From awareness to solution: Building blocks for business ethics decision-making

Abstract

It is evident that the economic meltdown has raised questions on how ethical business decisions are, and whether values are evident in all business activities. Together with the questioning of the morality of markets, many people are also questioning the way business is done in a market-driven society. From the literature it is evident that there is a growing concern about the impact the market has on people’s lives. At the same time, there is an emerging tendency to question society in general’s market orientation and level of materialism. In view of these observations, the paper argues that the individual has as much responsibility for ethical decision-making in business as organisations have. In addition it promotes the perspective that business decisions are taken not only in formal business, but that non-business entities and entrepreneurs should also be guided on how to make value-informed business decisions. The emerging research question is therefore to identify how the individual inside and outside the formal organisation should deal with his/her ethical responsibilities in diverse business decisions and activities. This research question is examined from a qualitative research perspective to provide user-oriented knowledge. Five building blocks for ethical decision-making are identified. These building blocks are individual responsibility, sphere of influence, stakeholders, sustainability, and ethics as relationship.

Van bewusmaking tot oplossing: Boustene vir sake etiek in individuele en korporatiewe besluitneming Die ekonomiese verlangsaming het vrae opgeroep oor hoe eties is sakebesluite en of waardes in besigheidsaktiwiteite teruggevind kan word. Naas vrae oor die moraliteit van die markte, gaan vrae ook op oor hoe besigheid in ʼn markgedrewe samelewing gedoen word. Die literatuur oor die onderwerp bevestig dat daar groeiende kommer is oor die impak wat markte op mense het. Vrae word ook gevra oor die samelewing se fokus op die mark en groeiende materialisme. Teen die agtergrond van hierdie opmerkings argumenteer die skywer dat die individu het net soveel verantwoordelikheid in sakebesluite as maatskappye. Omdat nie alle besluite in die formele sakesektor geneem word nie, word die standpunt bevorder dat entrepreneurs en kleinbesighede begelei moet word om waardegedrewe besluite te neem. Voortspruitend hieruit is die navorsingsvraag hoe die individu binne en buite die formele sakesektor met sy/haar etiese verantwoordelikhede moet omgaan. Die navorsingsvraag word deur ʼn kwalitatiewe navorsingsmetode beantwoord om gebruikersvriendelike kennis te skep. Vyf boustene word geïdentifiseer vir etiese besluitmening: individuele verantwoordelikheid, invloedsfeer, belanghebbendes, volhoubaarheid en etiek as verhouding.