Social Responsibility

Maintains that businesses should not function amorally, but should contribute to the welfare of their communities.

Recognizes multiple objectives: economic, social, and environmental dimensions

from each and all activities Related to:

sustainability, Citizenship

If not “amoral,” then has ethical dimensions

Determinants of Moral Behavior

Characteristics(Moral Intensity) of the

IssueSocial Characteristi

cs

Relationships with “others”

Type of Relationships

Structure of Relationships

IndividualCharacteristic

s

SituationalCharacteristic

sLevel of Cognitive Moral

Development

Cognitive

Dissonance

Recognize

the moralIssue

Make aMoral

Judgment(establis

hIntent)

Engage in

MoralBehavior

Steps towards moral behavior

Individual

Utility

Rights

Justice

Care

Personal Characteristics

Culture

Social Networks

Economic Environment

Foreseeable Consequences

Perceptions&

Behavioral Intentions

Situational Framing

Recognition Analysis &

Evaluation

Action

Ethical Philosophies vs. Reasoning

Teleologyvs

Deontologyvs

Virtues

Utilityvs

Justicevs

Rightsvs

Care

Philosophy Perspective

Question 1:  I do not care what motivates other people; I judge them solely on the basis of what they do.

Strongly agreeAgreeNeutral/undecidedDisagreeStrongly disagree

Question 2:  When I am trying to decide what the right thing to do is, I look at the consequences of the various alternatives open to me.

Strongly agreeAgreeNeutral/undecidedDisagreeStrongly disagree

Question 3:  The right thing to do is whatever is best for everyone.

Strongly agreeAgreeNeutral/undecidedDisagreeStrongly disagree

Question 4:  We should look at the overall consequences of our actions in each and every case.

Strongly agreeAgreeNeutral/undecidedDisagreeStrongly disagree

Question 5:  If someone tries to do the right thing but it works out badly, they still deserve moral credit for trying.

Strongly agreeAgreeNeutral/undecidedDisagreeStrongly disagree

Question 6:  What is the most important thing in life? PleasureHappinessIdeals such as truth and beautyHaving your preferences satisfied

Philosophical Ethics

Teleological (design & purpose) Results oriented Actions have no intrinsic ethical character

(acquire moral status from their consequences) or

Deontological (obligation) Act oriented Actions are inherently right or wrong (e.g.,

lying, cheating, stealing)

Ethical Frameworks

Utilitarianism (Bentham & Mills)

Ethics of consequences Deontology (Kant)

Ethics of Duty [action] (Ethical laws) Principles willed into Universal laws Treat people as ends (not means)

Virtues (Aristotle)

Ethics of Character

Bentham’s Hedonistic Calculus Bentham (not originally called Utilitarianism)

Moral science (vs. ascetic religious) Quantifying pleasure

Pleasure good, pain bad Hedonistic calculus (7 aspects)

1. Intensity (Intrinsic strength of the pleasurable or painful feelings produced.)

2. Duration (how long they last)3. Certainty / Uncertainty (likelihood of sensations

being produced by given action.4. Propinquity / Remoteness (how soon they will be

felt)5. Fecundity (whether actions lead to pleasure)6. Purity (whether actions lead to pain)7. Extent (number of people affected)

Open, public, objective, fair Mill’s types of pleasure (quality vs. quantity)

Basic Insights of Utilitarianism

The purpose of morality is to make the world a better place.

Morality is about producing good consequences, not having good intentions

We should do whatever will bring the most benefit (i.e., intrinsic value) to all of humanity.

The Purpose of Morality

The utilitarian has a very simple answer to the question of why morality exists at all:

The purpose of morality is to guide people’s actions in such a way as to produce a better world.

Consequently, the emphasis in utilitarianism is on consequences, not intentions.

Fundamental Imperative

The fundamental imperative of utilitarianism is:

Always act in the way that will produce the greatest overall amount of good in the world.

The emphasis is clearly on consequences, not intentions.

The Emphasis on the Overall Good

We often speak of “utilitarian” solutions in a disparaging tone, but in fact utilitarianism is a demanding moral position that often asks us to put aside self-interest for the sake of the whole.

Utilitarianism is a morally demanding position for two reasons:

It always asks us to do the most, to maximize utility, not to do the minimum.

It asks us to set aside personal interest.

The Dream of Utilitarianism:Bringing Scientific Certainty to Ethics

Utilitarianism offers us a powerful vision of the moral life, one that promises to reduce or eliminate moral disagreement.

If we can agree that the purpose of morality is to make the world a better place; and

If we can scientifically assess various possible courses of action to determine which will have the greatest positive effect on the world; then

We can provide a scientific answer to the question of what we ought to do.

Intrinsic Value

Many things have instrumental value, that is, they have value as means to an end.

However, there must be some things which are not merely instrumental, but have value in themselves. This is what we call intrinsic value.

What has intrinsic value? Four principal candidates: Pleasure

Jeremy Bentham Happiness

John Stuart Mill Ideals

G. E. Moore Preferences

Kenneth Arrow

Pleasure Definition: The

enjoyable feeling we experience when a state of deprivation is replaced by fulfillment.

