Gender differences in ethical decision making

Abstract

Most of the research on fostering ethical climates by making ethical decision choices in organisations has taken place in the last 20 years. Research has moved from specific studies evaluating either individual or situational variables as factors in ethical decision behaviour to more complex models that encompass the interaction of individual and situational factors. This study revisits the influence of the individual variable of gender on ethical decision making. Using a laboratory format and decision exercises that attempted to create realistic business conflict situations through decision scenarios, the influence of demographic factors, specifically gender, and the moral intensity of the conflict situation on ethical decision making are examined in the light of workplace values.