title: Ethical issues in organizational practices: individuals, organizations and partnerships

authors: Wang, Ying

subjects: Business ethics

abstract: This thesis examines issues regarding ethics in organizational practices. It explores ethics-related inquiries from the influences of an individual’s moral character and conduct, to an organization’s pursuit of a higher value system, and to organizations’ social and ethical practices in the broader context of cross-sector collaborations. The thesis comprises four research papers, with topics ranging from ethics and value-based motivations, issues surrounding ethical governance, to the evolving process of organizational value systems. It asks specific questions such as what are the motivating factors that drive ethical practice, how to effectively govern organizational conduct, and how organizations across spheres can best mobilize their efforts in aligning with evolving social and ethical values. In examining current practices as well as their implied philosophies, the thesis seeks to contribute to the field of business ethics, both in its theoretical engagement with the theory of ‘virtue ethics’, and by gaining insight into the various factors that help foster individuals’ as well as organizations’ ethical and moral development. Overall, the thesis highlights the need for a greater ethical dimension in organizational practices, whether it is individually oriented commitment, or an organization’s collective goals of value creation, both in the mix of motivations that drive ethical practice and in developing ethics-based governance mechanisms, towards an overarching pursuit of a higher value system with greater moral and ethical aspirations.

text: Ethical issues in organizational practices: individuals, organizations and partnerships This thesis examines issues regarding ethics in organizational practices. It explores ethics-related inquiries from the influences of an individual’s moral character and conduct, to an organization’s pursuit of a higher value system, and to organizations’ social and ethical practices in the broader context of cross-sector collaborations. The thesis comprises four research papers, with topics ranging from ethics and value-based motivations, issues surrounding ethical governance, to the evolving process of organizational value systems. It asks specific questions such as what are the motivating factors that drive ethical practice, how to effectively govern organizational conduct, and how organizations across spheres can best mobilize their efforts in aligning with evolving social and ethical values. In examining current practices as well as their implied philosophies, the thesis seeks to contribute to the field of business ethics, both in its theoretical engagement with the theory of ‘virtue ethics’, and by gaining insight into the various factors that help foster individuals’ as well as organizations’ ethical and moral development. Overall, the thesis highlights the need for a greater ethical dimension in organizational practices, whether it is individually oriented commitment, or an organization’s collective goals of value creation, both in the mix of motivations that drive ethical practice and in developing ethics-based governance mechanisms, towards an overarching pursuit of a higher value system with greater moral and ethical aspirations.

year: 2020

title: Deriving and testing efficient estimates of WTP distributions in destination choice model

authors: Scarpa, Riccardo

subjects: mixed logit

abstract: Estimation of welfare measures is often a dominant driver in the empirical literature on nonmarket valuation. To this end, qualitative choice models based on random utility theory have been widely employed in outdoor recreation studies. A frequent goal of applied studies has been the estimation of welfare changes associated with site attribute changes at recreation sites in order to inform regulatory policy and resource management. We review the evolution of the methodology of random utility theory in this field with a focus on taste heterogeneity models and then focus on the recent proposal of specifying utility in the WTP-space (Train K, Weeks M (2005) Discrete choice models in preference space and willing-to-pay space. In: Scarpa R, Alberini A (eds) Applications of simulation methods in environmental and resource economics, chapter 1. Springer, Dordrecht, pp 1–16). Our empirical application is on outdoor alpine recreation data. We emphasize the efficiency and direct testing that using the maximum simulated likelihood estimator affords to practitioners using the WTP-space approach, and illustrate these with examples.

text: Deriving and testing efficient estimates of WTP distributions in destination choice model Estimation of welfare measures is often a dominant driver in the empirical literature on nonmarket valuation. To this end, qualitative choice models based on random utility theory have been widely employed in outdoor recreation studies. A frequent goal of applied studies has been the estimation of welfare changes associated with site attribute changes at recreation sites in order to inform regulatory policy and resource management. We review the evolution of the methodology of random utility theory in this field with a focus on taste heterogeneity models and then focus on the recent proposal of specifying utility in the WTP-space (Train K, Weeks M (2005) Discrete choice models in preference space and willing-to-pay space. In: Scarpa R, Alberini A (eds) Applications of simulation methods in environmental and resource economics, chapter 1. Springer, Dordrecht, pp 1–16). Our empirical application is on outdoor alpine recreation data. We emphasize the efficiency and direct testing that using the maximum simulated likelihood estimator affords to practitioners using the WTP-space approach, and illustrate these with examples.

year: 2009

title: Dual cultural identity and tangihanga: Conflict, resolution and unexpected outcomes

authors: Edge, Kiri

subjects: bereavement

abstract: New Zealand has a significant number of dual-cultural whānau (families) which incorporate the identities of both Pākehā (New Zealander of European descent) and Māori (indigenous peoples of New Zealand). Little attention has been paid to the bereavement processes that will inevitably impact upon the lives of these whānau/families. As part of the Tangihanga Research Programme based at The University of Waikato, a directed study was conducted with a participant whose family/whānau included two life ways: Māori and Pākehā. An open-ended narrative approach was used to explore the participant’s bereavement after the death of his beloved wife. Two central themes emerged within the narrative, which related to conflict and eventual resolution. Decision-making processes and language played significant roles in the conflict experienced by the participant. Communication and compromise helped to resolve these conflicts. Unexpected outcomes included new understandings and strengthened connections between the participant and his wife’s marae.

text: Dual cultural identity and tangihanga: Conflict, resolution and unexpected outcomes New Zealand has a significant number of dual-cultural whānau (families) which incorporate the identities of both Pākehā (New Zealander of European descent) and Māori (indigenous peoples of New Zealand). Little attention has been paid to the bereavement processes that will inevitably impact upon the lives of these whānau/families. As part of the Tangihanga Research Programme based at The University of Waikato, a directed study was conducted with a participant whose family/whānau included two life ways: Māori and Pākehā. An open-ended narrative approach was used to explore the participant’s bereavement after the death of his beloved wife. Two central themes emerged within the narrative, which related to conflict and eventual resolution. Decision-making processes and language played significant roles in the conflict experienced by the participant. Communication and compromise helped to resolve these conflicts. Unexpected outcomes included new understandings and strengthened connections between the participant and his wife’s marae.

year: 2010