IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/kap/jbuset/v175y2022i1d10.1007_s10551-021-05004-x.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

The Metrics of Ethics and the Ethics of Metrics

Author

Listed:
  • Gazi Islam

    (Grenoble Ecole de Management and IREGE)

  • Michelle Greenwood

    (Monash University)

Abstract

Metrics shape our social worlds in many and more ways. Everyday quantifications of our preferences, our behaviors and our relationships, alter us and the institutions that we constitute. This essay takes a brief look at the metrics of business ethics through two analytic devices. Representation explains the notion that metrics can capture or demonstrate ethics (the metrics of ethics) and performativity explains the notion that metrics can shape or constitute ethics (the ethics of metrics). The analytic distinction between representation and performativity is obscured in practice when metrics become targets, indeed much of the social power of metrics comes from their use as targets. Hence, we should pay attention to the world of practice in which measuring and doing are entangled. However, we should not lose sight of the limitations of measurement and the possibility that there are areas of ethical life best left unmeasured.

Suggested Citation

  • Gazi Islam & Michelle Greenwood, 2022. "The Metrics of Ethics and the Ethics of Metrics," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 175(1), pages 1-5, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:kap:jbuset:v:175:y:2022:i:1:d:10.1007_s10551-021-05004-x
    DOI: 10.1007/s10551-021-05004-x
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s10551-021-05004-x
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: Access to full text is restricted to subscribers.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1007/s10551-021-05004-x?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. Michelle Greenwood & R. Edward Freeman, 2017. "Focusing on Ethics and Broadening our Intellectual Base," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 140(1), pages 1-3, January.
    2. Kirsten Martin, 2019. "Ethical Implications and Accountability of Algorithms," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 160(4), pages 835-850, December.
    3. Michelle Greenwood & Harry J. Van Buren, 2017. "Ideology in HRM Scholarship: Interrogating the Ideological Performativity of ‘New Unitarism’," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 142(4), pages 663-678, June.
    4. Michael J. Zyphur & Dean C. Pierides, 2017. "Is Quantitative Research Ethical? Tools for Ethically Practicing, Evaluating, and Using Quantitative Research," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 143(1), pages 1-16, June.
    5. Kostas Amiridis & Bogdan Costea, 2020. "Managerial Appropriations of the Ethos of Democratic Practice: Rating, ‘Policing’, and Performance Management," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 164(4), pages 701-713, July.
    6. Stefania Veltri & Giovanni Bronzetti, 2015. "A Critical Analysis of the Intellectual Capital Measuring, Managing, and Reporting Practices in the Non-profit Sector: Lessons Learnt from a Case Study," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 131(2), pages 305-318, October.
    7. Cho, Charles H. & Patten, Dennis M., 2013. "Green accounting: Reflections from a CSR and environmental disclosure perspective," CRITICAL PERSPECTIVES ON ACCOUNTING, Elsevier, vol. 24(6), pages 443-447.
    8. Michelle Greenwood & R. Edward Freeman, 2018. "Deepening Ethical Analysis in Business Ethics," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 147(1), pages 1-4, January.
    9. Campbell, Donald T., 1979. "Assessing the impact of planned social change," Evaluation and Program Planning, Elsevier, vol. 2(1), pages 67-90, January.
    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. Maude Lavanchy & Patrick Reichert & Jayanth Narayanan & Krishna Savani, 2023. "Applicants’ Fairness Perceptions of Algorithm-Driven Hiring Procedures," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 188(1), pages 125-150, November.
    2. Kai Hockerts & Cory Searcy, 2023. "How to Sharpen Our Discourse on Corporate Sustainability and Business Ethics—A View from the Section Editors," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 187(2), pages 225-235, October.
    3. Serge P. da Motta Veiga & Maria Figueroa-Armijos & Brent B. Clark, 2023. "Seeming Ethical Makes You Attractive: Unraveling How Ethical Perceptions of AI in Hiring Impacts Organizational Innovativeness and Attractiveness," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 186(1), pages 199-216, August.

