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Abstract
IS professionals have been reported to have one of the highest turnover rates. They have also often been accused of unethical conduct, specifically, pirating software, hacking, giving professional opinion that exceeds their knowledge, and not protecting people''s privacy. In a sample of 71 IS professionals and 250 members of other professions we found that IS professionals were more committed to their organizations than the other professionals, and that IS professionals were, indeed, less ethical with respect to software piracy and hacking. However, we found that they were not less ethical regarding professional opinions that exceed one''s knowledge and protecting people''s privacy.
... Leaving aside the moral decision-making perspective on copying information goods for personal use, other researchers have attempted to find a more specific connection between motives, norms and copying activity. They found that: (1) there were significant differences in software copying practices depending on gender, age, religious orientation, knowledge of copyright, availability of original software and personal benefits (Simpson, Banerjee, and Simpson 1994;Sims, Cheng, and Teegen 1996;Taylor and Shim 1993;Oz 2001;Wagner and Sanders 2001); (2) copying software was considered to be neither illegal nor unethical (Moore and McMullan 2004;Cohen and Cornwell 1989;Solomon and O'Brian 1990) but there were cultural differences in moral arguments (Swinyard, Rinne, and Kau 1990); (3) individual and peer beliefs regarding copying software -based on social justifications, paradigms and special circumstances -were related to intentions to copy software (Al-Jabri and Abdul-Gader 1997); and (4) the intention to copy was related to the perceived equity or fairness of relationships or exchanges with others -that is, to the perceived ratio of what was received in relation to what was brought to the exchange (Glass and Wood 1996). ...
... Most samples were compiled in a single country among professionally homogenous groups; thus, for example, research has been conducted among undergraduate and graduate students in the USA (Cohen and Cornwell 1989;Coyle et al., forthcoming;Consumption Markets & Culture 247 Glass and Wood 1996;Simpson, Banerjee, and Simpson 1994;Logsdon, Thompson, and Reid 1994;Peace 1997;Wagner and Sanders 2001), among students in China (Lee, Eining, and Long 1994;Xiaohe 2006), in Singapore (Thong and Yap 1998;Swinyard, Rinne, and Kau 1990), in Saudi Arabia (Al-Jabri and Abdul-Gader 1997), and among business executives and university teachers (Taylor and Shim 1993;Oz 2001). The lack of contextual variety makes it impossible to determine whether there were cultural differences in ethical behaviors, motives and fairness in the exchange between firms and individuals. ...
... Although previous research has shown a connection between software copying, on the one hand, and, on the other hand, moral values (Logsdon, Thompson, and Reid 1994), demographics and social norms (Moore and McMullan 2004;Simpson, Banerjee, andSimpson 1994, 1996;Al-Jabri and Abdul-Gader 1997), knowledge of computers (Taylor and Shim 1993;Oz 2001;Wagner and Sanders 2001) and personal benefits (Swinyard, Rinne, and Kau 1990;Glass and Wood 1996), we have focused on investigating the social and economic reasons that make it ethical -in consumers' minds -to consume music obtained by alternative means. In the field of research into music consumption to date, only the economic factor has been investigated as a key (Bishop 2002;Condry 2004;Easley 2005). ...
Previous research into the ethics of accessing information goods using alternative means (the informal economy or social exchanges) has failed to study the moral arguments used by music consumers to justify their behaviour or explain actions they considered to be (un)ethical. To fill this gap, we conducted a study from the perspective of music consumers in which we grounded a theory that would explain and predict individual arguments and behaviour. Our findings suggest that the morality of accessing culture depends on the social, economic and cultural context in which an individual has been raised. Interestingly, this contextual aspect interacts with economic and cultural resources, affecting the moral arguments used to justify behaviour. Lastly, we describe a model that explains variations in the contextual theory in regard to accessing music and that predicts consumer behaviour in other countries that can be classified in either of the two contexts delineated in our research.
... Abuses of executive power and illegal activities such as manipulation of accounting records resulted in criminal indictments and convictions of top ranking executives as well as increased mistrust of executives by employees (Jacobe, 2002;Jickling & Janov, 2004;Thompson, 2004). Growing concern was raised regarding ethical issues related to the increased availability and subsequent use or abuse of information technology in the workplace (Oz, 2001;Stone & Henry, 2003). Information technology continues to improve rapidly and is increasingly becoming more ubiquitous in the workplace, resulting in more opportunities for unethical use by employees. ...
... There are basically two approaches to measurement used in ethical studies (Oz, 2001). One approach is to describe scenarios in which a situation containing an ethical dilemma may or may not be perceived is presented. ...
... Employees are often more sensitive to and familiar with ethical decisions within their more intimate workgroup than in the larger organization in general. If people tend to say that certain behaviors are right or wrong, they will tend to behave accordingly (Oz, 2001). A number of studies have used the statement approach to develop scales to measure ethical beliefs (Daniel, Elliott-Howard, & DuFrene, 1997;Froelich & Kottke, 1991;Jones, 1990;Mudrack, 1993;Mudrack & Mason, 1996;Muncy & Vitell, 1992;Vitell, Lumpkin, & Rawwas, 1991) as has the Ethics Resource Center's National Business Ethics Survey (2003,2007,2013). ...
Changes in workplace ethics have occurred following the financial collapse of large U.S. firms beginning late in the year 2000 that also resulted in criminal indictments of corporate executives of these firms for unethical and illegal practices. Some changes in workplace ethics were mandated while others were voluntary. Building on the value congruence approach, a model is developed to assess the shifts in the congruence between individuals' ethical beliefs and observed workplace misconduct. Results indicate significant shifts in strengths of individual ethical beliefs as well as in observations of ethical misconduct in the workplace. Despite the general reaction to the financial collapses, perceived incongruence between personal ethical beliefs and observed workplace misconduct is actually found to have increased with respect to certain workplace behaviors, providing increased potential for conflict.
... Leaving aside the moral decision-making perspective on copying information goods for personal use, other researchers have attempted to find a more specific connection between motives, norms and copying activity. They found that: (1) there were significant differences in software copying practices depending on gender, age, religious orientation, knowledge of copyright, availability of original software and personal benefits (Simpson, Banerjee, and Simpson 1994;Sims, Cheng, and Teegen 1996;Taylor and Shim 1993;Oz 2001;Wagner and Sanders 2001); (2) copying software was considered to be neither illegal nor unethical (Moore and McMullan 2004;Cohen and Cornwell 1989;Solomon and O'Brian 1990) but there were cultural differences in moral arguments (Swinyard, Rinne, and Kau 1990); (3) individual and peer beliefs regarding copying software -based on social justifications, paradigms and special circumstances -were related to intentions to copy software (Al-Jabri and Abdul-Gader 1997); and (4) the intention to copy was related to the perceived equity or fairness of relationships or exchanges with others -that is, to the perceived ratio of what was received in relation to what was brought to the exchange (Glass and Wood 1996). ...
... Most samples were compiled in a single country among professionally homogenous groups; thus, for example, research has been conducted among undergraduate and graduate students in the USA (Cohen and Cornwell 1989;Coyle et al., forthcoming;Glass and Wood 1996;Simpson, Banerjee, and Simpson 1994;Logsdon, Thompson, and Reid 1994;Peace 1997;Wagner and Sanders 2001), among students in China (Lee, Eining, and Long 1994;Xiaohe 2006), in Singapore (Thong and Yap 1998;Swinyard, Rinne, and Kau 1990), in Saudi Arabia (Al-Jabri and Abdul-Gader 1997), and among business executives and university teachers (Taylor and Shim 1993;Oz 2001). The lack of contextual variety makes it impossible to determine whether there were cultural differences in ethical behaviors, motives and fairness in the exchange between firms and individuals. ...
