A Social Cognition Framework for Examining Moral Awareness in Managers and Academics

Journal of Business Ethics · 2009 · Volume 84 · Issue 2

Abstract

This investigation applies a social cognition framework to examine moral awareness in business situations. Using a vignette-based instrument, the investigation compares the recall, recognition, and ascription of importance to moral- versus strategy-related issues in business managers (n= 86) and academic professors (n= 61). Results demonstrate that managers recall strategy-related issues more than moral-related issues and recognize and ascribe importance to moral-related issues less than academics. It also finds an inverse relationship between socialization in the business context and moral awareness. Future directions for moral awareness research and the practical implications for these findings are discussed.

Keywords

moral awareness, moral sensitivity, social cognition, managers

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