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This paper aims to propose an ethical approach best suited to dealing with the issues of digital ethics in general and internet research ethics in particular.
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to propose an ethical approach best suited to dealing with the issues of digital ethics in general and internet research ethics in particular.
Design/methodology/approach
This article engages with the existing literature on virtue ethics, situationism and digital (research) ethics.
Findings
A virtue-based casuistic method could be well-suited to deal with issues relating to digital ethics in general and internet research ethics in particular as long as it can take place in communities with shared practices and traditions.
Originality/value
These insights could add and further deepen the rich debate about research ethics that is already ongoing within the internet research community.
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As interest in technology ethics is increasing, so is the interest in bringing schools of ethics from non-Western philosophical traditions to the field, particularly when it comes…
Abstract
Purpose
As interest in technology ethics is increasing, so is the interest in bringing schools of ethics from non-Western philosophical traditions to the field, particularly when it comes to information and communication technology. In light of this development and recent publications that result from it, this paper aims to present responds critically to recent work on Confucian virtue ethics (CVE) and technology.
Design/methodology/approach
Four critiques are presented as theoretical challenges to CVE in technology, claiming that current literature insufficiently addresses: overall applicability, collective ethics issues, epistemic overconfidence within technology corporations and amplification of epistemic overconfidence by the implementation of CVE. These challenges make use of general CVE literature and work on technology critique, political philosophy, epistemology and business ethics.
Findings
Implementing CVE in technology may yield some benefits, but these may be outweighed by other outcomes, include strengthening hierarchies, widening inequities, increasing, rather than limiting, predictive activity, personal data collection, misinformation, privacy violations and challenges to the democratic process.
Originality/value
Though not directly advocating against CVE, the paper reveals hitherto unidentified and serious issues that should be addressed before CVE are used to inform ethics guidelines or regulatory policies. It also serves as a foundation for further inquiry into how Eastern philosophy more broadly can inform technology ethics in the West.
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The aim of this paper is to explore how virtue ethics might inform our understanding about what constitutes “good” practice in forensic accounting. In particular, the paper…
Abstract
Purpose
The aim of this paper is to explore how virtue ethics might inform our understanding about what constitutes “good” practice in forensic accounting. In particular, the paper explores the concept of phronesis (or practical wisdom) as a basis for guiding the application of professional judgement in forensic accounting practice.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper draws on a review of relevant literature.
Findings
Prior literature has identified a number of technical and personal characteristics and attributes that are desirable in forensic accounting practitioners. Although being ethical is identified as an important characteristic, the question of what constitutes a “good” forensic accountant has not hitherto been investigated. Because of the profession’s multi-disciplinary and highly technical nature, forensic accountants are significantly at risk of conflating ethics with compliance with the law. The paper suggests that an understanding of virtue ethics and especially the virtue of “phronesis” or practical wisdom will help forensic accountants maintain public confidence and quality in their services and provide practical guidance on the exercise of professional judgement.
Practical implications
The paper suggests that the primacy currently given in forensic accounting literature and practice to a commercial logic, technical competencies and legal compliance risks damaging the professional standing of forensic accountants and, over time, reduces the ability of forensic accountants to exercise professional judgement in complex unstructured situations. Virtue ethics can act as a useful counter point to these threats.
Social implications
A recognition of the need for the forensic accounting profession to collectively develop phronesis would re-establish the primacy of the profession’s public interest logic and maintain public trust and quality in forensic accounting services.
Originality/value
There appears to be no prior literature in forensic accounting which explores the application of virtue ethics in this field. In addition, although virtue ethics has been the subject of some prior papers in accounting per se, the importance of phronesis as a basis for understanding the nature and application of professional judgement has not been addressed.
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The purpose of this paper is to present a novel mnemonic, ACTIVE, inspired by Mason's 1985 PAPA mnemonic, which will help researchers and IT professionals develop an understanding…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to present a novel mnemonic, ACTIVE, inspired by Mason's 1985 PAPA mnemonic, which will help researchers and IT professionals develop an understanding of the major issues in information ethics.