... Although previous research has shown a connection between software copying, on the one hand, and, on the other hand, moral values (Logsdon, Thompson, and Reid 1994), demographics and social norms (Moore and McMullan 2004;Simpson, Banerjee, andSimpson 1994, 1996;Al-Jabri and Abdul-Gader 1997), knowledge of computers (Taylor and Shim 1993;Oz 2001;Wagner and Sanders 2001) and personal benefits (Swinyard, Rinne, and Kau 1990;Glass and Wood 1996), we have focused on investigating the social and economic reasons that make it ethical -in consumers' minds -to consume music obtained by alternative means. In the field of research into music consumption to date, only the economic factor has been investigated as a key motivation (Bishop 2002;Condry 2004;Easley 2005). ...
Previous research into the ethics of accessing information goods using alternative means (the informal economy or social exchanges) has failed to study the moral arguments used by music consumers to justify their behavior or explain actions they considered to be (un)ethical. To fill this gap, we conducted a study from the perspective of music consumers in which we grounded a theory that would explain and predict individual arguments and behavior. Our findings suggest that the morality of accessing culture depends on the social, economic and cultural context in which an individual has been raised. Interestingly, this contextual aspect interacts with economic and cultural resources, affecting the moral arguments used to justify behavior. Lastly, we describe a model that explains variations in the contextual theory in regard to accessing music and that predicts consumer behavior in other countries that can be classified in either of the two contexts delineated in our research.
... The notion that a leader's deception affects one's perception of an entire organization has substantial consequences for leaders who engage in unethical or deceptive behaviors. Because leaders are often the visible faces of their organizations, followers often look to them for cues regarding organizational values, norms, and culture (Carson, 2003;Hinrichs, 2007;Oz, 2001). Employees who are more highly committed to their organizations (a) believe in and accept the organizational goals and values, (b) exert effort willingly on behalf of the organization, and (c) desire to maintain their membership within the organization (Mowday et al., 1979). ...
... Employees who are more highly committed to their organizations (a) believe in and accept the organizational goals and values, (b) exert effort willingly on behalf of the organization, and (c) desire to maintain their membership within the organization (Mowday et al., 1979). These individuals are also more likely to engage in unethical behaviors that adhere to the organizational culture (Oz, 2001). Although some evidence suggests that individuals already highly committed to an organization are less likely to engage in unethical behavior (Cullinan, Bline, Farrar, & Lowe, 2008), leaders who are deceptive, but who do so either for actual organizational gain, or package their deception as such, may be fostering deception in their followers (Hinrichs, 2007). ...
... Leaders are more likely to get away with deception as long as followers view it as for social good. This is rather disconcerting in light of Oz's (2001) findings that employees high in organizational commitment were more likely to engage in unethical behaviors, particularly unethical behaviors that adhered to the organizational culture. ...
Deception is a common and daily occurrence in organizations. Despite this, little is known about how leader deception influences follower perceptions and commitment to the leader and the broader organization. This laboratory experiment uses a low-fidelity simulation task to investigate the effects of leader deception on follower perceptions of leader–member exchange (LMX) and follower commitment to the organization. Moderating effects of financial outcomes that resulted from deception, or who gained from deception, were also tested. Results showed negative effects of leader deception on follower LMX perceptions and affective commitment. Leader financial gain worsened the effects of leader deception on LMX compared with organizational financial gain. Implications of these findings are discussed.
... Future research could also include the contributions to IR of other organisational functions, such as legal, marketing, economics and financial management. The information technology (IT) profession is increasingly realising the importance of promoting ethical behaviour (Oz 2001). Examples of unethical behaviour include fraud, misappropriation of company funds, breaches of confidentiality, falsification of records, unauthorised access to information, destruction or theft of information, violations of privacy and software piracy (Schwartz 2001;Phukan 1994;Oz 2001). ...
... The information technology (IT) profession is increasingly realising the importance of promoting ethical behaviour (Oz 2001). Examples of unethical behaviour include fraud, misappropriation of company funds, breaches of confidentiality, falsification of records, unauthorised access to information, destruction or theft of information, violations of privacy and software piracy (Schwartz 2001;Phukan 1994;Oz 2001). Ethical dilemmas may emerge during an IT employee's dealings with customers, competitors, suppliers, organisational peers, supervisors and subordinates or when working with information. ...
... However, according to the Theory of Reasoned Action (Ajzen & Fishbein 1980), intentions to behave in a certain manner are considered acceptable surrogate measures for actual behaviour. Other studies, for example Oz (2001), support this thinking. ...
In today's competitive and challenging South African organisational environment, investor relations (IR) is delegated to either the accounting or the corporate communication (Public Relations) department. Do accountants have the necessary communication skills, however? Conversely, few communication practitioners have a working knowledge of accounting. This indicates a definite gap in the market place for IR practitioners with an academic background in both these fields. The main objectives of this study were to understand the theoretical definitions of public relations (PR), financial communication, accounting and IR; to determine the perceptions of accounting and communication students regarding whose responsibility IR is; and to determine these students' opinions as to whether IR practitioners should have both accounting and communication knowledge. The study was a quantitative, formal, descriptive study conducted under field conditions. A self-administered questionnaire was distributed among accounting sciences and communication management students to determine the differences in their opinions regarding whose responsibility IR should be and what knowledge and skills an IR practitioner should have. Using a k-sample chi-square test, it was determined that there was a significant difference in the perceptions of students regarding whose responsibility IR is. A one-way ANOVA test indicated that students' opinions do not differ significantly on the need for IR practitioners to have knowledge of both Accounting Sciences and Communication Management.
... It should be stressed that the Forte research (2004), concluded that there is a statistically significant correlation between levels of management and the organization's ethical climate. The industry is thought to have an impact on individual ethical behaviour (Oz, 2001). People who work in a place where dangerous products are produced, for example narcotics, may be more sensitive to ethical issues, compared to people who work for companies that produce safe products like furniture. ...
... The industry where the company operates, represents the factor with the greatest impact on the ethical decision making process. Oz (2001) claims that the industry has a significant impact on the ethical behaviour of accountants. According to him, individuals who work in places where dangerous products are produced, for example drugs, are more sensitive to Ethical issues than individuals who work for companies that produce safe products, such as furniture. ...
The role of professional accountant is increasing in developed countries, part of which is also Albania. According to recent studies, accountants’ ethics behaviour is not appropriate even though it is one of the most essential attributes that an accountant should possess in order to fulfil its mission. Various scholars admitted that during the process of decision making, accountants are influenced by individual and organizational factors. This paper aims to analyse the impact of organizational factors in ethical decision making of Albanian accountants. The article is based on primary data using a questionnaire and generating 230 respondent accountants that work in Albania. After data analysing we conclude that the code of ethics (the companies ethical climate and the type of industry where the accountant works) influences the decision making process. Meanwhile, the size of company is not an influential factor.
... These findings are consistent with those of previous researchers who found that the correlation between EC and OC was positive and significant (Hunt et al., 1989;Kelley & Dorsch, 1991;Verbeke et al., 1996;Trevino et al., 1998;Singhapakdi et al., 1999;Babin et al., 2000;Schwepker, 2001;Oz, 2001;Valentine et al., 2002;Cullen et al., 2003;Vitell & Hidalgo, 2006;Tsui & Huang, 2008;Shafer, 2009;Zehir et al., 2011;Purhanudin et al., 2012). ...
... The results are consistent with research conducted by;Verbeke et al., (1996);Trevino et al., (1998);Singhapakdi et al., (1999).The findings reveal that EC is positively related to OC. The results are consistent with research conducted byBabin, et al., (2000);Schwepker, (2001);Oz, (2001);Valentine et al., (2002);Cullen et al., (2003);Vitell & Hidalgo, (2006).Our findings support the view that EC has highly significant effects on OC. The results are consistent with research conducted byOkpara et al., (2008);Tsui & Huang, (2008);Shafer, (2009);Zehir et al., (2011);Purhanudin et al., (2012). ...
Background: Ethical Climate (EC) has emerged as one of the major approaches to the description of the ethical characteristics of workplace environments.
Purpose: The purpose of this study is to examine the influence of EC on Job Satisfaction (JS) and Organizational Commitment (OC) of nurses at Teaching Hospitals in Egypt.
