Business Ethics and Corporate Governance, Second Edition

CORPORATE VALUES AND ETHICAL DECISION MAKING

In a person’s work environment, the values, the vision and stated mission of the company where he or she works, have greater influence than his or her own values and moral standards. In organizations, decisions—ethical or otherwise—are made jointly through committees, consultations, discussions or at meetings of groups responsible for particular operations or by getting advice and inputs from experts in the field. The evolved culture and structure of an organization operate through the individual relationships of its members and have an impact on their decisions. Every organization has a culture evolved over the years, or imposed from the top when a new management takes over, and every employee tries ...