eExploring the Linkage between Organizational Values and Ethical Attitudes of IT Managers.

and Vitell (1986), Ferrell and Skinner (1988), and Finegan (2000) (Jin, Drozdenko, & Bassett, 2007). The authors also draw on management literature and various organizational experiences to conduct a further study and come to their own conclusions. According to this literature, two main sets of key organizational values have been observed in mechanistic and organic IT organizations. Citing Burns & Stalker (1961), Bennis (1977), Hummel (1982), and Adler & Borys (1996), the authors argue that in an organic environment, managers tend to perceive an organization as openly creative, collaborative, encouraging, relationship-oriented, sociable, trusting, and equitable, among other qualities.

These aspects are considered the values that are generally accepted as an ideal social norm in a democratic society (Jin, Drozdenko, & Bassett, 2007). In a mechanistic environment, managers tend to believe that organizations are cautious, rigid, and task-oriented. They also use hierarchical values that lean towards power, pressure, centralization, and procedural processes. The authors refer to research conducted by Bennis (1977), Hummel (1982), Sjoberg, Vaughan, & Williams (1984), and Adler & Borys (1996) in this context (Jin, Drozdenko, & Bassett, 2007). According to recent studies in the information technology industry, mechanistic organizations characterized as bureaucratic can be divided into two subgroups: enabling mechanistic organizations and coercive mechanistic organizations. This division is based on the formalization of rules and procedures used within these organizations and the established routine of work that governs their workflow. Based on this information, the authors emphasize that investigating the bureaucratic subtypes of mechanistic organizations as variables related to organizational ethics is not only significant for the current study but also for future studies.

Based on the research done by Jin, Drozdenko, and Bassett (2007),

the authors of this text argue that the perception of IT managers regarding organizational values is influenced by their own personal values, which in turn shape their ethical attitudes and behaviors both in their work and personal lives. They suggest that these perceptions are formed through deontological and teleological evaluations. To address the main issue of how perceived core organizational value clusters impact the ethical considerations of IT managers, the authors conducted an online survey in which they sent e-mails to 3,700 professionals who were also members of the Association of Information Technology Professionals (AITP).

The information sources mentioned are highly relevant to the main topic of the authors' study. They encompass the experiences of IT professionals in their work environments and draw upon the authors' own research and extensive writing on ethical issues and managerial attitudes in the IT field. Therefore, these sources provide valuable and factual insights into the main issue being investigated. Additionally, they are vital as they present information from various time periods and organizations, thereby enriching the study of the main topic (Jin, Drozdenko, & Bassett, 2007). Furthermore, the online survey is an essential component as it connects previous studies to the current data available.

The authors conducted surveys to obtain reliable and factual data from respondents about the main issue discussed in the article. They specifically asked respondents to assess how well the organizational characteristics and values described their own organization (Jin, Drozdenko, & Bassett, 2007, 151). This enabled the authors to gather information on the presence of values within organizations and whether managers' values and ideologies are being implemented. In addition, the authors connected this to previous research conducted by

Beyer ; Trice (1981) and Harrison (1988), which aided in categorizing organizations based on organic and mechanistic principles.

The authors surveyed respondents to assess their agreement with items regarding personal and organizational ethics. This allowed them to examine the connection between personal ethics and organizational ethics and draw conclusions. The online survey also gathered information about respondents' organizations and personal characteristics, such as the presence of a code of ethics and household income. This is important for determining whether successful IT managers, who are initially characterized as the most unethical, demonstrate a correlation between education, income, age, and gender with their organizational role, number of employees, and industry category (Jin, Drozdenko, & Bassett, 2007).

The study is crucial as it encompasses queries on personal and organizational ethics, values, characteristics, and respondent demographics. It is also significant for the article's main issue as the survey aided the authors in obtaining data from various organizations, including businesses, non-profit organizations, and government agencies. This is essential for understanding whether ethical issues occur uniformly across all IT organizations or if certain organizations exhibit more non-compliance or defiance, and how these situations manifest.

Main Concepts Used by Authors related to the Main Issue

The authors employ specific concepts that pertain to the main issue. The initial concept centers around categorizing organizations as organic or mechanistic based on their value orientations.

The article focuses on the classification of organizations into organic and mechanistic levels. It emphasizes the importance of understanding this classification in order to accurately study IT organizations. The ethical and value principles of organic and mechanistic organizations differ, as does their organizational structure. This is reflected in the IT professionals who

work in each type of organization, with one being democratic and the other coercive. To fully understand the impact of perceived central organizational value clusters on IT managers' ethics, the subgroups of IT organizations must be considered separately. Organizational values play a crucial role in this study, as what one type of organization considers as values or ethical considerations may be seen as the opposite by the other type. Therefore, it is necessary to avoid generalizing these subgroups in order to gather unbiased and necessary information (Jin, Drozdenko, & Bassett, 2007).

