Gael McDonald

An anthology of codes of ethics

Purpose – Corporate codes of conduct originated around 1900 in the USA gaining further momentum in the 1950s in relation to anti‐trust legislation. Subsequently, the adoption of codes of ethics has spread throughout the world and they now feature extensively in many organisations. The literature relating to codes of ethics, therefore, spans many decades and is undoubtedly comprehensive. The purpose of the paper is to provide an appropriate anthology of codes of ethics.Design/methodology/approach – A descriptive, historical, anthological approach has been taken.Findings – This paper examines the motivations for the adoption of codes of ethics, which naturally also includes international codes, their frequency of use and content. Codes are also not without critique and it is appropriate to highlight the criticisms of codes, to provide an assessment of their potential effectiveness, the issues surrounding implementation and enforcement and the relationship to organisational culture and leadership.Research li...

Ethical relativism vs absolutism: research implications

Purpose – The constructs of relativism and absolutism have a significant role to play in the development of ethical theory; however, they are commonly simplified in their depictions and are philosophically more complex than we give them credit for. The purpose of this paper is to undertake an in‐depth examination of ethical relativity and ethical absolutism before concluding with a discussion of which research implications warrant further investigation.Design/methodology/approach – A descriptive, historical, anthological approach has been taken.Findings – Ethical relativism is regrettably subject to a proliferation of related terminology and, in many instances with different meanings ascribed to similar terms. In addition, ethical relativity appears to attract different research perspectives that are heavily dependent on their academic origins. A clear distinction needs to be made between ethical and situational relativity. It is suggested that relativism is present in the process of moral justification a...

Does size matter? The impact of student–staff ratios

Student–staff ratios (SSRs) in higher education have a significant impact on teaching and learning and critical financial implications for organisations. While SSRs are often used as a currency for quality both externally for political reasons and internally within universities for resource allocations, there is a considerable amount of ambiguity over the actual impact of SSRs and whether a low SSR is reflective of better education outcomes. To provide insight into the importance of SSRs, this article reviews the existing literature looking at both an Australian and international context. It explores the impact of SSRs from three perspectives: (1) learning outcomes; (2) staff workloads and wellbeing; and (3) organisation reputation and funding. This article concludes by proposing a range of recommendations to improve SSRs in the tertiary education sector.

Challenges in collaborative writing: Addressing authorship attribution

Purpose – Increasing pressure to enhance research coupled with a desire for a broadening of academic input, are prompting greater levels of collaboration. Research collaboration can generate notable benefits but can also pose a variety of challenges. The purpose of this paper is to explore the reasons, facilitators, benefits and challenges of academic collaboration. It also provides suggestions to manage identifiable risks and enhance team dynamics.Design/methodology/approach – This is a conceptual paper exploring prior literature in relation to the contentious points of research collaboration, particularly in regard to authorship attribution.Findings – The authors present two checklists that researchers can utilise to ensure the successful completion of collaborative projects. The checklists incorporate the main factors required for effective collaborative work and research, and form a foundation for discussion among team members.Originality/value – The paper draws upon experiences, observations, academi...

Governing the corporation: Structure, process and behaviour

To those of us affected by the global recession that started in late 2007 (and it is hard to think of anyone in the world who is not touched by this massive downturn), it is sobering to realise that much of what has been wrought upon us is the result of decisions made behind closed doors by corporate directors, regulators and politicians. Boardroom, regulatory and political behaviours are all grounded in the desires, emotions and knowledge of the human beings who aspire to be business leaders, regulatory watchdogs and politicians.

A model for improving board performance: The case of a national sport organisation

The transition of many sport organisations from being predominantly volunteer-administered and anchored in an amateur ethos to professionally managed entities has created unique challenges for the governance of sport. This paper provides a contribution to the governance literature through the presentation of a situational case where a four-stage model, drawn from an action research approach, has been used for developing a boards strategic capability and subsequent improvement in organisational performance. Action research is founded on the premise that change and research are not mutually exclusive and that dual foci on improving practice and developing theory are possible (Coghlan & Brannick, 2001). Utilising a national sport organisation (NSO) in New Zealand the study developed and tested a structured model for improving board functioning and, specifically, strategic contribution. While the case to which the model has been applied is an NSO, the model and the subsequent reflections have value for non-profit as well as commercial entities particularly with regard to a greater understanding of the mechanisms associated with balancing the performance and conformance roles of the board.