Tractable Morality. Customer discourses of bankers, veterinarians and charity workers.

Ethical problems continually confront managers in the workplace, but how do they know what the “right” thing to do is? A manager’s world is more complicated than choosing between “doing well” and “doing good.” It is difficult enough to identify the ethical dimensions of their decisions in the first place, let alone consider the consequences of the various actions that might follow. Nor are scholars certain of how to research ethics within organizations. What terms and concepts are most useful? This thesis studies discourse theory to help both managers and academicians. Within discourse theory, language is seen as constitutive of reality. This has consequences for business ethics because, after all, how we look at the world and perceive facts determines how we value. The book’s three empirical studies of customer discourses of bankers, veterinarians and charity workers pose some intriguing questions while framing the discourse analyses. Does the Rabobank treat its customers the same way as its competitors? Do fundraisers and managers of charities define “customer” differently? How do veterinarians deal with conflicts of interest between animals and animal owners? The answers lie within.

Om moraliteit in organisaties bloot te leggen, worden in dit boek causaliteiten onderzocht die boven individuen uitstijgen, namelijk discursieve praktijken. Daarbij is de context van groot belang. Het empirische onderzoek van dit boek start niet met een theoretisch raamwerk dat getoetst moet worden, maar met de context waarin managers functioneren. Meer specifiek is bestudeerd hoe managers over klanten en klantrelaties spreken. Gezien het theoretisch kader van de discours theorie, betekent dit dat bestudeerd is hoe managers met hun klanten omgaan. In hun contacten met klanten komen allerlei morele vragen automatisch naar voren. In de behandeling van anderen is een duidelijk moreel element aanwezig.