GENDER, MORAL INTENSITY, AND ETHICAL DECISION MAKING OF MANAGERS

J. C IYIEGBUNIWE; W. C. IYIEGBUNIWE

J. C IYIEGBUNIWE Dept. of Business Administration and Accounting Distance Learning Institute, University of Lagos, Akoka
W. C. IYIEGBUNIWE Department of Finance, Faculty of Management Sciences University of Lagos, Akoka

Keywords: Ethical decision-making, Ethical perception, Ethical judgement, Ethical intention, Spiritual well-being, Gender

Abstract

The effect of gender on ethical decision making (EDM), within the context of Jones’ domains of moral intensity, was examined in this study. The cross-sectional within-subject survey research design was employed because it enabled an effective test of the role of moral intensity on ethical decision making variables by its control for the referent used by respondents in questionnaire response. The sample consisted of 450 Executive Master of Business Administration (EMBA) students of the University of Lagos, Lagos, who hold managerial positions and their immediate senior manager. Data for the study were gathered with a structured questionnaire. The research variables include ethical perception, ethical judgement, ethical intention, spiritual wellbeing, and gender. The statistical test employed was a t-test for the difference between means. The findings indicated that male managers have lower ethical disposition than female managers and that male managers are low on idealism and high on relativism compared with female managers who are high on idealism and low on relativism. The spiritual wellbeing of females was not higher than that of male managers -and so does not explain the observed difference in their moral philosophy.