IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/kap/jbuset/v145y2017i4d10.1007_s10551-016-3221-8.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

What Sparks Ethical Decision Making? The Interplay Between Moral Intuition and Moral Reasoning: Lessons from the Scholastic Doctrine

Author

Listed:
  • Lamberto Zollo

    (University of Florence)

  • Massimiliano Matteo Pellegrini

    (University of West London)

  • Cristiano Ciappei

    (University of Florence)

Abstract

Recent theories on cognitive science have stressed the significance of moral intuition as a counter to and complementary part of moral reasoning in decision making. Thus, the aim of this paper is to create an integrated framework that can account for both intuitive and reflective cognitive processes, in order to explore the antecedents of ethical decision making. To do that, we build on Scholasticism, an important medieval school of thought from which descends the main pillars of the modern Catholic social doctrine. Particularly, the focus will be on the scholastic concept of synderesis, which is an innate human faculty that constantly inclines decision makers toward universal moral principles. Managerial implications are discussed, stressing how a rediscovery of decision makers’ intuitive moral judgments could be relevant in the reflective thinking practice of managers’ ethical reasoning, thus saving them from rational insensitivity to ethical dilemmas.

Suggested Citation

  • Lamberto Zollo & Massimiliano Matteo Pellegrini & Cristiano Ciappei, 2017. "What Sparks Ethical Decision Making? The Interplay Between Moral Intuition and Moral Reasoning: Lessons from the Scholastic Doctrine," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 145(4), pages 681-700, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:kap:jbuset:v:145:y:2017:i:4:d:10.1007_s10551-016-3221-8
    DOI: 10.1007/s10551-016-3221-8
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s10551-016-3221-8
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: Access to full text is restricted to subscribers.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1007/s10551-016-3221-8?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Mary Crossan & Daina Mazutis & Gerard Seijts, 2013. "In Search of Virtue: The Role of Virtues, Values and Character Strengths in Ethical Decision Making," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 113(4), pages 567-581, April.
    2. Miquel Bastons, 2008. "The Role of Virtues in the Framing of Decisions," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 78(3), pages 389-400, March.
    3. Koehn, Daryl, 1995. "A Role for Virtue Ethics in the Analysis of Business Practice," Business Ethics Quarterly, Cambridge University Press, vol. 5(3), pages 533-539, July.
    4. Rafael Morales-Sánchez & Carmen Cabello-Medina, 2013. "The Role of Four Universal Moral Competencies in Ethical Decision-Making," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 116(4), pages 717-734, September.
    5. Kevin Groves & Charles Vance & Yongsun Paik, 2008. "Linking Linear/Nonlinear Thinking Style Balance and Managerial Ethical Decision-Making," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 80(2), pages 305-325, June.
    6. Jaana Woiceshyn, 2011. "A Model for Ethical Decision Making in Business: Reasoning, Intuition, and Rational Moral Principles," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 104(3), pages 311-323, December.
    7. David Kim & Dan Fisher & David McCalman, 2009. "Modernism, Christianity, and Business Ethics: A Worldview Perspective," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 90(1), pages 115-121, November.
    8. Raj Agnihotri & Adam Rapp & Prabakar Kothandaraman & Rakesh Singh, 2012. "An Emotion-Based Model of Salesperson Ethical Behaviors," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 109(2), pages 243-257, August.
    9. Jae-Eun Kim & Kim Johnson, 2013. "The Impact of Moral Emotions on Cause-Related Marketing Campaigns: A Cross-Cultural Examination," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 112(1), pages 79-90, January.
    10. Jana Craft, 2013. "A Review of the Empirical Ethical Decision-Making Literature: 2004–2011," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 117(2), pages 221-259, October.
    11. Massimiliano Pellegrini & Cristiano Ciappei, 2015. "Ethical Judgment and Radical Business Changes: The Role of Entrepreneurial Perspicacity," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 128(4), pages 769-788, June.
