Human Nature and Organization Theory

2008

J Bus Ethics

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The paper reconstructs in economic terms managerial business ethics perceptions in the Japanese consumer market for fast moving, daily consumption products. An economic, three-level model of moral agency was applied that distinguishes unintentional moral agency, passive intentional moral agency, and active intentional moral agency. The study took a qualitative approach and utilized as empirical research design an interview procedure. The study found that moral agency of Japanese firms mostly extended up to unintentional and intentional passive moral agency. Certain myopic managerial views were found to affect active moral agency.This leaves room for business ethics programs that aim at the development of active moral agency. KEYWORDSEconomics & moral agency / consumer ethics; three types of moral agency; Japanese consumer industry; managerial perceptions on business ethics; qualitative empirical research.

Section: Passive Intentional Moral Agencymentioning

confidence: 99%

Consumer Ethics in Japan: An Economic Reconstruction of Moral Agency of Japanese Firms – Qualitative Insights from Grocery/Retail Markets

2008

J Bus Ethics

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“…For instance, the Quaker managers seemed to rather negatively interpret self-interested choice in an empirical, behavioural way. In this respect, behavioural ethics researchers and practitioners may benefit from learning about the methodical nature of certain concepts in economic research (Wagner-Tsukamoto, 2003). This also implies a rather different approach to teaching business ethics and to engaging in business ethics consultancy than a behavioural one, which focused on the re-moralization of managerial behaviour.…”

Section: Concluding Discussion: An Institutional Economic Platform Fomentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Finally, on a methodological issue, which could not be further examined in this paper (For details, see Wagner-Tsukamoto, 2003), an argumentation by behavioural ethics against economic ideas like 'economic man' and 'interest conflicts' may have to be discounted as a misunderstanding of the methodical nature of these ideas in economic research (as of equivalent ideas in behavioural research). If this is considered, a morally favourable image of human nature and of social life can be identified for economics, reflecting ideals such as public good and social justice; 'invisible', non-interfering, democratic rulers over social interactions; self-organizing social exchange (in which morality can emerge intentionally or unintentionally); the motivational and cognitive autonomy of the individual; tolerance of value pluralism; and the growth of knowledge and enlightenment.…”

Section: Concluding Discussion: An Institutional Economic Platform Fomentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In relation to this different and more complex understanding of morality as compared with behavioural ethics, economics differently conceptualises institutions that enact morality in social behaviour: Incentive structures reflect economics' understanding of institutions, as outlined by the New Institutional Economics (Coase, 1984(Coase, , 1992Heyne, 1999;Homann 1997Homann , 1999Homann and Suchanek, 2000;Luetge, 2005;North, 1993aNorth, , 1993bWagner-Tsukamoto, 2003, 2007aWilliamson, 1975Williamson, , 1985. Moral problems are examined as a nonbehavioural, situational condition of defective incentive structures.…”

Section: An Alternative Program: An Economic Conceptualisation Of Mormentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Self-interested behaviour, which behavioural ethics might reject on behavioural grounds of 'pluralism', 'uncooperative predispositions' and 'benefiting at the expense of others', is here installed in the very 'rules of the game.' Also, interest conflict -a dilemma structure, in a methodological sense (Wagner-Tsukamoto, 2003) -is actively enacted. On these grounds, morality, understood in economics terms as the ideal (Child, 1964, p. 297;similarly, Kirby, 1984, p. 117, 126) -although the underlying factors were not understood at the time.…”

Section: Insert Figure 2 About Herementioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Contrasting the Behavioural Business Ethics Approach and the Institutional Economic Approach to Business Ethics: Insights from the Study of Quaker Employers

Order Ethics: An Ethical Framework for the Social Market Economy

2016

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The paper suggests that in a modern context, where value pluralism is a prevailing and possibly even ethically desirable interaction condition, institutional economics provides a more viable business ethics than behavioural business ethics, such as Kantiansim or religious ethics. The paper explains how the institutional economic approach to business ethics analyses morality with regard to an interaction process, and favours non-behavioural, situational intervention with incentive structures and with capital exchange. The paper argues that this approach may have to be prioritised over behavioural business ethics which tends to analyse morality at the level of the individual and which favours behavioural intervention with the individual's value, norm and belief system, e.g. through ethical pedagogy, communicative techniques, etc. Quaker ethics is taken as an example of behavioural ethics.The paper concludes that through the conceptual grounding of behavioural ethics in the economic approach, theoretical and practical limitations of behavioural ethics as encountered in a modern context can be relaxed. Probably only then can behavioural ethics still contribute to raising moral standards in interactions amongst the members (stakeholders) of a single firm, and equally, amongst (the stakeholders of) different firms.

Scientific Management

The Blackwell Encyclopedia of Sociology

2018

Scientific management (Taylorism) originated in the United States at the end of the nineteenth century. Its emergence is closely linked to the management studies, engineering innovations, and business consultancy work of Frederick W. Taylor (1856–1915). On the one hand its contemporary relevance for organization sociology, sociopsychological studies of work, and organizational economics rests with its historic significance. Many regard Taylor as the founding father of management studies and scientific management as the first modern theory of management and organization. On the other hand, scientific management remains an integral part of contemporary concepts on how to organize in industrial settings. Scientific management sets out, in various respects, conceptual roots of contemporary organization theory. This is not to say that Taylor did not fall for certain misunderstandings when he proposed scientific management: His description of workers as “born lazy” but managers as morally high‐minded was found insulting by many.