Running head: BUSINESS ETHICS AND RESPONSIBILITY

Should the Study of Business Ethics and Responsibility be supported around the World?
Ludvick Asigo
Madonna University
ESL 4230Argumentative Paper D2
4/1/2015

BUSINESS ETHICS AND RESPONSIBILITY

Should the Study of Business Ethics and Responsibility be supported around the World?
The study of business ethics and responsibility around the world, has been the greatest
reason for improvement in many companies and in different areas like sports, politics. Since
many people around the world have come to realize this, the study of ethics has been introduced
in almost all the fields of study but is more emphasized in the field of business. Governments
should, therefore, step in and put more effort to support ethical education. The study has been
helpful to the managers as it helps them develop different management techniques which have
led to success in achieving organizational objectives. Lakshman, Ramaswami, Alas, Kabongo,
and Pandian, (2014), based on a comprehensive review of 91 studies conducted over the last
three decades, Datta (2010) used an integrative framework in classifying the studies into four
broad streams, two of which have focused on environmental and organizational antecedents of
downsizing, and the other two on individual and organizational consequences of this practice.
The participation of different countries on this study have been encouraging as facilities have
been in provision as well as funds. Although critics have been questioning whether to support the
study of ethics or not, the following reasons show why governments should support the study of
business ethics and responsibility.
The first reason why the study of business ethics and responsibility should be supported
is because it builds good characteristics in managers which makes them earn trust from
stakeholders for countrys development. As cited by Vidaver-Cohen and Brnn (2015), Harrison
et al.(2010) provide a comprehensive review of research demonstrating that managing for
stakeholders by investing organizational resources in understanding all stakeholder needs and
earning stakeholder trust unlocks additional potential for value creation and builds sustainable
competitive advantage over time. This will make stakeholders recommend a company, get

BUSINESS ETHICS AND RESPONSIBILITY

involved in strong business with the company, purchase its products or services, work for the
company, invest in the company and positively comment about the company which also bring
more stakeholders to like the company and this lead to organizational success and development.
As a result, good employees will also be attracted to the company which are also of good
business ethics. The company that has good character manager will also earn trust from the
government which can make the government support it through all means by maybe connecting
it to other good companies internationally to make it continue developing more.
The next reason why the study of business ethics and responsibility should be supported
it is important in our curriculum vitae as the education increase job opportunity qualifications.
This is very important in individuals chances of job qualification as it shows ones educational
experiences which minimizes the questions about; whether the reinforcement of
individual integrity should be chosen to teach, whether it is more important to teach the
applied ethics of management, marketing, accounting, and even finance, whether the
more abstract reasoning skills and broad moral development concepts are more
important Van Wart, Baker and Ni, (2014). This has been found out to be all important
required qualifications as business curriculum always encourages moral character, teaches
applied aspects of ethics related to norms and laws, and the more abstract concepts related to
outside stakeholders and society which help to build the relationship between the company and
its stakeholders. From that experience, business ethics education should be taught to students
using many different methods and the times a topic should be taught that can make them
understand its importance. Van Wart, Baker and Ni (2014), says, To have a substantial impact
on students, different approaches must be used over a sustained amount of time. This brings
great impact in building students future as well as preparing good future managers.

BUSINESS ETHICS AND RESPONSIBILITY

Another reason why governments should support the study of business ethics and
responsibility is because of social responsibility. This is very important to an individual as it will
help a manager be able to manage corporate social responsibilities which entails organizing
profit and social welfare. Matsumura and Ogawa (2014) Ghosh and Mitra (2010b) generalized
the partial privatization approach and consider the situation wherein all firms care about both
social welfare and their own profits (social responsibility approach) as they convincingly
explain, many firms care about social responsibility as well as their own profit. As well this help
in environmental protection and evaluation of environmental performance. As cited by X. Du,
Jian, Zeng and Y. Du (2014), (Zeng et al.2008), China, as the worlds factory has shown
spectacular economic growth and modernization, but environmental concerns are rising as
polluted air, water, and soil threaten the health of Chinese residents. The government should
therefore take a crucial part in that not to discourage the activities as they are important to the
environment but to help minimize pollution. Social responsibility also helps in social
responsibility-consciousness development as one tend to have mature thoughts which is
fundamental element in strengthening ethical thinking consciousness which managers need
professional decisions, including ethical choice decisions.
The final reason why governments should support the study of business ethics and
responsibility is because it helps students learn and know the relationship between business
ethics and daily life experience. This can be seen in ones attentiveness experiences whether
reflective or perceptual, which explains individual differences in the listening, interpreting and
recalling ability in people to morality and moral matters in daily life situations and the reactions
given to such matters. As cited by Wurthmann(2013), Reynolds (2008), developed the moral
attentiveness construct, which he defined as the extent to which an individual chronically

BUSINESS ETHICS AND RESPONSIBILITY

perceives and considers morality and moral elements in his or her experiences, to help explain
individual differences in the amount of attention paid to morality and moral matters. Table 1
below shows moral attentiveness items and analysis results. This can help one change from
behaving unethically to ethical behaviors and moral attentiveness and actions
Social Cognitive Perspective on Ethics Education, and Moral Attentiveness.
Items

Factor loadings

Reflective moral attentiveness, Factor 1 (a=0.82)

