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“Moral Distance” in Organizations: An Inquiry into Ethical Violence in the Works of Kafka

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  • Christian Huber
  • Iain Munro

Abstract

In this paper, we demonstrate that the works of Franz Kafka provide an exemplary resource for the investigation of “moral distance” in organizational ethics. We accomplish this in two ways, first by drawing on Kafka’s work to navigate the complexities of the debate over the ethics of bureaucracy, using his work to expand and enrich the concept of “moral distance.” Second, Kafka’s work is used to investigate the existence of “ethical violence” within organizations which entails acts of condemnation and cruelty purportedly in the name of ethics. Kafka’s work provides insight into the processes of moral distancing across a range of organizational contexts including highly formal as well as more informal settings. The paper enriches the concept “moral distance” by identifying the existence of facilitators of moral distance beyond the mechanisms of formal rationality that have been the focus of existing studies. We argue that Kafka’s intense portrayal of “ethical violence” points to an aporia at the very heart of organizational ethics. Copyright Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht 2014

Suggested Citation

  • Christian Huber & Iain Munro, 2014. "“Moral Distance” in Organizations: An Inquiry into Ethical Violence in the Works of Kafka," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 124(2), pages 259-269, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:kap:jbuset:v:124:y:2014:i:2:p:259-269
    DOI: 10.1007/s10551-013-1865-1
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Garaventa, Eugene, 1998. "Drama: A Tool for Teaching Business Ethics," Business Ethics Quarterly, Cambridge University Press, vol. 8(3), pages 535-545, July.
    2. Steven P. Feldman, 1998. "Playing with the Pieces: Deconstruction and the Loss of Moral Culture," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 35(1), pages 59-79, January.
    3. Heidi Weltzien Hoivik, 2009. "Developing Students’ Competence for Ethical Reflection While Attending Business School," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 88(1), pages 5-9, August.
    4. Stelios Zyglidopoulos & Peter Fleming, 2008. "Ethical Distance in Corrupt Firms: How Do Innocent Bystanders Become Guilty Perpetrators?," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 78(1), pages 265-274, March.
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    Cited by:

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    3. Konstantinos Kakavelakis & Timothy James Edwards, 2022. "The Impact of Structure and Corporate Ideology on Leader–Follower Relations in the Bureaucratic Organization: A Reflection on Moral Mazes," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 181(1), pages 69-82, November.
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