The Influence of Ethical Values on the Process of Management Decision Making

The ethical standards of business decisions are dependent on diverse variables. This research identifies which of these variables affect managers' ethical decision-making and to what extent. This research addresses the question: What are the effects of ethical values on the process of management decision-making? Data was gathered by means of oneto- one in-depth interviews conducted with three managers from large and medium sized organisations in England. The findings showed two main categories of variable, individual and organisational, with the two most prominent variables being individual ethical philosophy and organisational culture. A conceptual framework was developed from the pattern that emerged from the findings, constituting a compass for corporate procedures for selecting managers and constructing organisations' ethical standards. The conceptual framework, which emphasises the primacy of individual ethical philosophy and organisational culture, generates further insights into the ethical decision-making process and throws light on the importance of personal ethics at all levels: managerial, team and organisational.