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A model of decision-making incorporating ethical values

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Abstract

A model is presented which describes the process decision-makers follow when faced with problems containing ethical dimensions. The model, based upon the empirical literature, is designed to provide guidance to researchers studying ethical behavior in business. The model portrays the decision-maker with a set of personal values which are mediated by elements of the organization's culture. The combination of personal values and organizational influences yields decisions which may be significantly different from those made based upon personal values alone. Inclusion of the personal values of the decision-maker as the dominant individual input and an explicit discussion of the ethical decision process make this model more comprehensive than other recent ethics models.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Business Administration, University of Portland, 97203, Portland, Oregon, U.S.A.

    David J. Fritzsche

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  1. David J. Fritzsche
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Additional information

David J. Fritzsche is Visiting Professor in the Department of Managing and Organization at the University of Washington. His articles have appeared in numerous journals and books. He is also a co-author of the Business Policy Game, a strategic management simulation.

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Fritzsche, D.J. A model of decision-making incorporating ethical values. J Bus Ethics 10, 841–852 (1991). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00383700

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