Title: Shades of moral agency in organisational ethics

Authors: George W. Watson, Mary Sue Love

Addresses: Department of Management and Marketing, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, Edwardsville, IL 62026, USA. ' Department of Management and Marketing, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, Edwardsville, IL 62026, USA

Abstract: We examine the theoretical and empirical implications for studying organisational ethics from contending perspectives of moral agency. We categorise contending perspectives of moral agency into a framework that outlines the philosophical, social psychological and applied ethical implications of four perspectives found in the literature. Autonomy and authenticity are cast as dimensions of moral agency. We assert that the field|s inclination to overlook the assumptions in moral agency results in theoretical confounds and problematic interpretations of empirical results. Implications for theory, research, teaching and practice are considered.

Keywords: moral agency; moral psychology; cognitive moral development; CMD; determinism; person-situation ethics; social-cognitive model; organisational ethics; organisational ethics.

DOI: 10.1504/IJMCP.2007.015130

International Journal of Management Concepts and Philosophy, 2007 Vol.2 No.4, pp.337 - 364

Published online: 18 Sep 2007 *

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