The authors rely on the second concept, which states that IT professionals exhibit higher levels of unethical behavior in mechanistic organizational value settings compared to organic organizational settings. This concept is crucial in studying the influence of perceived organizational value clusters on the ethical attitudes of IT managers because it highlights subgroup differences. The main focus of the article is to examine the impact of perceived main organizational value clusters on IT managers' ethics. Therefore, the concept that IT professionals in mechanistic organizational value settings report higher levels of unethical behavior is essential for addressing the main issue in this study (Jin, Drozdenko, ; Bassett, 2007).

The authors of this article included a concept that discusses whether differences in IT organizations sub groups affect managers' perception of ethical standards. They also consider if experiences in these sub groups influence the conception of ethical standards, attitudes, and behaviors among IT managers. To fully understand how perceived organizational values and managerial ethics impact the IT profession, researchers need to comprehend all aspects related to IT professionals' perception of organizational values and managerial ethics. This concept helps the authors

identify and understand the differences between managers in mechanistic and organic organizations, which further influence their attitudes towards organizational ethics. The perceived organizational values among IT professionals shape both IT professionals' and managers' attitudes towards ethics within the organization (Jin, Drozdenko, ; Bassett, 2007).

In regard to unethical behavior in mechanistic organizations, IT professionals share the same perspective as IT managers. However, there are distinctions between upper managers, mid-level managers, and IT professionals that contribute to differences in their attitudes on organizational ethics within IT organizations. Additionally, discrepancies in perceptions of organizational ethics exist among IT non-managerial professionals, IT mid-level managers, and IT upper-level managers. The authors argue that the perception of shared key organizational values is a crucial factor in determining IT professionals' ethical attitudes and behaviors. Evaluations based on deontological and teleological principles also influence people's perspectives on various issues.

IT managers utilize deontological and teleological evaluations to determine their perception of organizational values and ethics (Jin, Drozdenko, & Bassett, 2007). Deontological evaluations involve assessing actions based on rightness regardless of the consequences. Teleological evaluations, on the other hand, consider the consequences of an individual's actions through the lens of utilitarianism. Within the realm of deontological evaluations, IT managers' perception of organizational values and ethics is influenced by their own personal and work-related ethical attitudes. Personal values are crucial because individuals rely on their own perceptions of what is considered ethical or unethical. Hence, when forming perceptions, IT managers incorporate their personal values as a basis for determining what they consider ethically sound or unsound, irrespective of the organization's established value systems (Jin, Drozdenko, & Bassett, 2007).

The text suggests that IT professionals hold certain perceptions

about IT managers and the organizational value systems and work-related ethical attitudes they possess. According to the text, some IT professionals believe that the most successful managers, particularly in mechanistic organizations, are the least ethical. However, this perception is based on personal values and the IT professionals' understanding of what makes a successful IT manager. It does not imply that all successful IT managers are unethical, unless the organizational values support and allow for unethical behavior. If IT professionals evaluate success in terms of its link to unethical behavior, then the issue becomes more complex (Jin, Drozdenko, ; Bassett, 2007).

Assumptions Made by the Authors

The authors have made several assumptions.

According to the authors, one of the core determinants of ethical attitudes among IT professionals is their perception of shared key organizational values. This assumption is supported by reviews of previous research studies. It is also assumed that both IT professionals and managers should adhere to these key organizational values. However, the perceptions of IT professionals and managers in organic organizations differ from those of IT professionals in mechanistic organizations (Jin, Drozdenko, ; Bassett, 2007).

The attitudes of IT managers in organic and mechanistic organizations vary due to their different perceptions. IT managers in organic organizations perceive their organizations as collaborative, sociable, and encouraging, while those in mechanistic organizations view their organizations as cautious, rigidly structured, and hierarchically oriented towards power and procedures. These differing attitudes stem from the lack of shared key organizational values between the two groups.

The authors suggest that certain values, such as sociability, relationship-orientation, encouragement, empowerment, equity, and trust, are widely accepted as ideal social norms in a democratic society. In contrast,

values like caution, task-orientation, rigidity, and hierarchical orientation towards power and procedures are not considered social norms in a democratic society due to their coercive nature.

The authors also argue that individual and work-related ethical attitudes are influenced by the assessment or perception of organizational values combined with personal values. This ethical judgment is believed to be a result of deontological evaluations, teleological evaluations, or a balance between the two evaluative approaches (Jin, Drozdenko, ; Bassett, 2007).