Research Design/Methodology: Using Victor and Cullen's (1988) typology of EC and JA, the study develops a number of hypotheses and tests them on a sample of 340 nurses from Teaching Hospitals in Egypt. Statistically usable questionnaires amounted to 295 as multiple follow-ups are produced. Multiple Regression Analysis (MRA) was used to confirm the research hypotheses.
Findings: EC significantly and positively influenced JS and OC. Overall, respondents reported high OC and this contributes to fostering JS and reducing turnover intention.
Practical implications: The study suggests that a hospital can improve JS and OC by influencing its EC, specifically, by developing the caring, law and code, rule, instrumentality, and independence climate.
Originality/value: The study observes that there is a critical shortage of nurses in Egypt and that a greater understanding of the factors that influence nurses' turnover, including JS, is of great importance. Therefore, this study is to examine the relationship between EC and JA among nurses in Egypt.
... Available studies had generally focused on student and academic populations (see for example Ang & Lo, 1998;Im & Koen, 1990;Kini et al., 2004;Rahim, Seyal, & Rahaman, 1999Solomon & O'Brien, 1990). Further observations show that it is also clear that there is very limited study of software piracy among IT professionals in various organizations (see for example Banerjee, 1992;Gupta et al., 2004;Oz, 2001). Despite the huge resources that society spends on the work of IT professionals, the research conducted on the ethical behavior of these practitioners (Oz, 2001) is quite limited. ...
... Further observations show that it is also clear that there is very limited study of software piracy among IT professionals in various organizations (see for example Banerjee, 1992;Gupta et al., 2004;Oz, 2001). Despite the huge resources that society spends on the work of IT professionals, the research conducted on the ethical behavior of these practitioners (Oz, 2001) is quite limited. As such, software piracy among IT professionals and managers in organizations of different sectors still remains unexplored. ...
This paper reviews and discusses software piracy issues from a global perspective. It also reports the findings of a survey concerning the impact of demographic factors on software piracy among IT professionals in Turkey. Although the impact of these factors on software piracy has long been attracting the interest of academics, no quantitative research has ever been realized in this field in the country. Elsewhere also, most of the software piracy-related studies are limited to students and academics and very few have reported findings related to IT professionals in different organizations. The survey was conducted among IT professionals from government and private sector organizations. Based on this survey, the results indicated that gender, age and experience have significant impact on software piracy. The implications of these findings are discussed and compared with other related studies.
... Caluzzo and Cante (2004) examined ethics in information technology. Other significant studies have been performed by Leonard, Cronan, and Kreie (2004), Limayem and Khalifa (2004), Lin and Ding (2003), Loch and Conger (1998), Oz (2001), Peterson (2002), Winter, Stylianou, and Giacalone (2004), Ellis and Griffith (2001), Mason (1986), Smith (2002), and Malone (1993). Yet despite significant research there remain many unanswered issues. ...
... The survey statements were prepared after reviewing many prior studies including Oz (2001), Calluzzo and Cante (2004), Peace, Weber, Hartzel, and Nightingale (2002), and Winter, Stylianou, and Giacalone (2004). Loch, Conger, and Oz (1998) used the concept of recognition of an ethical issue in their study of information technology ethics. ...
There are many current information technology positions that are generally regarded as unethical. This study finds that there are mixed results in the ethical judgments of today's students in addressing these common information technology issues. For all students surveyed, not all unethical information technology statements are opposed. The survey examines differences between information technology students and general education students and finds that overall information technology students do not judge unethical issues differently from general students. Components of moral intensity influencing moral judgments are also studied and complex decision influences are found in many cases. The most important component is found to be consequences of actions. Based on this limited study, information technology ethics needs to be a greater part of the curriculum and needs to address the complex ethical decision making process. Limitations, implications, recommendations, and further study are reviewed.
... Örgütsel etik konusunda yapılan araştırmalara bakıldığında öncelikle etiğin kurumsallaşması üzerine (Weber, 1981;Gellerman, 1989;Stead, Worrell ve Stead, 1990;Sims, 1991;Jose ve Thibodeaux, 1999;Küçükoğlu, 2012; Arslan ve Bektaş, 2020) çalışmalara rastlanmaktadır. Örgütsel etik ile örgütsel bağlılık üzerine yapılan çalışmalar (Fritz, Arnett ve Conkel, 1999;Oz, 2001;Cullen, Parboteeah ve Victor, 2003;Akbaş, 2010 ...
Amaç –Bu araştırmanın amacı örgütsel etik iklimin çalışanların psikolojik sahiplenme duygusuna olan etkisini incelemektir.Yöntem –Nicel araştırma desenlerinden ilişkisel ve nedensel tarama modelinin kullanıldığı araştırmada veriler 301 akademisyenden oluşan bir örneklem grubundan elde edilmiştir. Anket tekniği ile elde edilen veriler SPSS programında analiz edilmiştir.Bulgular –Araştırma bulguları; örgütsel etik iklimin, akademisyenlerin psikolojik sahiplenme düzeylerini pozitif ve olumlu yönde etkilediğini göstermektedir.Tartışma –21. yüzyıl iş dünyasının rekabet koşulları altında örgütler için bir takım etik değerlerin benimsenmesi ve uygulanması oldukça önem kazanmıştır. Örgütler, değerleri ile bütünleşen faaliyetleri ile rakiplerinden farklılaşmaktadır. Bu değerlerin toplum tarafından da kabul görmesi örgütlerin itibarlarına olumlu katkılar yapmaktadır. Örgütsel etik kavramı toplumsal güven oluşturan her türlü olumlu değeri bir araya toplamaktadır. Bu değerlerin çalışanlar tarafından algılanması ve benimsenmesi onların çalıştıkları örgütü psikolojik olarak sahiplenmeleri ile yakından ilişkilidir. Psikolojik olarak sahiplenilen bir örgütte çalışanların motivasyonları artacak ve verimlilik sağlanacaktır.
... Ethical climate and ethical ideology increases affective commitment within Indonesian higher education institutions and these dedicated employees lead to higher motivation, high performance and lower turnover (Putranta & Kingshott, 2001). In the area of marketing research shows positive link between corporate ethical climate and organizational commitment (Hunt, Wood & Chonko, 1989).The research in IT industry shows that shortage of IT professional is due to high turnover of employees in the industry and this turnover is due to low organizational commitment and this low organizational commitment is due to unethical organizational climate (Oz, 2001). ...
Authentic leadership plays a vital role in effective performance of an organization. Scholarship has revealed a relationship between the prodigy of authentic leadership and affective comment. But the mechanism through which authentic leaders" influence the affective commitment of employees has not been analyzed yet. Our paper addresses this gap in the literature. The aim of the current study is to explore the way authentic leader promotes an ethical work climate that emotionally glues the followers to their organization in a collectivistic culture like Pakistan. The theoretical framework of this study was devised on the logic of Bandura"s famous social cognitive theory. Qualitative research methodology was employed and survey was conducted in the two provinces of Pakistan: Punjab and KPK. The results mainly reveal two main conclusions: first, authentic leaders help in creating an ethical work climate characterized by collective moral judgment; and second, ethical work climate enhances the affective commitment among followers. This study will be helpful for managers in realizing the need for investing in authentic and ethical practices to retain workers and promote organizational performance. .
... From an ethical perspective, it would also be interesting to examine how well the assurance process works with regard to assessing the ethical performance of the companies audited. Due to the complexity of measuring and observing ethical behavior (Oz 2001), this provides a particular challenge. Overall, there are manifold opportunities for research on sustainability assurance, as it still is a rather unexplored field. ...
Research on sustainability assurance is still in its beginnings. One of the key questions in this field that also is of the highest practical relevance is concerned with the quality of the assurance process. However, a common understanding of assurance quality and how it should be measured is still missing. We try to close this gap by building on the financial audit literature. We introduce a definition of assurance quality that comprises two key aspects: the depth of the assurance process and the breadth of the assurance statement. Based on prior research, we hypothesize that a firm’s sustainability performance is related to the depth of the assurance process, while the type of the assurance provider, more precisely the affiliation to the accounting profession, is related to the breadth of the assurance statement. Results for a sample of 122 European firms reveal a negative relationship between sustainability performance and assurance process depth as well as between the affiliation to the accounting profession and assurance statement breadth. Thus, we find evidence that poor sustainability performers ask for in-depth assurance services, most likely as a means to enhance their internal sustainability-related processes and systems. Assurance providers that do not belong to the accounting profession in turn are associated with broader assurance statements.