Design/methodology/approach
Theoretical foundations are developed for each element of the mnemonic by reference to philosophical definitions of the terms used and to virtue ethics, particularly MacIntyrean virtue ethics. The paper starts with a critique of the elements of the PAPA mnemonic and then proceeds to develop an understanding of each of the elements of ACTIVE ethics, via a discussion of the underpinning virtue ethics.
Findings
This paper identifies six issues, described by the mnemonic, ACTIVE. ACTIVE stands for: autonomy, the ability of the individual to manage their own information and make choice; community, the ethical effect of an information systems on the community which it supports; transparency, the extent to which the derivation of content and process in an information system is made clear; identity, the social and ethical effect of an information system on the definition and maintenance of the distinctive characteristics of a person; value, the value or moral worth placed on information associated with an individual and hence on the relationship with the individual; and empathy, the ability of the information systems professional to emotionally connect with the user and the extent to which the information system distances or connects.
Originality/value
The paper applies virtue ethics to developing a tool to help information professionals reflect on their ethical practice in developing and supporting information systems.
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This paper is an interweaving of virtues ethics perspectives of the relational and role grounded with the situational and agent and is explored through the patterns of academic…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper is an interweaving of virtues ethics perspectives of the relational and role grounded with the situational and agent and is explored through the patterns of academic freedom. It uses a notion of Confucian‐inspired “role virtue ethics” where obligation, procedure and virtue mix in a relational way with a community of scholarly practice. This counter‐intuitive linking of ritual with freedom reveals the importance of the former in defending and maintaining academic freedom: a freedom with rule‐based obligations.
Design/methodology/approach
Applied philosophical approach to a pressing problem in higher education and indeed to all education.
Findings
The paper seeks a preliminary blending of eastern and western understanding to proceed to a “virtue role ethic” for higher education scholars and is presented as a more relational way of being than the contemporary notion of being a fitting scholar in higher education.
Practical implications
A synthesis of western and Confucian approach may offer insights to other ethical issues for educational management.
Social implications
A synthesis of western and Confucian approach may offer insights to other ethical issues for educational management.
Originality/value
The development of role virtue ethics more the discussion away from dispositions and from situational to a blending of both.
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Wessel Reijers and Bert Gordijn
The purpose of this paper is to develop a critique of value sensitive design (VSD) and to propose an alternative approach that does not depart from a heuristic of value(s), but…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to develop a critique of value sensitive design (VSD) and to propose an alternative approach that does not depart from a heuristic of value(s), but from virtue ethics, called virtuous practice design (VPD).
Design/methodology/approach
This paper develops a philosophical argument, draws from a philosophical method (i.e. virtue ethics) and applies this method to a particular case study that draws from a narrative interview.
Findings
In this paper, authors show how an approach that takes virtue instead of value as the central notion for aiming at a design that is sensitive to ethical concerns can be fruitful both in theory and in practice.
Originality/value
This paper presents the first attempt to ground an approach aimed at ethical technology design on the tradition of virtue ethics. As such, it presents VPD as a potentially fruitful alternative to VSD.
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George Gotsis and Katerina Grimani
The purpose of this paper is to provide a functional framework encapsulating a wide range of contributions to the ongoing debate on virtue as a critical dimension of contemporary…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to provide a functional framework encapsulating a wide range of contributions to the ongoing debate on virtue as a critical dimension of contemporary organizations. In so doing, the authors elaborate and develop an encompassing framework that is in a position to capture the diversity of research in this very field.
Design/methodology/approach
Extant literature on virtue in organizational settings is properly categorized through a taxonomy articulated around the potential foci, as well as loci of virtuous behavior. Virtuousness denotes an ethical attribute of managers, leaders or employees and as such, it may be situated at the micro-individual, meso-organizational or macro-societal level, respectively.
Findings
Based on the potential foci and loci of virtuous behavior, the paper differentiates between virtuous managerial, leaders’ and employees’ attitudes on one hand, and virtuous management and leadership development, as well as virtuous employee training on the other. Furthermore, ethically grounded managerial initiatives and leaders’ responsibilities to further the common good are entwined with endeavors to transform employees into virtuous corporate citizens affirming organizational ethicality.