    12. Brian Whitaker & Lindsey Godwin, 2013. "The Antecedents of Moral Imagination in the Workplace: A Social Cognitive Theory Perspective," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 114(1), pages 61-73, April.
    13. Nicki Marquardt & Rainer Hoeger, 2009. "The Effect of Implicit Moral Attitudes on Managerial Decision-Making: An Implicit Social Cognition Approach," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 85(2), pages 157-171, March.
    14. Domènec Melé, 2016. "Re-thinking Capitalism: What We can Learn from Scholasticism?," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 133(2), pages 293-304, January.
    15. Dierksmeier, Claus & Celano, Anthony, 2012. "Thomas Aquinas on Justice as a Global Virtue in Business," Business Ethics Quarterly, Cambridge University Press, vol. 22(2), pages 247-272, April.
    16. João Neves & Domènec Melé, 2013. "Managing Ethically Cultural Diversity: Learning from Thomas Aquinas," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 116(4), pages 769-780, September.
    17. Tversky, Amos & Kahneman, Daniel, 1986. "Rational Choice and the Framing of Decisions," The Journal of Business, University of Chicago Press, vol. 59(4), pages 251-278, October.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Marcos Luís Procópio, 2022. "Qualitative empirical research on ethical decision-making in organizations: Revisiting Waters, Bird, and Chant’s pioneering methodological approach," Quality & Quantity: International Journal of Methodology, Springer, vol. 56(3), pages 1661-1680, June.
    2. Abhishek Sharma & Chandana Hewege & Chamila Perera, 2022. "Violations of CSR Practices in the Australian Financial Industry: How Is the Decision-Making Power of Australian Women Implicated?," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(1), pages 1-21, December.
    3. Maria Ishaque, 2021. "Managing Conflict of Interests in Professional Accounting Firms: A Research Synthesis," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 169(3), pages 537-555, March.
    4. Doyle, Elaine & Frecknall-Hughes, Jane & Summers, Barbara, 2022. "Ethical reasoning in tax practice: Law or is there more?," Journal of International Accounting, Auditing and Taxation, Elsevier, vol. 48(C).
    5. Kim Clark & Yuan Li, 2023. "Organizational Event Stigma: Typology, Processes, and Stickiness," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 186(3), pages 511-530, September.
    6. Zhe Zhang & Mijia Gong & Shanshan Zhang & Ming Jia, 2023. "Buffering or Aggravating Effect? Examining the Effects of Prior Corporate Social Responsibility on Corporate Social Irresponsibility," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 183(1), pages 147-163, February.
    7. Naman Sreen & Swetarupa Chatterjee & Seema Bhardwaj & Asmita Chitnis, 2023. "Reasons and intuitions: extending behavioural reasoning theory to determine green purchase behavior," International Review on Public and Nonprofit Marketing, Springer;International Association of Public and Non-Profit Marketing, vol. 20(2), pages 447-475, June.
    8. Lamberto Zollo, 2021. "The Consumers’ Emotional Dog Learns to Persuade Its Rational Tail: Toward a Social Intuitionist Framework of Ethical Consumption," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 168(2), pages 295-313, January.
    9. Rasim Serdar Kurdoglu & Nüfer Yasin Ateş, 2022. "Arguing to Defeat: Eristic Argumentation and Irrationality in Resolving Moral Concerns," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 175(3), pages 519-535, January.
    10. Rasim Serdar Kurdoglu, 2020. "The Mirage of Procedural Justice and the Primacy of Interactional Justice in Organizations," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 167(3), pages 495-512, December.
    11. Omar S. Itani & Nawar N. Chaker, 2022. "Harnessing the Power Within: The Consequences of Salesperson Moral Identity and the Moderating Role of Internal Competitive Climate," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 181(4), pages 847-871, December.
    12. Bob Bastian & Antonella Zucchella, 2022. "Entrepreneurial metacognition: a study on nascent entrepreneurs," International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal, Springer, vol. 18(4), pages 1775-1805, December.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Mark S. Schwartz, 2016. "Ethical Decision-Making Theory: An Integrated Approach," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 139(4), pages 755-776, December.