... Furthermore, highly committed employees tend to behave more ethically (as defined by compliance with corporate codes of ethics, Valentine & Barnett, 2003) as well and are more willing to participate in ethical practices and/or corporate social responsibility efforts (cf. Collier & Esteban, 2007;Oz, 2001). Thus, understanding how employees become committed to their organization, and the nature of that commitment, are important issues for scholars interested in understanding leadership and ethics processes in organizations. ...
Researchers such as Klein et al. (2009) have recently argued that the organizational commitment
literature is characterized by construct proliferation that has resulted in “confusion and ambiguity”
about its nature and consequences. This research note addresses one such case-that of the “few
alternatives” dimension of continuance commitment as described recently by Johnson, Chang, and Yang(2010). It is argued that this construct is not a form of organizational commitment and should not be treated as such by scholars seeking to understand the causes of continuance commitment and its impact on ethical, leadership, and citizenship outcomes of importance to work organizations.
... The extant literature provides much support for this assertion, although primarily through exploratory research. The first study to suggest the link between organizational commitment and positive behaviors (e.g., ethical behaviors) in IS employees was in [72], but it offered little theoretical explanation for this link. Another study [94] went further and showed a positive relationship between organizational commitment and protective security behaviors in organizations. ...
Insiders may act to sustain and improve organizational information security, yet our knowledge of what motivates them to do so remains limited. For example, most extant research relies on mere portions of protection motivation theory (PMT) and has focused on isolated behaviors, thus limiting the generalizability of findings to isolated issues, rather than addressing the global set of protective security behaviors. Here, we investigate the motivations surrounding this larger behavioral set by assessing maladaptive rewards, response costs, and fear alongside traditional PMT components. We extend PMT by showing that: (1) security education, training, and awareness (SETA) efforts help form appraisals; (2) PMTs applicability to organizational rather than personal contexts depends on insiders organizational commitment levels; and (3) response costs provide the link between PMTs appraisals. We show in detail how organizational commitment is the mechanism through which organizational security threats become personally relevant to insiders and how SETA efforts influence many PMT-based components.
... The extant literature provides much support for this assertion, although primarily through exploratory research. The first study to suggest the link between organizational commitment and positive behaviors (e.g., ethical behaviors) in IS employees was in [72], but it offered little theoretical explanation for this link. Another study [94] went further and showed a positive relationship between organizational commitment and protective security behaviors in organizations. ...
Insiders may act to sustain and improve organizational information security, yet our knowledge of what motivates them to do so remains limited. For example, most extant research use portions of protection motivation theory (PMT) and have relied on isolated behaviors thus limiting the generalizability of findings to single artifacts rather than the global set of protective security behaviors. We thus investigate the motivations surrounding this larger behavioral set by assessing maladaptive rewards, response costs, and fear alongside traditional PMT components. We extend PMT by showing that: (1) security education, training, and awareness (SETA) efforts help form appraisals; (2) PMT’s applicability to organizational rather than personal contexts depends on insiders’ organizational commitment levels; and (3) response costs provide the link between PMT’s appraisals. Contributions include detailing how organizational commitment is the mechanism through which organizational security threats become personally relevant to insiders and how SETA efforts influence many PMT-based components.
... IT probably does not deserve the bad rap it gets [24]. On the other hand, it seems true that IT does have a bad reputation within organizations. ...
Security, including information systems security, is a societal problem, not just a technology problem. Getting people to adopt secure IS practices requires more than traditional ease of use studies and user requirements analysis. It requires users of advanced information systems to adopt a culture of security. We propose a model of organizational security, which includes user security behavior as a key element. Next, we propose a model of user security behavior itself, and discuss how it shows how we have to create this culture of security. Lastly, we discuss directions for future research.
... Type of industry has been suggested to have an impact on individual ethical behaviour (Oz, 2001). Individuals who work in a place where dangerous products are produced, for example drug, may be sensitive to recognize ethical issues than individual work for companies produce safe products such as furniture. ...
... However, criminologists have attempted to indirectly assess these latent characteristics as predictors of some behaviors through both quantitative and qualitative methods, and have failed to explain much variance Morris & Higgins, 2009;Oz, 2001;Rogers, 2001). Perhaps disproportionate attention to factors not readily observable has caused the "big picture" to be missed-a big picture that can indeed be directly appraised. ...
Actor-network theory, as developed within the sociology of science and technology, views any phenomenon as the product or effect of a patterned network of heterogeneous elements. This paper applies such a paradigmatic perspective to the phenomenon of music piracy, in an attempt to underscore the relevance of studying and analyzing each of the components (and their interrelationships) that make up the reality of that behavior. Heterogeneity implies not only the social but also the technical, economic, political, organizational, informational, contextual, and perceptual. Each of these components merit attention and response if progress is to be made in understanding and responding to digital piracy and possibly other forms of Internet-based wrongdoing.
... perceived costs of leaving the organisation " , while normative commitment is " an employee's obligation to remain in an organisation " (Meyer and Allen, 1991). Organisational commitment has been studied in IS studies from different perspectives. Basu et al. (2002) examined the link between organisational commitment and strategic planning success. Oz (2001) found that IT practitioners not only have higher organisational commitment than those in other professions, but are also more ethical in providing professional opinion. More recently, Bryant et al. (2007) applied this concept of organisational commitment to study the link with peer mentoring among IT practitioners. Employees' commitment ...
Past research in information technology (IT) governance has shown that strong IT governance results in improved business performance. Despite widespread acceptance that IT governance is important, there are limited studies focusing on IT practitioners in IT governance initiatives. This study aims to examine the extent of commitment, awareness, perceived importance and competency in influencing IT practitioners' participation in IT governance initiatives. Data analysis using Partial Least Squares reveals that awareness, perceived importance and competency have positive influence on participation in IT governance. However, commitment is not a significant predictor of participation in IT governance. The practitioner-centric approach taken by this study adds knowledge to the existing IT governance literature from organisational perspective. The findings from this study help IT management identify focus areas in increasing to maximise participation of IT practitioners in IT governance initiatives.
... The above review suggests that even though potential impacts of political and legal environments of business on EBOF have been recognized, little empirical work has been produced to clarify their role. With respect to the ''business environment,'' the existing literature suggests that industry type (e.g., Dornoff and Tankersley 1975;Oz 2001) and the level of competition (e.g., Hegarty and Sims 1978;Roberston and Rymon 2001) may have an impact on business ethics-related perceptions of managers. Most empirical work has focused on illustrating the impacts of other (individual, organizational, and situational) factors and, as a result, especially the influences of legal and political issues on business ethics have largely remained unknown. ...
Even though potential impacts of political and legal environments of business on ethical behavior of firms (EBOF) have been conceptually recognized, not much evidence (i.e., empirical work) has been produced to clarify their role. In this paper, using Bayesian causal maps (BCMs) methodology, relationships between legal and political environments of business and EBOF are investigated. The unique design of our study allows us to analyze these relationships based on the stages of development in 92 countries around the world. The EBOF models structured through BCMs are used to explain how EBOF in a given country group are shaped by how managers perceive political, legislative, and protective environments of business in these countries. The results suggest that irregular payments and bribes are the most influential factors affecting managers’ perceptions of business ethics in relatively more advanced economies, whereas intellectual property protection is the most influential factor affecting managers’ perceptions of business ethics in less-advanced economies. The results also suggest that regardless of where the business is conducted in the world, judicial independence is the driving force behind managers’ perceptions of business ethics. In addition, the results of this study provide further support for scholars who argue that business ethics is likely to vary among countries based on their socio-economic factors. In addition to its managerial implications, the study provides directions for policy makers to improve the ethical conduct of businesses in their respective countries.
