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Full Length Research Paper
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From self interest to
public interest: Promoting higher levels of business ethics
Nirmala Dorasamy
Durban University of Technology,
Durban, KwaZulu-Natal
4001, South Africa.
E-mail: nirmala@dut.ac.za.
Tel: 031 373 6862 or 0722678704.
Accepted 17 December, 2009 |
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Abstract |
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While there has been widescale acknowledgement of the
importance of business ethics, it is evident that many
businesses still conduct themselves unethically. This paper
adapts Lawrence Kohlberg’s study on moral development to provide
insight into the different levels of impact that self interest
and public interest may have on promoting higher levels of
business ethics. By drawing on Kohlberg’s stages of moral
development, an attempt is made to show the importance of public
interest in promoting higher levels of business ethics.
Attention is devoted to the capacity of businesses driven by
public interest over self interest in curbing unethical conduct.
While some may argue that businesses are notably motivated by
self interest, there is also evidence that businesses also act
for moral purposes primarily out of concern for the public. It
is suggested that at stage 2 of the preconventional level of
cognitive moral development which can be associated with self
interest, business ethics is promoted at a lower level. However,
at stage 4 of the conventional level which can be associated
with public interest, business ethics is promoted at a higher
level.
Key words:
Ethics, moral development, public interest, self interest. |
