Description
This descriptive study discusses cognitive mapping as a technique for analyzing ethical sensitivity, examines whether the method allows comparisons between people, compares the ethical sensitivity levels of participants from three organizations, examines which indicators of ethical sensitivity are most salient to members of specific organizations, and examines whether education level or organizational membership is the best predictor of an individual's ethical sensitivity level. Subjects from three organizations read background information, listened to two audiotaped scenarios containing multiple ethical issues related to organizational communication, responded to focused interview questions, and completed questionnaires. The interviews were taped, transcribed, and analyzed using cognitive mapping techniques. Significant differences in levels of ethical sensitivity were found between the members of the three organizations. However, a hierarchical regression model demonstrated that the difference was likely due to the differences in level of education in each organization. Organizational membership seemed to affect the particular aspects of the scenarios that participants noticed.
Publication Date
1-1-2005
Keywords
Communication Studies, Faculty Works, Scholarship, Ethical Sensitivity, Cognitive Moral Developmen, Cognitive Mapping, Organizational Cognition
Department
Communication Studies
Recommended Citation
Swenson Lepper, Tammy, "Ethical Sensitivity for Organizational
Communication Issues: Examining
Individual and Organizational
Differences" (2005). Communication Studies Faculty Works. 8.
https://openriver.winona.edu/communicationstudiesfacultyworks/8
Unique Identifier
WSUCMSTFACWORKS-2005-Swenson-Lepper-Ethical_Sensitivity_for_Organizational_C.pdf
Comments
Swenson Lepper, T. (2005). Ethical Sensitivity for Organizational Communication Issues: Examining Individual and Organizational Differences.Journal of Business Ethics (2005) 59: 205-231. DOI 10.1007 /s10551-005-2925-y