... As noted by privacy scholar Nissenbaum, ''most existing privacy surveys are of limited relevance because the way they frame their questions does not allow for a correspondence to be drawn between answers and the key parameters of informational norms' ' (2009, p. 150) as most studies test the respondent's adherence to a static and presumably universally accepted definition of privacy. For example, survey questions ask if respondents value or protect privacy as if privacy is universally understood (Oz 2001;Borna and Avila 1999). Or, more commonly, inconsistent survey results are found to be indicative of individuals having diminished concerns for privacy (Acquisti and Gross 2006;Culnan and Armstrong 1999), rather than the possibility that these respondents have different conceptions of privacy but an equal concern. ...
A growing body of theory has focused on privacy as being contextually defined, where individuals have highly particularized judgments about the appropriateness of what, why, how, and to whom information flows within a specific context. Such a social contract understanding of privacy could produce more practical guidance for organizations and managers who have employees, users, and future customers all with possibly different conceptions of privacy across contexts. However, this theoretical suggestion, while intuitively appealing, has not been empirically examined. This study validates a social contract approach to privacy by examining whether and how privacy norms vary across communities and contractors. The findings from this theoretical examination support the use of contractual business ethics to understand privacy in research and in practice. As predicted, insiders to a community had significantly different understandings of privacy norms as compared to outsiders. In addition, all respondents held different privacy norms across hypothetical contexts, thereby suggesting privacy norms are contextually understood within a particular community of individuals. The findings support two conclusions. First, individuals hold different privacy norms without necessarily having diminished expectations of privacy. Individuals differed on the factors they considered important in calculating privacy expectations, yet all groups had robust privacy expectations across contexts. Second, outsiders have difficulty in understanding the privacy norms of a particular community. For managers and scholars, this renders privacy expectations more difficult to identify at a distance or in deductive research. The findings speak directly to the needs of organizations to manage a diverse set of privacy issues across stakeholder groups.
... The extant literature provides much support for this assertion, although primarily through exploratory research. The first study to suggest the link between organizational commitment and positive behaviors (e.g., ethical behaviors) in IS employees was [72], but it offered little theoretical explanation for this link. Another study [94] went further and showed a positive relationship between organizational commitment and protective security behaviors in organizations. ...
This research investigates the factors that motivate employees to protect their organizations from information security threats via protection-motivated behaviors (PMBs). A model founded on Protection Motivation Theory (PMT) and several rival explanations is assessed using data from 380 employees from a wide variety of industries in the U.S. Several important findings for behavioral information security research emerged. First, the basic assumptions of PMT hold in an organizational security context whereby employees weigh the potential benefits and risks associated with threats before engaging in PMBs. Intrinsic maladaptive rewards, response efficacy, and response costs effectively influence employees’ protection motivation levels; however, extrinsic maladaptive rewards and threat vulnerability and severity do not. Moreover, fear does not play a significant role in motivating insiders to engage in PMBs. The rival explanations for protection motivation of job satisfaction and management support significantly influence employees’ protection motivation, whereas sanctions and financial incentives do not.
... In IS research, Oz (2001) found significance in the relation between organizational commitment and ethical behavior of IS professionals concerning inappropriate use of computing resource. Also, Stanton, et al.(2003) found that the individuals with higher levels of organizational commitment are less likely to engage in counterproductive behaviors like personal web surfing, personal e-mail, and personal gaming. ...
... Several studies have investigated the impact of organizational commitment on ethical outcome variables. Organizational commitment has been found to be positively associated with ethical intentions and conduct (Oz, 2001;Cullinan, Bline, Farrar, & Lowe, 2008). With respect to antecedents of organizational commitment, there have been fewer studies investigating ethical constructs. ...
Data were collected from samples of accounting faculty (n = 45), professionals (n = 87) and graduate students (n = 68) on issues related to ethics education in business and accounting programs. There was a high convergence in the perceptions of the three subject groups indicating that at least one stand alone course should be taught in each of graduate and undergraduate accounting and business programs. The results also indicate that ethics should be integrated in all accounting and business courses. The subjects' perceptions also indicated that ethical conduct is positively and significantly improved by ethics education. Finally, the subjects agreed that ethics courses should be taught collaboratively by both accounting and philosophy faculty. These results provide support for NASBA's (2006) proposal that more extensive ethics education by business schools and accounting programs is needed for the accountants entering the profession. However, there is a question as to whether colleges and universities have the faculty resources to offer these courses.
... Such a survey approach utilizing the Intemet is also thought to have some advantages for reaching groups of people who are involved in sensitive areas hke software piracy (Coomber, 1997). Indeed, it has been reported that information systems professionals who might be a part of this sample were less ethical with respect to software piracy (Oz, 2001). Thus, there is also a trade-off involved in using this method. ...
Consumers of software often face an acquisition-mode decision, namely whether to purchase or pirate that software. In terms of consumer welfare, consumers who pirate software may stand in opposition to those who purchase it. Marketers also face a decision whether to attempt to thwart that piracy or to ignore, if not encourage it as an aid to their softwares diffusion, and policymakers face the decision whether to adopt interventionist policies, which are government-centric, or laissez faire policies, which are marketer-centric. Here in order to assess the decision-making of all three of these stakeholders, we focus on the consumers point-of-view as central and examine it by considering on a comparative basis the ethical dimension versus other dimensions, including economic, legal, and other salient consumer behavior considerations. Based on a survey of 689 software consumers conducted over the Internet, the results indicate that ethics as a factor is embedded in a multidimensional set of determinant factors influencing software piracy, including attitudes, legal aspects, social support, perceptions of economic loss and age. Policy and research implications, based on these findings, are provided.
Sensory processing sensitivity (SPS) is a trait that refers to a person's sensitivity to stimuli, ambiguity, and stressful environments. The present study examined the effects of SPS and leader deception on ethical decision-making. Participants completing a scenario-based ethical decision-making task were given information within the task that their hypothetical leader was honest or deceptive. Results revealed that people higher in SPS who had an honest leader made significantly better decisions than both 1) people higher in SPS with a deceptive leader and 2) people lower in SPS in general. Results suggest that for people higher in SPS, cognitive processing may be disrupted by leader deception, so ethics interventions should help them to learn techniques or use cognitive tools to overcome the disruption.
La teoría económica tradicional ha centrado sus estudios en el análisis y descripción de la realidad desgajada en dos partes; por un lado, aquella realidad que envuelve al entramado empresarial y, por el otro, al relacionado con el sector público. Pero en estos dos bloques no quedan recogidas un conjunto de entidades que abarcan una parte, cada vez más representativa, de lo que es la realidad económica, como son las organizaciones pertenecientes al Tercer Sector. Este trabajo pretende poner en un contexto teórico el Tercer Sector permitiéndonos profundizar posteriormente en su análisis organizativo. Tras este análisis se observa que existen una serie de complejidades y características que condicionaban su funcionamiento: necesidad de profesionalización del personal, capacidad de retención de los voluntarios y trabajadores, generación de fondos y estabilidad de actividades. Uno de los principales elementos son los recursos humanos y la capacidad de retención que tengan estas organizaciones, lo que nos lleva a delimitar qué se entiende por Compromiso Organizativo. Se hace una revisión bibliográfica sobre este concepto y posteriormente se aplica en las organizaciones del Tercer Sector para al final darse cuenta de que las variables que condicionan el nivel de compromiso de los individuos hacia la organización se agrupan en torno a tres categorías: variables relacionadas con las características del individuo, variables relacionadas con los aspectos del trabajo y variables relacionadas con la organización o el grupo.
