Overview of an Article
Written by Valentinov and Pérez-Valls in 2021, A conception of moral wayfinding for business managers is an article that explores current business ethics in management and the possibility of enhancing organizational learning and guidance. The researchers define the primary moral obligation of managers as running “corporations in a sustainable way” by making efficient and morally good decisions (Valentinov & Pérez-Valls, 2021, p. 1). As modern society presents increasingly more challenges for business sustainability and management, managers’ moral motivation and decision-making need to be strengthened by implementing concepts such as moral wayfinding. The conception combines “systems theory, stakeholder theory, and business ethics in order to fill some of the gaps in the extant approaches to managerial guidance” (Valentinov & Pérez-Valls, 2021, p. 1).
At its core, the concept uses the process philosophy that emphasizes constant change and adaptation. Using it, the authors suggest cultivating moral sensitivities and predispositions in managers instead of creating complex policies, plans, and strategies (Valentinov & Pérez-Valls). In theory, wayfinding should enable managers to adapt and react to sudden or unexpected difficulties in a business environment according to their cultivated moral predispositions and not predetermined moral codes.
Response
Business ethics is the moral code that imposes acceptable conduct at all levels of the business organizational framework, from employees to employers. While legislation defines legal actions in an enterprise, business ethics further shapes behaviors according to business communication, culture, and values. Furthermore, social norms and ethics change as the world is not standing still. As a result, researchers constantly study the impact of said changes and look for new approaches to improve the existing ethics system. Business ethics most notably concerns managerial ethics, as managers are at the center of an organization’s quality and efficiency control process. As such, the article by Valentinov and Pérez-Valls is a valuable asset for organizations to shape their managerial environment.
However, the article alone is not enough to implement wayfinding in organizational learning. It does not present a concrete project of implementation or practical examples of moral wayfinding in business. Furthermore, as the authors note themselves, moral wayfinding “can generate little in the way of specific recommendations,” which is a crucial limitation of the concept (Valentinov & Pérez-Valls, 2021, p. 7). Without particular moral implications central to traditional business ethics, wayfinding seems like a risky approach to business management as it may yield unpredictable and adverse results. Thus, further research is needed, especially on practical examples of said idea and developing an actual learning program for managers based on the concept.
Notwithstanding the precautions mentioned above, the article presents a well-structured theoretical rationale for wayfinding, exploring process philosophy, the general systems theory, and business ethics. Regarding the latter, Valentinov and Pérez-Valls (2021) identify the principal issue in management, which is an ongoing competition “between the rational self-interest and moral motivation” (p. 6). This notion truly summarizes the business world today as businesses globally struggle to adhere to their corporate social responsibility while being capable of making a profit. In the current globalizing environment, said responsibility depends not only on stakeholders’ perception of morally acceptable and particular society’s norms but also on worldwide imperatives. Consequently, managerial ethics takes into account both private and public interests (Valentinov & Pérez-Valls, 2021). Exploring and trying to alleviate that dilemma makes the article relevant.
Unfortunately, the authors do not elaborate on how business ethics regulate management practices. It would benefit the article to describe current ethics and discuss managerial irresponsibility and violation of ethical norms. It is a pressing topic as such violations lead to large-scale business scandals and directly affect customers. Managerial irresponsibility often occurs due to a company’s pressure on managers to achieve assigned goals. Thus, managers neglect their company’s moral responsibility and resort to unethical practices such as workplace violations, fraud, false advertisement, etc. As wayfinding is supposed to stimulate “moral decision-making by corporate managers,” it is necessary to explore possible scenarios and show how the concept could prevent bad management (Valentinov & Pérez-Valls, 2021, p. 7). In that matter, the article has no relation to the business world. It will be more beneficial to business and management scholars as it opens up a whole new perspective for future research.
Finally, wayfinding is a novel approach aimed at reducing the complexity of business ethics, which contradicts current business world dynamics. Modern corporations implement elaborate ethical policies such as workplace anti-harassment policies, a code of professional conduct, or a code of ethics. Such documents contain nuanced rules, complaint procedures, and repercussions for general employees, managers, and executives. Although limited and conservative, the existing approach presents cohesive, orderly, and comprehensible business ethics that do not leave room for much consideration. Leaving moral decisions to the manager’s cultivated sensitivity and imagination seems an abrupt and extreme transition. With that in mind, wayfinding would be best implemented as additional managerial learning. Hence, managers would have rules to follow and means to address situations not covered by these rules.
In sum, the article by Valentinov and Pérez-Valls is a theoretical process philosophy-based study of managers’ ethical conduct. The study has some applications in a business environment but focuses more on providing further research grounds. Additionally, moral wayfinding in business ethics is an entirely novel concept; therefore, there is no evidence of its impact on the business world. Nevertheless, the article is an excellent example of a new initiative to reform the existing business system.
Reference
Valentinov, V., & Pérez-Valls, M. (2021). A conception of moral wayfinding for business managers: The obligation for a sustainable corporation. Journal of Cleaner Production, 284, 124771. Web.