The independence of managers: an ethical dilemma

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to analyse the complex and antagonistic nature of virtue as practised by managers in the context of the recent global financial crisis and in the light of the ethical scandals which pervade the corporate scene. The dispersal of ethical responsibilities is generated by a misunderstanding of autonomy and self-governance and represents a motivation for managers to promote non-virtuous beliefs. The study should prove useful to managers around the world because the relationship between virtue and profit allows them to identify pressures in the decision-making process and thus provides a pragmatic understanding of the virtues of designing corporate social responsibility. The most recent scandal: the case of Volkswagen which has been accused of cheating pollution emissions tests proves more that dispersal of ethical responsibilities is one of the sources of unethical decisions.