Positive consideration of software engineering codes of ethics by computing educators promotes inclusion in the teaching of software development courses. For computing educators, this is significant because they contribute immensely to the development of software engineering graduates, not only in terms of teaching technical skills but also in ethical development. This study aims to investigate the perceived importance of codes of ethics by lecturers who teach software development coursesat a University of Technology in South Africa. The data was collected using an online survey from 103 educators from two computing departments in a South African UoT; 44 responses were received. Data was analyzed using descriptive statistics to evaluate the responses; the Pearson Chi-square test was applied to assess the level of association between variables of interest for more conclusive results in addressing the objective of the study. The results of this study indicated that the majority of participants were males; female participants amounted only to 18.2%. Results also reported that most participantsagreed with all the statements tested to determine the perceived importance of Software Engineering Codes of Ethics to educators. In addition, an association was presented between the importance of a software engineering code of ethics to an educator and three other variables (the need to teach students about ethical behaviour, an obligation for software engineers to consider the ethical implications of their systems and sex of the respondents) respectively. This study recommended that institutions of higher learning consider finding permanent ways of inculcating a culture of ethical conduct into its staff members, encouraging educators to take up professional memberships with professional bodies. These measures will ensure that software development educators are trained to maintain high standards within their profession, embracing the use and adherence to a code of ethics in the teaching of software development courses.
The most difficult part about ethical climate in the workplace is its outcomes on job satisfaction, organization commitment and turnover intention. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the moderating role of ethical climate between job satisfaction and organizational commitment on one hand and between job satisfaction and turnover intention on the other hand. This study surveyed 174 employees in travel agencies in Alexandria. The study detected the role of ethical climate between the three variables; job satisfaction, organization commitment and turnover intention. The results revealed that there is a positive relationship between job satisfaction and organizational commitment and a negative one between job satisfaction and turnover intention in the presence of ethical climate.
he purpose of this study is to analyze the effects of employees' trust in leader, organizational commitment to turnover intention. The mediating effect of perceived ethical climate with regard to the relationship between the trust, commitment and turnover intention is also investigated. For this purpose, employees (N=717) were asked to complete a questionnaire, currently employed in insurance agents, located in Istanbul. The findings of the study reveal that employees that have confidence in their leader prefer to be less intentive on leaving their jobs. Furthermore, employees that are committed to their organizations either prefer to be less intentive on leaving their jobs. It is also found that, perceived ethical climate has a partial mediating effect on the interaction between the trust and turnover intention as well as the interaction between organizational commitment and turnover intention.
A successful business is dependent on the trust of all types of stakeholders within an organization—employees, managers, executives, customers, and suppliers. Today, ongoing changes in consumer expectations, human relations in task environment, and technological advancements continue to affect the dynamics of service industry. Ethical conduct, in this sense, has become a major component of doing business. A company’s ethics helps to shape the behaviour of its employees, since leaders at the top of organizations are the key role models for establishing and improving the ethical climate. Employees’ work-related attitudes and behaviours are sensitive to the climate they are engaged. Whether it is for organizational, legal, or personal reasons, ethics cannot be ignored, and this is particularly true for the insurance industry. Recent scandals have demonstrated that unethical behaviour can be costly to the company. The study aims to examine the relation between organizational commitment, unethical culture, and the unethical behaviour of employees and managers working in the insurance industry. A survey was conducted to test these hypotheses. The sample of the survey represents white-collar workers (N = 250) who work in various branches in insurance companies in Istanbul. The findings reveal that there is a positive relation between unethical culture and managerial unethical behaviour and employee unethical behaviour. However, organizational commitment has no effect on employee unethical behaviour, while it affects employees’ unethical behaviour.
This review summarizes and critiques the empirical ethical decision-making literature from 1996 to 2003. One hundred and seventy-four articles were published in top business journals during this period. Tables are included that summarize the findings by dependent variable – awareness, judgment, intent, and behavior. We compare this review with past reviews in order to draw conclusions regarding trends in the ethical decision-making literature and to surface directions for future research.
In this chapter, the author investigates the relationships between unethical behaviors from the viewpoint of information security and organizational commitment by analyzing micro data collected from a survey the author conducted in March 2012. As a result, at first, it is found that heightening the degree of Organizational Commitment (OC) does not exclusively deter all unethical behaviors, but that at least OC deters the intention to access non-work-related Websites in the workplace. In addition, it is confirmed that the effects of OC toward the intention of the non-work-related Website access in the workplace according to the organizational attributes are different. In the organizations whose non-work-related Website access in the workplace is prohibited as a rule, heightening the degree of OC is able to reduce the respondents who access non-work-related Websites in their workplace. It is found that based on TPB and TRA, the attitude and risk assessment toward the intention of unethical behaviors have an influence on the behaviors.
This chapter proposes a holistic definition of cyberdeviance, describing it as: behavior that takes place using information and communication technologies (ICTs), which violates workplace norms, and has the potential to harm individual employees, the organization as a whole, or both. It aims to propose a new typology and framework for viewing cyberdeviance and its associated behaviors, and review the existing literature within this new framework. The typology of behaviors features three broad categories of cyberdeviance: intrapersonally focused behaviors (cyberloafing), interpersonally focused cyberdeviance (CD-I), and organizationally focused cyberdeviance (CD-O). Studies that examine intraindividual differences in the willingness to engage in cyberdeviant behavior, including differences in the timing and rate of the behavior, might also prove particularly useful in the effort to better understand the underlying psychological processes that drive cyberdeviance. The chapter concludes with the recommendations for future research, both from a methodological and a content-specific perspective.
Corporate social responsibility and ethics as vectors of organizational commitment
Organizational commitment is a key concept in the field of management. In addition, the corporate social responsibility and organizational ethics are attracting more and more interest from researchers. The mechanisms linking these concepts are still little explored. The objectives of this article are 1) to describe the research linking organizational commitment and social responsibility or business ethics and 2) to propose an operational framework. From a descriptive meta-analysis, more than 20 years of research on organizational commitment from the perspective of corporate social responsibility and organizational ethics are summarized. The analysis of 26 references from 16 different journals shows that CSR and organizational ethics have a positive effect on organizational commitment. An operational framework is proposed to provide practitioners and researchers concrete support to develop a CSR strategy.
The study presented in this paper examines generational (age-cohort) differences in the work commitments of Baby Boomer (born between 1946 and 1962) and Gen-X (born between 1963 and 1981) information technology (IT) professionals. Data were obtained from 382 IT workers in 23 state agencies and universities. The work commitments examined include work involvement job involvement, work group attachment, organizational commitment and professional commitment. Contrary to profiles of these two generations common in the popular and business press, results suggest that the work commitments of these generations of IT professionals are more homogeneous than different. Implications for research and for IT management are offered.
This study presents a review and analysis of how common information technology (IT) unethical actions are viewed by a sample of students, faculty, and practitioners and what moral intensity variables influenced their decision. The findings reveal that all the questionable moral situations were judged with varying levels of opposition. Gender, age, and student status all affected ethical decisions. It was also found that different moral intensity variables had varying influences on moral decisions. Practitioners can use these findings to tailor moral education and training activities. Researchers can further explore the initial findings and refine the varying impact and influences.
This study explores the different aspects of organizational commitment and its determinants for Information Technology (IT) professionals. IT dependent companies should consider the determinants of organizational commitment and ensure that these issues are properly addressed in their human resource strategies. The study employs Meyer and Allen's approach to develop a new instrument to measure organizational commitment and its determinants. Meyer and Allen defined organizational commitment with three dimensions: Affective commitment, continuance commitment and normative commitment. An original questionnaire was prepared by the researchers and was applied to the IT professionals working in 10 Turkish private banks. The results showed that affective commitment is higher among IT professionals than the other types of commitment. Normative commitment is at the lowest level. IT professionals are working in organizations because they want to, rather than they need to or being compelled to by a moral obligation.
Information and communication technology systems have become indispensable parts of our lives up to become the main strategic dimension to be protected by the State. Nonetheless, we have seen so far that the technical security is not enough for protecting the global cyberspace. A valid complement (usable) to technical solutions has been found in a Societal Digital Security Culture (SDSC) as a set of collective knowledge, common practices, and intuitive common behavior about digital security that the members of a Society share.The idea is that members of the Society need to gain knowledge and experience sufficient to avoid the consequences of the limitations of technical solutions. Under this prospective, this paper's aim is to draw the attention on trust and co-partnership like two main components of the SDSC approach that can boost the security of Information Systems.
