Considering the business in business ethics: An exploratory study of the influence of organizational size and structure on individual ethical predispositions

This paper explores the relationship between organizational size, structure and the strength of organization members' ethical predispositions. It is h ypothesized that individuals in smaller, more flexible, organic organizatio ns will display stronger ethical predispositions. Survey results from 209 i ndividuals across eleven organizations indicate that contrary to expectatio ns, larger, more rigid, mechanistic structures were associated with higher levels of ethical formalism and utilitarianism. Implications of these findi ngs are discussed.