    2. Lu-Ming Tseng, 2019. "How Implicit Ethics Institutionalization Affects Ethical Selling Intention: The Case of Taiwan’s Life Insurance Salespeople," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 158(3), pages 727-742, September.
    3. Cherise Small & Charlene Lew, 2021. "Mindfulness, Moral Reasoning and Responsibility: Towards Virtue in Ethical Decision-Making," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 169(1), pages 103-117, February.
    4. Joan Fontrodona & Alejo Sison & Boudewijn Bruin, 2013. "Editorial Introduction: Putting Virtues Into Practice. A Challenge for Business and Organizations," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 113(4), pages 563-565, April.
    5. Claudius Bachmann & André Habisch & Claus Dierksmeier, 2018. "Practical Wisdom: Management’s No Longer Forgotten Virtue," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 153(1), pages 147-165, November.
    6. Tongyu Meng & Jamie Newth & Christine Woods, 2022. "Ethical Sensemaking in Impact Investing: Reasons and Motives in the Chinese Renewable Energy Sector," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 179(4), pages 1091-1117, September.
    7. Thushini S. Jayawardena-Willis & Edwina Pio & Peter McGhee, 2021. "The Divine States (brahmaviharas) in Managerial Ethical Decision-Making in Organisations in Sri Lanka: An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 168(1), pages 151-171, January.
    8. Domènec Melé, 2016. "Re-thinking Capitalism: What We can Learn from Scholasticism?," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 133(2), pages 293-304, January.
    9. Paolo Antonetti & Stan Maklan, 2014. "Feelings that Make a Difference: How Guilt and Pride Convince Consumers of the Effectiveness of Sustainable Consumption Choices," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 124(1), pages 117-134, September.
    10. Lamberto Zollo, 2021. "The Consumers’ Emotional Dog Learns to Persuade Its Rational Tail: Toward a Social Intuitionist Framework of Ethical Consumption," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 168(2), pages 295-313, January.
    11. Brenda Nguyen & Mary Crossan, 2022. "Character-Infused Ethical Decision Making," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 178(1), pages 171-191, June.
    12. Stephen E. Anderson & Jodine M. Burchell, 2021. "The Effects of Spirituality and Moral Intensity on Ethical Business Decisions: A Cross-Sectional Study," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 168(1), pages 137-149, January.
    13. Scott J. Vitell & Robert Allen King & Jatinder Jit Singh, 2013. "A special emphasis and look at the emotional side of ethical decision-making," AMS Review, Springer;Academy of Marketing Science, vol. 3(2), pages 74-85, June.
    14. Chase Thiel & Zhanna Bagdasarov & Lauren Harkrider & James Johnson & Michael Mumford, 2012. "Leader Ethical Decision-Making in Organizations: Strategies for Sensemaking," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 107(1), pages 49-64, April.
    15. Karen Winterich & Andrea Morales & Vikas Mittal, 2015. "Disgusted or Happy, It is not so Bad: Emotional Mini-Max in Unethical Judgments," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 130(2), pages 343-360, August.
    16. Sandrine Frémeaux, 2020. "A Common Good Perspective on Diversity," Post-Print hal-03232779, HAL.
    17. David Dawson, 2018. "Measuring Individuals’ Virtues in Business," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 147(4), pages 793-805, February.
    18. Christopher Chan & Subramaniam Ananthram, 2019. "Religion-Based Decision Making in Indian Multinationals: A Multi-faith Study of Ethical Virtues and Mindsets," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 156(3), pages 651-677, May.
    19. André Alves & José Moreira, 2013. "Virtue and Commerce in Domingo de Soto’s Thought: Commercial Practices, Character, and the Common Good," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 113(4), pages 627-638, April.
    20. Mai Chi Vu & Nicholas Burton, 2022. "Bring Your Non-self to Work? The Interaction Between Self-decentralization and Moral Reasoning," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 181(2), pages 427-449, November.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:kap:jbuset:v:145:y:2017:i:4:d:10.1007_s10551-016-3221-8. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.springer.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.