruption in all its forms, including extortion
and bribery.

Source: Courtesy of Global Compact.

Managers Can Improve Ethical Behavior in An Organization
Hire individuals with

high ethical standards.
Establish codes of ethics and decision rules.
Lead by example.
Set realistic job goals and include ethics in performance appraisals.
Provide ethics training.
Conduct independent social audits.
Provide support for individuals facing ethical dilemmas.

5–9 Codes of Ethics
Cluster 1. Be a Dependable Organizational Citizen
1.

Comply with safety, health, and security regulations.
2. Demonstrate courtesy, respect, honesty, and fairness.
3. Illegal drugs and alcohol at work are prohibited.
4. Manage personal finances well.
5. Exhibit good attendance and punctuality.
6. Follow directives of supervisors.
7. Do not use abusive language.
8. Dress in business attire.
9. Firearms at work are prohibited.

Cluster 2. Do Not Do Anything Unlawful or Improper That Will Harm the Organization
1. Conduct business in compliance with all laws.
2. Payments for unlawful purposes are prohibited.
3. Bribes are prohibited.
4. Avoid outside activities that impair duties.
5. Maintain confidentiality of records.
6. Comply with all antitrust and trade regulations.
7. Comply with all accounting rules and controls.
8. Do not use company property for personal benefit.
9. Employees are personally accountable for company funds.
10. Do not propagate false or misleading information.
11. Make decisions without regard for personal gain.

Cluster 3. Be Good to Customers
1. Convey true claims in product advertisements.
2. Perform assigned duties to the best of your ability.
3. Provide products and services of the highest quality.

Source: F. R. David, “An Empirical Study of Codes of Business Ethics: A Strategic Perspective,” paper presented at the 48th Annual Academy of Management Conference, Anaheim, California, August 1988.

Use of a Code of Ethics
Develop a code of ethics

as a guide in handling ethical dilemmas in decision making.
Communicate the code regularly to all employees.
Have all levels of management continually reaffirm the importance of the ethics code and the organization’s commitment to the code.
Publicly reprimand and consistently discipline those who break the code.

5–10 Twelve Questions Approach
Have you defined the problem accurately?
How

would you define the problem if you stood on the other side of the fence?
How did this situation occur in the first place?
To whom and to what do you give your loyalty as a person and as a member of the corporation?
What is your intention in making this decision?
How does this intention compare with the probable results?
Whom could your decision or action injure?
Can you discuss the problem with the affected parties before you make the decision?
Are you confident that your position will be as valid over a long period of time as it seems now?
Could you disclose without qualm your decision or action to your boss, your chief executive officer, the board of directors, your family, society as a whole?
What is the symbolic potential of your action if understood? If misunderstood?
Under what conditions would you allow exceptions to your stand?

Source: Reprinted by permission of Harvard Business Review. An exhibit from “Ethics Without the Sermon,” by L. L. Nash. November–December 1981, p. 81. Copyright © 1981 by the President and Fellows of Harvard College. All rights reserved.

Value of Ethics Training
Can make a difference in ethical behaviors.
Increases

employee awareness of ethical issues in business decisions.
Clarifies and reinforces the organization’s standards of conduct.
Helps employees become more confident that they will have the organization’s support when taking unpopular but ethically correct stances.

5–11 Being an Ethical Leader
Be a good role model by

being ethical and honest.
° Tell the truth always.
° Don’t hide or manipulate information
° Be willing to admit your failures.
Share your personal values by regularly communicating them to employees.
Stress the organization’s or team’s important shared values.
Use the reward system to hold everyone accountable to the values.

Ethical Lapses and Social Irresponsibility

Provide ethical leadership
Protect employees who raise

ethical issues (whistle-blowers)

of Social Issues
Social Entrepreneurs
Are individuals or organizations who seek out

opportunities to improve society by using practical, innovative, and sustainable approaches.
Want to make the world a better place and have a driving passion to make that happen.

Promoting Positive Social Change
Corporate Philanthropy
Campaigns
Donations
Funding own foundations
Employee Volunteering Efforts
Team volunteering
Individual

volunteering during work hours

to Know
classical view
socioeconomic view
social obligation
social responsiveness
social responsibility
social screening
greening of management
values-based

management

ethics
values
ego strength
locus of control
code of ethics
whistle-blower
social entrepreneur

rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced,

stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the publisher. Printed in the United States of America.