Practical implications
By identifying both targeted group and level of analysis, organizations can effectively design and implement interventions promoting virtuousness as a valued end in itself.
Originality/value
The paper introduces a framework that can help integrate varying trends on organizational virtuousness that substantially differ in terms of both scope and perspective. In addition, the taxonomy will facilitate both researchers and practitioners to better navigate into the dispersed, and ultimately fragmented streams of literature on the role of virtue in business environments.
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Ritab AlKhouri, Pashaar Halteh, Khaled Halteh and Milind Tiwari
This paper aims to outline how certain lessons from ethical systems can be relevant and applicable to tackling unethical behavior, including financial crime, within the finance…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to outline how certain lessons from ethical systems can be relevant and applicable to tackling unethical behavior, including financial crime, within the finance profession.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper adopts a pragmatic perspective while acknowledging that there is a myriad of reasons managers act unethically, including the reality that many do so knowingly and deliberately. The matter is further complicated by human nature, given an individual’s behavior (ethical or unethical) is not easily discernable from their psychological, sociological, theological or cultural attributes.
Findings
Although such systems may not solve the problem of corrupt behavior, research suggests that industry professionals can learn to act in a more responsible and ethical manner. Given the wounded reputation of the financial sector, owing to their role in committing financial crimes such as money laundering, advances in ethical conduct would elevate both the effectiveness of the sector, as well as its reputation.
Originality/value
It is impractical to think we can completely resolve the problem of unethical behavior. Improvement, however, seems possible through promoting virtuous character traits and ethical behavior in individuals and organizations. Virtue ethics can play a significant role in combating financial crime and supporting anti-money laundering initiatives.
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This paper aims to contribute to the discussion about the adequacy/inadequacy of codes of ethics in motivating tourist behaviour.
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to contribute to the discussion about the adequacy/inadequacy of codes of ethics in motivating tourist behaviour.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper is a philosophical argument for the use of virtue ethics, rather than rights-based codes of ethics, when directing the ethical behaviour of individual travellers.
Findings
Codes of ethics suffer from several problems, including inconsistency, unenforceability and a reliance on the guest/host distinction that may not be applicable. Rights-based codes of ethics use the language of rules and regulation, while virtue ethics relies on the moral autonomy of individuals. The language of virtue ethics, which promotes the development of individual character, would be more effective for inspiring ethical behaviour in individual tourists because they will identify with internal goals connected to their own goals and purposes, rather than with external rules.
Practical implications
The language of virtue ethics would have more motivating force and, thus, might be more appropriate for the task.
Originality/value
This paper presents an argument for the replacement of codes of ethics with a virtue ethic approach.
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Rick D. Hackett and Gordon Wang
The purpose of this paper is to bring definitional clarity to the term “virtue” as pertinent to the behavioural sciences literatures on leadership; to identify a short and…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to bring definitional clarity to the term “virtue” as pertinent to the behavioural sciences literatures on leadership; to identify a short and consolidated list of cardinal virtues commonly associated with leadership effectiveness; to provide a model relating leader virtues to leader outcomes (i.e. ethics, happiness, life satisfaction, and effectiveness); and to propose a program of research.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors systematically and comprehensively review Aristotelian and Confucian literatures on virtue ethics, and the literatures on seven leadership styles – i.e. moral, ethical, spiritual, servant, transformational, charismatic, and visionary leadership.
Findings
Six virtues, including four considered cardinal by Aristotle (courage, temperance, justice and prudence), and two considered cardinal by Confucius (humanity, and truthfulness), were common to all seven leadership styles.
Research limitations/implications
Researchers should aim to develop and validate a measure of virtuous leadership based on the six cardinal virtues presented here and also to test both the proposed measurement and structural models.
Practical implications
The authors' recommended program of research will ideally inform development and design of selection and training programs for enhancing virtuous leadership.
Originality/value
The authors provide definitional clarity to the term “virtue” – one that is well grounded in the moral philosophy and virtue ethics literatures; consolidate vast and varied literatures on seven different widely subscribed leadership styles and identify six cardinal virtues most likely to positively impact leadership effectiveness; present an organizing framework, structural model, and research agenda to catalyze research on virtuous leadership.
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