Keywords
Citation
McCourt-Mooney, M. (1999), "Book reviews. Management and Morality", Journal of Managerial Psychology, Vol. 14 No. 3/4. https://doi.org/10.1108/jmp.1999.05014cab.002
Publisher
:Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Copyright © 1999, MCB UP Limited
Book reviews. Management and Morality
Notes and news
Book reviews
Management and MoralityPatrick MaclaganSage1998ISBN: 0803976801 (paperback)
Keywords Ethics, Responsibility, Organisation, Whistle blowing
An in-depth, well-researched and evidenced approach to a complex subject is taken by the author, who treats ethics and morality as synonymous. Taking moral development of individuals in organisations as his perspective, this is defined and explored in relation to management practice.
The author is very careful to define terms clearly and acknowledge different, but complementary, approaches. He explores dilemmas facing individuals and organisations and the inter-relationship with the processes of decision making, taking the discussion beyond the cognitive to the role of trust and power, for example, and the way in which we communicate with each other.
Organisational life and key issues such as motivation, managing difference and organisational politics are given due consideration. This includes the development of whistle-blowing as an acknowledged means of expressing principled dissent in an organisation.
Examining the interaction between society and organisations, the author discusses the links between societal influences and management theory. He then proceeds to examine the link to learning, i.e. the development of individuals to possess the moral attributes to enable them to appreciate and handle ethical issues and dilemmas. The more wide-ranging issue of where moral development begins highlights the issue as a societal one, not only one for organisations and managers.
This is a difficult subject area to explain in easily comprehensible terms but it has been tackled well in this book. The text provides a good developmental perspective plus an extensive list of useful references.
Maggie McCourt-Mooney Maggie McCourt Training