The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of group pressure on softlifting, moderated by financial gains. A laboratory experimentation with fifty-four subjects was conducted, in which each subject was told to participate in a software quality evaluation exercise. However, a ploy was carried out to measure the subjects' intention in software piracy under different levels of group pressure and financial gains. The results are interesting. On intention of software piracy, both group pressure and financial gains are significant determinants The interaction of group pressure and financial gains is also significant: when group pressure is toward pirating software, financial gains is not a relevant factor; whereas when group pressure is toward purchasing, financial gains becomes a dominant factor in softlifting intention.
This study explores the different aspects of organisational commitment and its determinants for Information Technology (IT) professionals. IT-dependent companies should consider organisational commitment and ensure that relevant issues are properly addressed in their human resource strategies. The study employs Meyer and Allen's approach to develop a new instrument to measure organisational commitment and its determinants. They defined three dimensions: Affective, continuance and normative commitment. The study covered IT professionals in Turkish private banks. Results showed that affective commitment is higher among IT professionals than the other types of commitment meaning that they work in their organisations because they want to.
There has been a plethora of studies outlying the various factors which may affect undergraduate student cheating, generally focusing on individual, situational and deterrent factors. But beyond these factors, does the type of cheating affect students’ perceptions of cheating? We found that there were differences in regards to gradable cheating such as cheating on homework, tests and papers versus non-gradable cheating such as illegally downloading software/music from the Internet or photocopying materials which violate the university’s academic integrity policy. Gender, discussion of ethical issues in class and enforcement of cheating reduces the acceptance of cheating across types of cheating. Less time spent on the Internet reduces the acceptance of only non-gradable cheating and the type of institution and knowing the consequences of cheating reduces the acceptance of only gradable cheating.
According to the social identity theory, unfair treatment from superiors may arouse negative identification, which in turn leads to employees' negative behaviors in organizations. This study explored the relationships between leadership justice and two negative organizational behaviors, namely, employee silence and organizational retaliatory behavior, within Chinese context. The study was conducted through a questionnaire-based field investigation, which sampled 361 employees from 17 state-owned enterprises. The results showed that leadership justice was negatively related to employee silence and organizational retaliatory behavior, and that affective commitment partially mediated these relationships. The implications of the findings and future studies were also discussed.
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to examine the impact of ethical climate on job satisfaction and organizational commitment in Nigeria, and to discover the extent to which unethical practices among managers have impacted upon managerial practices in Nigeria.
Design/methodology/approach
The study followed a descriptive research design using survey methods with statistical treatment. Using the business directory of companies in Nigeria, a sample of 409 managers was drawn using a systematic random sampling technique. Multiple regression analysis and Pearson's product moment correlation were used to assess the influence of ethical climate types on job satisfaction and organizational commitment.
Findings
The findings revealed that there was a relationship between organizational ethical climate and facets of job satisfaction. It was also found that ethical climate types explained 58 percent of the variation in overall job satisfaction. Also, the correlation between ethical climate types and organizational commitment was positive and significant. This implies that favorable organizational ethical climate would encourage commitment and job satisfaction.
Research limitations/implications
This research is limited to four business enterprises – banks, manufacturing, transportation, and construction companies. Thus, the results cannot be generalized to other industrial sectors that were not part of this study. In addition, the assessment of job performance and productivity are beyond the scope of this study.
Practical implications
The paper offers practical suggestions of how management can improve job satisfaction and organizational commitment by improving the ethical climate of the organization.
Originality/value
The paper examines the impact of ethical climate on job satisfaction and organizational commitment in Nigeria, a sub‐Saharan African country in a sub‐continent that has been neglected and under‐researched. The study draws management practitioners' attention to the fact that they should adopt behavior that can help to improve employees' ethical behavior. From an academic perspective this study provides insight into the relationship between ethics, job satisfaction, and commitment, which should contribute to the future development of this line of research, particularly in developing countries like Nigeria. Furthermore, this topic has not been tested empirically in Nigeria. Therefore, the present study is of significant value to practitioners and scholars alike.
Purpose
– The costs of software piracy are enormous. According to Business Software Alliance, it was estimated that the software industry lost $34 billion globally due to software piracy in 2005. The present study was an exploratory attempt to analyze software piracy at individual level, using a qualitative approach.
Design/methodology/approach
– A qualitative research study with few, if any, theoretical preconceptions would seem to be justified in the Asian context. An internet online survey and a content analysis of internet newsgroups were conducted. Data were transcribed, coded and interpreted so as to generate main predictors of the reported leniency toward software piracy.
Findings
– Using extensive qualitative data from two studies, marketing, individual and situational variables are examined as a set of predictors of respondents' reported leniency towards software piracy. The results of the content analysis suggested that the cost of original software was extremely important in software piracy. Respondents commented that excessive price of original software was the key factor pushing them to commit piracy.
Originality/value
– This is the first piece of qualitative research to study software piracy. The results of the content analysis suggested that the cost of original software was extremely important in software piracy. It provides new insights to software companies and government officials who are developing programs to promote the concept of anti‐piracy.
According to social identity theory, unfair treatment from superiors may arouse negative identification, which in turn leads to employees' negative behaviors in organizations. In this study the relationships between leadership justice and two negative organizational behaviors - employee silence and organizational retaliatory behavior - were explored in a Chinese context. The study was conducted through a questionnaire-based field investigation, which sampled 361 employees from 17 Chinese state-owned enterprises. The results showed that leadership justice was negatively related to employee silence and organizational retaliatory behavior, and that affective commitment partially mediated these relationships. The implications of the findings are discussed and suggestions made for future studies.
The CIS Working Paper Series provides for early dissemination of research produced by members and affiliates of the Computer Information Systems
This review summarizes and critiques the empirical ethical decision-making literature from 1996–2003. One hundred and seventy-four articles were published in top business journals during this period. Tables are included that summarize the findings by dependent variable – awareness, judgment, intent, and behavior. We compare this review with past reviews in order to draw conclusions regarding trends in the ethical decision-making literature and to surface directions for future research.
There appears to be general agreement among social psychologists that most human behavior is goal-directed (e. g., Heider, 1958 ; Lewin, 1951). Being neither capricious nor frivolous, human social behavior can best be described as following along lines of more or less well-formulated plans. Before attending a concert, for example, a person may extend an invitation to a date, purchase tickets, change into proper attire, call a cab, collect the date, and proceed to the concert hall. Most, if not all, of these activities will have been designed in advance; their execution occurs as the plan unfolds. To be sure, a certain sequence of actions can become so habitual or routine that it is performed almost automatically, as in the case of driving from home to work or playing the piano. Highly developed skills of this kind typically no longer require conscious formulation of a behavioral plan. Nevertheless, at least in general outline, we are normally well aware of the actions required to attain a certain goal. Consider such a relatively routine behavior as typing a letter. When setting this activity as a goal, we anticipate the need to locate a typewriter, insert a sheet of paper, adjust the margins, formulate words and sentences, strike the appropriate keys, and so forth. Some parts of the plan are more routine, and require less conscious thought than others, but without an explicit or implicit plan to guide the required sequence of acts, no letter would get typed.
Software piracy is a damaging and important moral issue, which is widely believed to be unchecked in particular areas of the globe. This cross-cultural study examines differences in morality and behavior toward software piracy in Singapore versus the United States, and reviews the cultural histories of Asia versus the United States to explore why these differences occur. The paper is based upon pilot data collected in the U.S. and Singapore, using a tradeoff analysis methodology and analysis. The data reveal some fascinating interactions between the level of ethical transgression and the rewards or consequences which they produce.
A phenomenal demand for implementing information technology into organizations has produced an accompanying demand for management information systems (MIS) professionals that continues to increase substantially each year. Moreover, MIS professionals have historically displayed a disturbingly high rate of turnover that reached nearly 20% in 1987, and is about twice the average for business managers and professionals. Excessive turnover in this area can be dysfunctional to organizations because of the shortage of experienced MIS employees and the high cost of training new employees. These trends place MIS managers under intense pressure to recruit, hire, and retain qualified MIS employees. The recruitment, selection, and management of MIS employees is of importance to both the MIS department and the organization as a whole. Outlining critical issues facing the MIS profession in the 1980s, the Society for Information Management and the MIS Quarterly journal identified human resource management as one of the areas requiring immediate attention.