Advantages Easy to quantify Short duration Bodily

Criticisms Came to be known

as “the pig’s philosophy”

Ignores higher values

Could justify living on a pleasure machine

Happiness Advantages

A higher standard, more specific to humans

About realization of goals

Disadvantages More difficult to

measure Competing

conceptions of happiness

The Utilitarian Calculus

Math and ethics finally merge: all consequences must be measured and weighed.

Units of measurement: Hedons: positive Dolors: negative

What do we calculate?

Hedons/dolors may be defined in terms of Pleasure Happiness Ideals Preferences

For any given action, we must calculate: How many people will be affected, negatively

(dolors) as well as positively (hedons) How intensely they will be affected Similar calculations for all available alternatives Choose the action that produces the greatest overall

amount of utility (hedons minus dolors)

Business Systems Economic systems (underlying ideologies)

“normative” beliefs Motivation? Basic purpose(s)? Function of society

Market Free-Market

John Locke’s (rights) All are free and equal Rights of freedom, property, and protection

Negative / positive rights? Rights versus justice? Individualistic assumption?

Adam Smith’s (utilitarian) Market competition serves society better than

government Unrealistic assumptions of perfect competition

Business Systems

Keynesian Free-markets alone are not enough

Not the most efficient Social Darwinism

Survival of the fittest Penalties for incompetence and ignorance

Naturalistic fallacy

Free-Trade Benefits of specialization and trade

Comparative (rather than absolute) advantage Production costs are not constant Means of production is portable.

Business Systems

Command Marx’s economic substructure / social

superstructure Exploitation of workers “surplus” Separation (alienation) of workers from product Subordination of government to ruling class’

interests State control is victimized by individuals

Mixed Economy Retains Market and Private Property system Relies on governmental policies

Cell X

Cell 1

Cell2Cell 3

EthicalResponsibility

LegalResponsibility

Economic Responsibility

Business Ethics

EthicalResponsibility

LegalResponsibility

Economic Responsibility

Business Ethics

Cell “X”

Profitable, Legal and Ethical

Proceed with enthusiasm!

Cell X

Cell 1EthicalResponsibility

LegalResponsibility

Economic Responsibility

Business Ethics

Cell 1

Legal and Ethical

Not Profitable:

Seek Profitable alternatives

Cell2

EthicalResponsibility

LegalResponsibility

Economic Responsibility

Business Ethics

Cell 2

Profitable and Legal

Proceed cautiously

Cell 3

EthicalResponsibility

LegalResponsibility

Economic Responsibility

Business Ethics

Cell 3

Profitable and ethical

Likely, also legal;

Proceed cautiously

Bremer’s “big picture” perspective

Question1 2 3 4

Level What is? What ought to be? Getting from 1 - 2? Motivation?

Personal

Organizational

Industry or Professional

Societal

Three Models of Managerial Ethics

Moral Management

ImmoralManagement

AmoralManagement

IntentionalUnintentional

Ethical Standards?

1. Integrity• Possessing and adhering to high principles

2. Honesty• Fair, just, truthful and morally upright

3. Fidelity• Loyalty, allegiance, accuracy

4. Charity• Voluntarily helping those in need

5. Tolerance• Ability to endure hardship, accepting different views

6. Responsibility• Accountable, willing to take a stand

7. Self-Discipline• Ability to motivate or restrain oneself

Ethical CriteriaFocus of Individual

PersonEthical Company Societal Concern

Egoism (Self-Centered approach)

Self Interest Company Interest Economic efficiency

Benevolence (Concern for others approach)

Friendship Team interest Social responsibility

Principle (Integrity Approach)

Personal morality Company rules and procedures

Laws and professional codes

Components of Ethical Climates

MethodCritical Determing

FactorAn Action is Ethical

when….Limitations

Utilitarian Comparing benefits and costs

Net benefits exceed costs

Difficult to measure some human and

social costs; majority may disregard the

rights of the minorityRights Respecting

entitlementsBasic human rights

are respectedDifficult to balance conflicting rights

Justice Distributing fair shares Benefits and costs are fairly distributed

Difficult to measure benefits and costs;

lack of agreement on fair shares (fair may

not be equal)Care Honoring relationships The involved party is

given due consideration

Requires situational ethics; Difficult to

justify under any of the other frameworks

Methods of Reasoning

Alternative

Feasibility Test Check time, money, technical, and social

factors

Reversibility Test Apply reversibility test

to alternatives

Harm Test Apply harm test to

alternatives

Publicity Test Apply publicity test to

alternatives

1

2

3

4

5

Simplified Ethics Justification Test

  right to read

right to write

right to learn

right to com-

municate

right to filter

development, self-determ-

inationparticipation,open access

development,information competence

deliberative democracy

privacy,data

protection

autonomy

inclusive-ness

justice

sustain-ability

information for all

participation education for all

collaboration knowledge

sharingself-determi-

nation

free access knowledge sharing

education for all

inter-generational

accessno censorship

open access responsibility life-long learning

information ecology

information control

right to commu-nicate

rights

values

Rainer Kuhlen – Computer and Information Science – University of Konstanz, GermanyTransborder Library Forum – Chihuahua, Mexico – March 2005

The information ethics matrix values and rights in electronic environments

This PP file is made publicly available under the following Creative-Commons-License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/de/