Title: The independence of managers: an ethical dilemma

Authors: Adriana Schiopoiu Burlea; Samuel O. Idowu

Addresses: University of Craiova, 13, Street A.I. Cuza, 200585, Romania ' Faculty of Business and Law, London Metropolitan University, Calcutta House, Old Castle Street, London, E1 7NT, UK

Abstract: The purpose of this paper is to analyse the complex and antagonistic nature of virtue as practised by managers in the context of the recent global financial crisis and in the light of the ethical scandals which pervade the corporate scene. The dispersal of ethical responsibilities is generated by a misunderstanding of autonomy and self-governance and represents a motivation for managers to promote non-virtuous beliefs. The study should prove useful to managers around the world because the relationship between virtue and profit allows them to identify pressures in the decision-making process and thus provides a pragmatic understanding of the virtues of designing corporate social responsibility. The most recent scandal: the case of Volkswagen which has been accused of cheating pollution emissions tests proves more that dispersal of ethical responsibilities is one of the sources of unethical decisions.

Keywords: business ethics; management independence; ethical responsibilities; Aristotle; managerial independence; global financial crisis; ethical scandals; autonomy; self-governance; non-virtuous beliefs; virtue; profit; decision making pressures; corporate social responsibility; CSR; Volkswagen; pollution emissions tests; unethical decisions.

DOI: 10.1504/IJSEI.2016.076688

International Journal of Social Entrepreneurship and Innovation, 2016 Vol.4 No.2, pp.152 - 171

Received: 14 Nov 2015
Accepted: 11 Jan 2016
Published online: 20 May 2016 *

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