The Authors' Conclusions

The authors draw several conclusions from their study. Firstly, they find that IT professionals categorize organizational value characteristics into two clusters: organic and mechanistic forms. The authors assert that through factor analysis, they identify two types of organizations. One type heavily relies on variables such as being result-oriented, relationship-oriented, creative, sociable, encouraging, stimulating, equitable, while offering personal freedom and being enterprising, trusting, challenging, and driving. The other type is associated with values like being procedural, hierarchical, structured, regulated, power-oriented, and ordered (Jin, Drozdenko, & Bassett, 2007).

Secondly, the authors conclude that IT professionals in mechanistic organizations report higher levels of unethical behavior compared to those in organic organizations (Jin, Drozdenko, & Bassett, 2007).

According to the authors, organic organizations have a stronger ethical direction than mechanistic organizations. This is shown by the high agreement among top management that unethical behavior is not tolerated. Despite the presence of high levels of supervisory control in mechanistic organizations, this control does not effectively suppress unethical behavior. The high level of ethical behavior in organic organizations is attributed to the difference between bureaucratic norms in mechanistic organizations and generally accepted norms in organic organizations. The authors also

discovered differences in perceptions of the ethical environment among IT upper level managers, IT mid-level managers, and non-managerial professionals. Their study suggests that mid-level managers in the IT profession perceive the organization's ethical environment differently compared to top-level managers and non-managerial professionals.

According to Jin, Drozdenko, and Bassett (2007), the mid-level managers have a perception of the organization that does not support an ethical environment. This means that successful managers are less ethical than the mid-level managers and non-managerial professionals. The authors support the findings of Posner and Schmidt (2984, 1992), who argue that executive managers are more likely to believe that their organization is ethical compared to supervisory managers and mid-level managers. However, upper level managers and non-managerial professionals share similar ethical perceptions, which differ from those of mid-level managers.

The authors suggest that in mechanistic organizations, mid-level managers have a greater awareness of ethical problems within the organization and tend to conceal them through informal interactions with upper level managers and IT professionals. The lack of direct contact between upper management and IT professionals contributes to this pattern. The authors also conclude that mechanistic organizations are more prone to unethical behavior compared to organic organizations.

It is important to mention that the ethical behavior of organizations is closely tied to the top management in both subgroups. If the top management fails to clearly communicate the expected ethical behavior, employees at all levels may engage in unethical behavior. Conversely, if the top management makes it clear that unethical behavior will not be tolerated, all employees will act responsibly. Consequently, the role of top management in organizations is crucial in determining the ethical considerations and perceptions of the

organization's professionals. They are responsible for holding the organizational workforce accountable for their actions and inactions (Jin, Drozdenko, & Bassett, 2007).

According to the authors, an important implication of their findings is that as organizations become more centralized, employees' moral considerations decrease. This is particularly noticeable in mechanistic organizations. This decrease in moral considerations poses a significant threat to IT organizations. It is widely acknowledged that organizations establish value systems to ensure their successful functioning, particularly in terms of the principles employees must follow.

However, if employees do not adhere to the established ethical and value standards, the organization will inevitably fail. This is evident in the argument that the most successful managers in mechanistic organizations are the most unethical. Instead of contributing to the organization's success, these managers find success through their unethical actions within their respective organizations (Jin, Drozdenko, & Bassett, 2007). The authors also suggest that in order for organizations to operate ethically and for managers to uphold ethical standards, all IT organizations must undergo diversification or transformation into organic organizations that prioritize humanistic and democratic values. This shift will help mitigate the potential risks and losses caused by unethical behavior. Therefore, mechanistic organizations must confront the competition in dynamic markets and address the lack of ethical considerations through a transition to organic organizations.

Managerial leaders in the IT industry, as well as mid-level managers and non-managerial professionals, all have a role to play in creating a more flexible environment. However, the authors of this article believe that upper-level managers, who often exhibit unethical behavior, hold the greatest responsibility for shaping the organization.

The Authors' Viewpoint

The authors argue that the perceived core organizational value clusters play

a vital role in influencing the ethical attitude of IT managers. They provide evidence of unethical behavior, particularly in mechanistic organizations that prioritize procedures and power over social norms. The authors also stress the importance of top management clearly communicating that unethical behavior will not be tolerated in IT organizations (Jin, Drozdenko, ; Bassett, 2007).

Significance of the Issue

The focus of this article is to determine the influence of perceived core organizational clusters on the ethics of IT managers.

According to the study conducted by the authors, it has been found that the above information holds true and is evidenced by three proven hypotheses. The first hypothesis established by the authors outlines the classification of organizations within the IT industry as either organic or mechanistic, based on their organizational value orientations. The second hypothesis highlights that IT professionals, who work in organizations with a mechanistic value setting, tend to report higher levels of unethical behavior compared to those in organic value settings. The third hypothesis suggests that there are variations in unethical behavior among three groups within the IT industry: IT upper level managers, IT mid-level managers, and IT non-managerial professionals (Jin, Drozdenko, ; Bassett, 2007).