1. I regularly think about the ethical implications of my decisions
2. I think about the morality of my actions almost every day
3. I often find myself pondering about ethical issues
4. I often reflect on the moral aspects of my decisions
5. I like to think about ethics

0.74
0.71
0.70
0.82
0.75

Perceptual moral attentiveness, Factor 2 (a=0.76)

1. In a typical day, I face several ethical dilemmas
2. I often have to choose between doing whats right and doing something

0.77
0.82

thats wrong
3. I regularly face decisions that have significant ethical implications
0.85
4. My life has been filled with one moral predicament after another
0.75
5. Many of the decisions that I make have ethical dimensions to them
0.64
6. I rarely face ethical dilemmas. (reverse scored)
0.50
7. I frequently encounter ethical situations
0.68
Note. From Analysis of Social Cognitive Perspective on Ethics Education, Moral Attentiveness,
and PRESOR, by Wurthmann (2012) Journal of Business Ethics. 114(1), 131-153.
Ethical education therefore, makes the important part of life and should be studied in all
educational learning center. Students should be encouraged to get more involved in the education
and educators to use education methods which can be easily understood by the students. The
methods should not be complicated or hard which might discourage students and make them
drop the study.

BUSINESS ETHICS AND RESPONSIBILITY

The critics say that business ethics adds no important qualities to students but instead
builds up bad characters and questionable behaviors such as cheating. They say that, business
ethics causes students come up with different behaviors depending on gender deference. Lampe
and Engleman-Lampe (2012), for example, demonstrated that despite their ethical training,
business students still have the highest rate of cheating among college students, as cited by Wang
and Calvano(2013). They continued arguing that, the cheating characters in business ethics
students make them act unethically at workplaces. Wang and Calvano (2013), cited that, prior
studies of cheating behavior among college students indicate that individuals who cheat in
schools are more likely to act unethically in the workplace. On the same note, cited by Lampe
and Engleman-Lampe (2012), Hutton 2006; Lawson (2004), business students are more likely
to cheat than students in other disciplines. However business ethical studies is one of the best
ways that have been approved for making bright future responsible adults and company
managers. From the study, it was discovered that, students are able to make ethical decisions and
that is where students can learn how to make the right decisions as they go through different
levels of education. As students progress through levels of cognitive moral development, they
gain more exposure to ethical perspectives through higher education and their ability to deal with
ethical dilemmas should improve (Christensen and Kohls 2003; Gundersen et al. 2008). The
study also equip students with moral judgment in the society and interaction ability. Wang and
Calvano (2013) did a research to find out the interaction effects on business ethics students
depending on the gender difference and the results are shown on the table below. The
government should support the business ethics education so that both gender can get equal
education for the benefits of societies in terms of moral judgment and interaction within or
outside the country.

BUSINESS ETHICS AND RESPONSIBILITY

Governments should support the study of business ethics for its importance in our
societies. The study help the learners to develop good characters which can help in all areas such
as sports, workplaces, different learning institutions, and politically in future. It also equip
students with high chance of job qualification as they have the essential curriculum necessity.
The study of business ethics education also help students know their responsibilities in the
society as well as communication ability. Therefore, governments should apply more effort to
make sure the study of business ethics and responsibility continues to help youths become better
people in future. This will be a benefit to both the parents, society and the countries as a whole
especially economically.

References
Du, X., Jian, W., Zeng, Q., & Du, Y. (2014). Corporate Environmental Responsibility in
Polluting Industries: Does Religion Matter? Journal of Business Ethics, 124(3),
485-507.

DOI: 10.1007/s10551-013-1888-7

Lakshman, C., Ramaswami, A. R., Alas, R., Kabongo, J., & Rajendran Pandian, J.
(2014). Ethics Trumps Culture? A Cross-National Study of Business Leader

BUSINESS ETHICS AND RESPONSIBILITY

Responsibility for Downsizing and CSR Perceptions. Journal of Business Ethics,

125(1),

101-119. DOI: 10. 1007/s10551-1907-8

Toshihiro Matsumura M., & Akira Ogawat, O. (2014). Corporate Social Responsibility or
Payoff Asymmetry? A Study of an Endogenous Timing Game. Southern Economic
Journal, 81(2), 457-473. DOI: 10.4284/0038-2012.182
Vidaver-Cohen, D., & Brnn, P. (2015). Reputation, Responsibility, and Stakeholder
Support in Scandinavian Firms: A Comparative Analysis. Journal of Business
Ethics,

127(1), 49-64. DOI: 10. 1007/s10551-013-1673-7

Wang, L., & Calvano, L. (2015). Is Business Ethics Education Effective? An Analysis of
Gender, Personal Ethical Perspectives, and Moral Judgment. Journal of Business
Ethics,

126(4), 591-602. DOI: 10.1007/s10551-013-1973-y

Wart, M., Baker, D., & Ni, A. (2014). Using a Faculty Survey to Kick-Start an Ethics
Curriculum Upgrade. Journal of Business Ethics, 122(4), 571-585.DOI: 10.1007/s10551013-1779-y
Wurthmann, K. (2013). A Social Cognitive Perspective on the Relationships between Ethics
Education, Moral Attentiveness, and PRESOR. Journal of Business Ethics,
114(1), 131-

153.