    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. Mayowa T. Babalola & Matthijs Bal & Charles H. Cho & Lucia Garcia-Lorenzo & Omrane Guedhami & Hao Liang & Greg Shailer & Suzanne Gils, 2022. "Bringing Excitement to Empirical Business Ethics Research: Thoughts on the Future of Business Ethics," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 180(3), pages 903-916, October.
    2. Gazi Islam, 2022. "Business Ethics and Quantification: Towards an Ethics of Numbers," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 176(2), pages 195-211, March.
    3. Laura J. Spence, 2022. "Radical, Relevant, Reflective and Brilliant: Towards the Future of Business Ethics," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 180(3), pages 829-834, October.
    4. Gazi Islam, 2020. "Psychology and Business Ethics: A Multi-level Research Agenda," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 165(1), pages 1-13, August.
    5. Seyyed Babak Alavi, 2024. "The Making of an Authentic Leader’s Internalized Moral Perspective: The Role of Internalized Ethical Philosophies in the Development of Authentic Leaders’ Moral Identity," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 190(1), pages 77-92, February.
    6. Jose M. Cortina, 2020. "On the Whys and Hows of Quantitative Research," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 167(1), pages 19-29, November.
    7. Kai Hockerts & Cory Searcy, 2023. "How to Sharpen Our Discourse on Corporate Sustainability and Business Ethics—A View from the Section Editors," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 187(2), pages 225-235, October.
    8. Bjørn Hofmann, 2024. "Aesthetic Injustice," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 189(2), pages 217-229, January.
    9. Niyi Ogunbiyi & Artie Basukoski & Thierry Chaussalet, 2021. "An Exploration of Ethical Decision Making with Intelligence Augmentation," Social Sciences, MDPI, vol. 10(2), pages 1-14, February.
    10. Dayuan Li & Jialin Jiang & Lu Zhang & Chen Huang & Ding Wang, 2023. "Do CEOs with Sent-Down Movement Experience Foster Corporate Environmental Responsibility?," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 185(1), pages 147-168, June.
    11. Andrew Lynn, 2022. "Ethics, Economics, and the Specter of Naturalism: The Enduring Relevance of the Harmony Doctrine School of Economics," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 178(3), pages 661-673, July.
    12. Michael Palanski & Alexander Newman & Hannes Leroy & Celia Moore & Sean Hannah & Deanne Den Hartog, 2021. "Quantitative Research on Leadership and Business Ethics: Examining the State of the Field and an Agenda for Future Research," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 168(1), pages 109-119, January.
    13. Jesse Rothstein, 2015. "Teacher Quality Policy When Supply Matters," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 105(1), pages 100-130, January.
    14. Stephanie Kelley, 2022. "Employee Perceptions of the Effective Adoption of AI Principles," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 178(4), pages 871-893, July.
    15. Daniel O. Gilligan & Naureen Karachiwalla & Ibrahim Kasirye & Adrienne M. Lucas & Derek Neal, 2022. "Educator Incentives and Educational Triage in Rural Primary Schools," Journal of Human Resources, University of Wisconsin Press, vol. 57(1), pages 79-111.
    16. Charles H. Cho & Jonathan Maurice & Emmanuelle Nègre & Marie-Anne Verdier, 2016. "Is environmental disclosure good for the environment? A meta-analysis and research agenda," Post-Print halshs-01369422, HAL.
    17. Deegan, Craig, 2013. "The accountant will have a central role in saving the planet … really? A reflection on ‘green accounting and green eyeshades twenty years later’," CRITICAL PERSPECTIVES ON ACCOUNTING, Elsevier, vol. 24(6), pages 448-458.
    18. Maude Lavanchy & Patrick Reichert & Jayanth Narayanan & Krishna Savani, 2023. "Applicants’ Fairness Perceptions of Algorithm-Driven Hiring Procedures," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 188(1), pages 125-150, November.
    19. Brian Gill, 2022. "What Should The Future Of Educational Accountability Look Like?," Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 41(4), pages 1232-1239, September.
    20. Mathieu Chevrier & Vincent Teixeira, 2024. "Algorithm Control and Responsibility: Shifting Blame to the User?," GREDEG Working Papers 2024-04, Groupe de REcherche en Droit, Economie, Gestion (GREDEG CNRS), Université Côte d'Azur, France.

    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:175:y:2022:i:1:d:10.1007_s10551-021-05004-x. 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.