What an ethics management program cannot sufficiently address in an African context: an ethics survey’s results read through a Levinasian lens

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Vivier, E ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3401-0365, Painter, M ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7846-7220, Pogrund, G and Myres, K, 2022. What an ethics management program cannot sufficiently address in an African context: an ethics survey’s results read through a Levinasian lens. Business and Professional Ethics Journal, 41 (2), pp. 287-314. ISSN 0277-2027

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Official URL: https://doi.org/10.5840/bpej2022617121

Abstract

Ethics management programs have become a popular first step for organizations to manage ethical risks and employee behaviors. However, such programs may fail to foster moral responsiveness or acknowledge broader societal issues. This paper contributes to this discussion through an analysis of qualitative data from an ethics survey of fifteen South African companies. Results indicate employees experience persistent unethical behaviors in the form of the disrespect, bullying and discrimination. Reflecting on these results, the paper explores the limits of ethical management programs, and whether a compliance approach undermines the transformative ethics that is most needed in organizations struggling with diversity and inclusion. Drawing on Levinas, the paper shows that openness to the face of the Other does not lend itself to instrumental orientations, nor to formalized, standardized responses. Instead, moral responsiveness to particular Others is required, and it is this aspect that may be absent from South African ethics initiatives.

Item Type:	Journal article
Publication Title:	Business and Professional Ethics Journal
Creators:	Vivier, E., Painter, M., Pogrund, G. and Myres, K.
Publisher:	Philosophy Documentation Center
Date:	2022
Volume:	41
Number:	2
ISSN:	0277-2027
Identifiers:	Number Type 10.5840/bpej2022617121 DOI 1479212 Other
Divisions:	Schools > Nottingham Business School
Record created by:	Jeremy Silvester
Date Added:	10 Feb 2022 17:05
Last Modified:	13 Jul 2022 14:43
URI:	https://irep.ntu.ac.uk/id/eprint/45614