Off-campus UNL users: To download campus access dissertations, please use the following link to log into our proxy server with your NU ID and password. When you are done browsing please remember to return to this page and log out.
Non-UNL users: Please talk to your librarian about requesting this dissertation through interlibrary loan.
The ideological roots of ethical decision-making
Abstract
The role of ideology in facilitating the violation of employees democratic political rights in organizations was investigated. Drawing from extensive sociological and historical writings, a three-part business ideology was identified which has traditionally facilitated and justified self-interested action on the part of those in authority in organizations. Using an open-ended and exploratory methodology based on the work of Kohlberg, it was found that managers mobilized elements of business ideology more often than did union respondents in order to support the violation of constitutionally-guaranteed political rights. This was interpreted from the sociology of knowledge perspective as representing attempts to remove those rights aimed at restraining the use of authority-based power to inequitably and autocratically distribute burdens and benefits in organizations. Although consistent with this perspective the exploratory nature of the work did not allow for unequivocal conclusions to be drawn as to the relative appropriateness of the sociology of knowledge as opposed to idealist interpretation of the role of ideology in ethical decision-making in organizations. Directions for further research and instrument development were accordingly suggested.
Subject Area
Management|Occupational psychology|Sociology
Recommended Citation
McDonald, Ross Angus, "The ideological roots of ethical decision-making" (1989). ETD collection for University of Nebraska-Lincoln. AAI9030136.
https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/dissertations/AAI9030136