From the above hypotheses, it is evident that the focus of the article is on the significance of unethical behavior and its impact on performance, particularly in mechanistic settings. IT professionals in such settings have found a connection between successful managers and unethical behaviors. This demonstrates that unethical behaviors do not contribute to the organization's success, but rather benefit managers. Consequently, this can influence IT professionals who aspire to become managers themselves in the future.

Ultimately, the culture of unethical behaviors within organizations

is detrimental to their success. It is important for top management to explicitly communicate that such behavior will not be tolerated, as this encourages employees to uphold ethical standards in their work. This, in turn, affects their overall attitude towards their organization and management. In an organic organizational environment where unethical behavior is not tolerated, values such as sociability, equity, empowerment, trust, and collaboration are frequently observed (authors).

These values are regarded as social norms in a democratic society. This applies to the satisfaction of IT professionals in their workplace (Jin, Drozdenko, & Bassett, 2007).

Potential Problems with Authors' Reasoning

Certain potential problems can be observed in the authors' reasoning. The authors have focused on determining the attitudes of IT professionals towards IT managers' values. While this is a valid starting point, the issue arises when interpreting its impact on the organization's successful functioning.

Is this a reflection of organizational inefficiency or is it a trend that does not impact employee performance? Another concern with the author's argument is whether the attitudes of IT professionals accurately represent reality, given that they have no direct contact with IT upper level managers (Jin, Drozdenko, ; Bassett, 2007). There are potential issues that could arise from using this information. The authors clearly state that IT professionals in mechanistic settings report higher levels of unethical behavior in their organizations compared to organic settings. This raises the question of whether unethical behavior only occurs in mechanistic settings.

In addition, the author raises a question about whether the information should only be used in mechanistic settings or if it should also be applied in organic settings. There is another potential issue regarding

whether the information should be used to transform the entire organization or only managerial positions within the organization (Jin, Drozdenko, ; Bassett, 2007). The information is relevant, significant, sufficient, and valid in supporting the author's conclusion. From the data collected, it is evident that perceived major organizational value clusters have an impact on IT managers' ethical stance (Jin, Drozdenko, ; Bassett, 2007). The divisions within organizations into two subgroups have helped to demonstrate the existing perceptions and attitudes in both organic and mechanistic organizational settings, and have also assisted the authors in drawing appropriate conclusions.

Ignored Points of View by Authors

The author overlooks the fact that attitudes or perceptions may not always accurately represent the reality of a situation.

The text highlights that the attitudes IT professionals hold towards IT upper level managers may not always be accurate. The authors contend that there is no direct connection between IT upper level managers and IT professionals, and vice versa. However, the mid-level managers serve as the link between the two groups (Jin, Drozdenko, ; Bassett, 2007). Consequently, it is possible that the attitudes IT professionals have towards IT upper level managers may be somewhat misplaced, and the authors should not overlook this fact. Furthermore, the authors fail to consider the possibility that IT professionals themselves may engage in unethical behavior and falsely accuse IT managers of doing the same in order to hide their own unethical actions.

However, the authors have chosen not to address this aspect, as the focus of the study is on the values of IT managers rather than IT professionals. Consequently, the

authors have disregarded the crucial points of view (Jin, Drozdenko, & Bassett, 2007).

Evidence Supporting Inclusion of Additional Points of View

There are specific pieces of evidence that necessitate the inclusion of these additional points of view. The initial evidence is that the authors depend on the attitudes and perceptions of IT managers to make judgments about the ethical values of IT managers.

According to the authors, there is a lack of direct communication between upper level management and IT professionals. This lack of direct communication extends to both sides, as IT professionals also do not have a direct link with upper level management. Therefore, relying solely on the attitudes and perceptions of IT professionals towards the ethical standards of IT upper managers could be misleading and should be approached with caution. Additionally, IT mid-level managers serve as a crucial link between IT upper managers and IT professionals. They engage in informal interactions with both groups, making them well-positioned to provide valuable insights on organizational shortcomings.

Thus, determining whether the views and attitudes of IT professionals toward IT upper level managers accurately reflect the actual experiences of unethical behavior by IT managers is challenging (Jin, Drozdenko, ; Bassett, 2007). Furthermore, the authors argue that personal and organizational values combine to shape individual attitudes and beliefs about work. This is crucial because it suggests that personal factors, such as deontological and teleological evaluations, or a combination thereof, can influence one's objective perception of ethical standards expected from IT managers in IT organizations. As a result, including these additional perspectives is necessary based on the evidence presented (Jin, Drozdenko, & Bassett, 2007).