Student ID: 20043043
Submission Date: 17th of July 2011
Second Semester
11
08
Fall
Effect of personal factors (Age, Gender, Education, Religion, and Governmental Experience) on ethical decision making in the kingdom of Bahrain
Abstract
This paper reports on a small-scale investigation of five relationships in business ethics. (1) Age, (2) Gender, (3) Education, (4) Religion, (5) Governmental Experience. This investigation is based on a respond from 40 employees in the kingdom of Bahrain. The reason behind selecting this study is that I have great interest in business ethics, and I believe that ethics could have a great effect on day-to-day business activity. Therefore, people usually have different theories with regards to business ethics. And there ethicality could be determined through the mentioned factors.
Literature review Throughout the history, Business Ethics has been a constant problem in almost all organizations around the word. According to Joanne B. Ciulla, the problem of Business Ethics still exist although the world has gone through many technological and cultural changes that are related to the Business Ethics concept. (Ciulla, 2011) But the question here is: are the employee’s business ethics improving regardless of the changes an organization is going through? Well to answer this, there are many factors to be considered. As a start, moral development has a great influence on a person to help him know the right act from the wrong one, in which the moral development changes while a person is growing up and could be enhanced or ruined by formal and informal education. In addition to moral development factor, there are other factors that contribute in the existence of the unethical behavior, such as: gender, age, education, government work experience, etc. (Mujtaba and Afza, 2011) According to Wallace R. Baker: “It is not only painful but inefficient to live in a society
References: Baker W.R, 2007, A Reflection on Business Ethics, UNESCO FORUM, From Http://portal.unesco.org/education/en/files/53748/11840802765Baker. Beekun R.I, 1996, ‘Islamic Business Ethics’, International Institute of Islamic Thought, From Http://www.muslimtents.com/aminahsworld/ethicshm.pdf Ciulla, Joanne B., 2011, ‘Is Business Ethics Getting Better? A Historical Perspective’, Society for Business Ethics Presidential Address Hooker J., 2003, ‘Why Business Ethics?’, Carnegie Mellon University, From Http://web.tepper.cmu.edu/ethics/whybizethics.pdf. Sikula, Andrew, Sr. and Adelmiro D. Costa, 1994, ‘Are Women More Ethical than Men?’, Journal of Business Ethics 13, 859-871 Washington, DC, America’s Most Pressing Ethical Problems, 1990. Washington, DC: The Ethics Resource Center, p. 1.