(Developing Ethic Values in Terms of Sectorial Differentiations)

Abstract

Purpose – The impact of ethical values on the internal and external environmental components of the organization draws attention to the guiding of these values in behaviors at the institution, group and individual level. Ethical guidance of the behaviors to be performed at these levels in the enterprises reveals the importance of sectoral dynamics, which is an important factor in achieving the desired positive outcomes. For this reason, ethical behavior as a precursor in revealing the desired behaviors may be differentiated by being directly affected by the sector and the sector in which the enterprise is located. The aim of the study is to examine the extent to which ethical values may differ at the sector level. Design/methodology/approach – In the research, data were obtained from enterprises in production and service sectors. Istanbul Chamber of Industry 500 companies were selected from 46 working groups for production sector and the firms were selected in 12 subfields determined in the base of Istanbul Chamber of Commerce for service sector. Large-scale enterprises are selected and mixed method (qualitative and quantitative method is used together) is utilized in this study. Values from official web-sites of companies are investigated and term is determined for unit of analysis. Ethic values examined for both production and service sector were formed as code, category, and theme, respectively. Significant differentiates among companies in the same sector are diagnosed via chi-square test. Findings – Customer-oriented, sustainability and respect for employees employee are most significant values in production sector enterprises; customer oriented, whereas compliance with ethical rules and care about work are the most stated values in service sector. Differences in ethical values for service and production sectors are statistically significant. Discussion – It is revealed that the common value code and theme are transparency and customer orientation, respectively for both production and service sector. The changing profiles of customers from past to present and customers’ continuous demanding attitudes toward product or service cause the customer to be core ethic value in the center of organizational processes depending on business activities. Organizational culture plays an important role to distinguish right from wrong for employees as a guide enabling to constitute ethic codes and develop desired attitudes. Organizational ecology approach can be utilized to determine the sector-specified ethic values as a whole in a holistic-inductive perspective.