This article addresses a significant gap in the theoretical literature on marketing ethics. This gap results from the lack of an integrated framework which clarifies and synthesizes the multiple variables that explain how marketers make ethical/unethical decisions. A contingency framework is recommended as a starting point for the development of a theory of ethical/unethical actions in organizational environments. This model demonstrates how previous research can be integrated to reveal that ethical/unethical decisions are moderated by individual factors, significant others within the organizational setting, and opportunity for action.
Social criticisms of marketing usually spare marketing research... the implication being that researchers pose neither important ethical nor social problems. Is this true? Are there no marketing research practices which might be subjected to ethical criticism? This article reports reactions of research directors and top marketing line executives to fourteen "situations" which occasionally occur in the field of research.
Studied changes across time in measures of organizational commitment and job satisfaction as each related to subsequent turnover among 60 recently employed psychiatric technician trainees. A longitudinal study across a 101/2-mo period was conducted, with attitude measures (Organizational Commitment Questionnaire and Job Descriptive Index) collected at 4 points in time. Results of a discriminant analysis indicate that significant relationships existed between certain attitudes held by employees and turnover. Relationships between attitudes and turnover were found in the last 2 time periods only, suggesting that such relationships are strongest at points in time closest to when an individual leaves the organization. Organizational commitment discriminated better between stayers and leavers than did the various components of job satisfaction. (36 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
This article examines the congruency between the values held by customer service representatives and their perceptions of their organization's values. A questionnaire was distributed to the representatives of two financial services firms (n = 159), one of which identifies itself as “socially responsible.” Subjects were asked to rank the terminal values of the Rokeach Value Survey by importance to themselves and to their firm. Results indicate value congruency is more widespread in the socially responsible firm.
The authors explore corporate ethical values and organizational commitment in marketing. They (1) discuss corporate ethical values as a component of corporate culture, (2) review the literature on organizational commitment, (3) hypothesize a positive relationship between corporate ethical values and organizational commitment, and (4) empirically test the relationship with data from more than 1200 professional marketers, representing subsamples of marketing managers, marketing researchers, and advertising agency managers. The study results provide strong evidence of a positive association between corporate ethical values and organizational commitment. Given previous research demonstrating a strong link between commitment and specific organizational benefits, corporate ethics may be not only an important societal issue, but a key organizational issue as well.
Conducted a longitudinal comparison of 102 retailers' perceptions of ethical practices in 1986 vs 1976 and determined whether there have been changes. As a baseline measure, the results of an earlier study by R. J. Dornoff and C. B. Tankersley (1976) were used. Cross-sectional comparisons are also performed to identify differences among 3 categories of retail establishments: discount, specialty, and department stores. Data show that the perceptions of today's store managers are more ethical or consumer-oriented than were those of their counterparts a decade ago. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
Is the recent popular management literature on corporate culture and cultural values just a passing fad or is it highlighting some fundamental organizational realities? The results from a recent nationwide survey of American managers shows, we are convinced, that clearly articulated organizational values do make a significant difference in the lives of employees, as well as in their organization's performance. This article is an effort to integrate this broad-based data on individual managers' values with the reported experience of successful organizations that pay careful attention to their culture. It also offers ideas on how human resource managers can facilitate the alignment of personal and organizational values.
Following the research of Liedtka (1989), this paper examines the impact of her values congruence model on managers'' work attitudes and perceptions of ethical practices within their firms. A nationwide cross-section of managers (N=1,059) provides the sample for the study. Consonance or clarity about both personal value systems and organizational value systems were found to be more important and, in the absence of one or the other, clarity of personal values were shown to have a more positive impact than organizational value clarity.
This paper examines the issue of ethics policy in organizations. While the actions of top management may be the single most important factor in fostering corporate behaviour of a high ethical standard, there should be policy where policy is needed. The perceptions of three managerial groups — top- marketing- and purchasing managers — are compared regarding firstly, whether they see a need for policy on a range of ethically contentious issues, and secondly whether they believe there is policy covering these issues in their own organizations. No significant differences between the three groups of managers were found, either with regard to their perceptions of needs for policy, or as far as the existence thereof is concerned. However, an overall comparison of need for policy and the existence of policy showed a significant difference on the scenarios presented to respondents. Furthermore, the study identifies grey areas of ethics in business where managers believe policy is needed, but is not perceived to exist. The use of an ethics policy matrix in organizations is suggested as a practcial tool for the examination of ethically contentious issues.
The author examines, in the context of Wallach’s (1983) conceptualization, the influence of bureaucratic, supportive, and
innovative cultural dimensions on marketing research professionals’ reported ethical research behavior. The results indicate
that marketing research professionals in organizations of bureaucratic-innovative-supportive culture reflect the highest reported
research ethics behavior, followed by those in organizations of innovative-supportive and bureaucratic-only cultures, respectively.
The prediction of dishonest actions was studied in the context of the theory of planned behavior. College students completed a questionnaire that assessed attitudes, subjective norms, perceptions of behavioral control, intentions, and perceptions of moral obligations, as well as self-reports of behavior with respect to cheating on a test, shoplifting, and lying to get out of assignments. A subsample of respondents returned several months later for a second administration of the questionnaire. Multiple regression analyses showed that the theory of planned behavior predicted intentions with a high degree of accuracy, and that it was moderately successful in the prediction of actual behavior. Addition of perceived moral obligations to the prediction equation improved prediction of reported lying behavior, but did not help to account for much variance in cheating and shoplifting. Self-reports of past dishonesty were used to evaluate the sufficiency of the theory of planned behavior.
The study examines the effects of the individual characteristics, job type, role stressors, boundary spanning activities, career outcomes, and job characteristics on the turnover propensity of 464 information systems personnel. Results show that age, organizational level, organizational tenure, job tenure, and number of years in the computer field are negatively correlated with the intention to leave the organization. Education was found to be positively correlated with turnover intentions, and while project leaders are more likely to leave the organization, IS managers are less likely. Results also show that both role stressors (role ambiguity and role conflict) and boundary spanning activities are positively correlated with turnover intentions, and that job involvement, career plateau, promotability, salary, organizational commitment, job satisfaction, satisfaction with progress, promotion, pay, status, and projects are negatively correlated while career opportunity is positively correlated with turnover intentions. Finally, all job characteristics are negatively correlated with turnover intentions. Implications of the results for practice and research are offered.
The rapid growth of technology in Singapore and the shortage of IT professionals had an impact on the country's competitiveness. The study shows that the turnover rate among IT professionals is still high, particularly among software professionals. There are large differences in the salaries of IT professionals. Salaries vary by job title (category), sector, working experience, nationality, education, and in some jobs by gender. The turnover rate and the number of job openings fell in 1990 and is expected to fall more in the near future. Apparently, the main reasons for turnover are competition from other employers in remuneration and limited advancement opportunities. The managerial implications of these findings are discussed.
CONFIRM was meant to be a leading-edge comprehensive travel industry reservation program combining airline, car rental, and hotel information systems. The CONFIRM project was canceled after three-and-a-half years and after a total of $125 million had been expended. According to a member of the consortium which spearheaded the project, CONFIRM management did not disclose the true status of the project in a timely manner, causing complex problems concerning business ethics and finance. Apparently, the clients were misled into continuing to invest in an operation plagued with problems on database, decision-support, and integration technologies. Asof now, no conclusive data can explain the reasons for the failure in systems development. This incident must prompt IS organizations to adopt detailed codes of professional standards.
This study proposes and tests a preliminary model concerning the antecedents and outcomes of employee commitment to organizations using a cross-validational framework. The study was carried out among 382 hospital employees and 119 scientists and engineers. It was found that for both samples personal characteristics, job characteristics, and work experiences influenced commitment. Moreover, commitment was found to be strongly related to intent and desire to remain for both samples and moderately related to attendance and turnover for one sample. Performance was generally unrelated to commitment. Results are compared with earlier findings and implications for future research are discussed.
Year 2000: Opportunity in Adversity
- N Engler
The Attitude of Managers-to-be Towards Software Piracy
- E Oz