Examining CEOs Moral Reasoning in the Automotive Industry

[EN] This paper examines the moral reasoning trends of CEOs (chief executive officers) in the automotive industry, gauging their relations to ethical behaviors and scandals as well as analyzing the influence of scandals and other factors on their moral reasoning. For such a purpose, we carried out a moral reasoning categorization for the top 15 automotive companies in vehicle production in 2017 by applying Weber¿s method to letters written by CEOs for the period 2013¿2018. A positive global trend was observed, with some CEOs reaching high levels, although the evolution was uneven without clear patterns and, in the light of facts, not sufficient, at least in the short term. We also found evidence linking the moral reasoning stages with the ethical performance of companies and introduced the concept ¿tone `into¿ the top¿, reflecting how CEO moral reasoning can be shaped by the company and external factors. This paper stresses the importance of considering the moral tone at the top in relation to company ethical behaviors and the interest of education in business ethics. The outcome is useful for CEOs and other managers seeking to improve corporate social responsibility (CSR) and company ethical performance and to anticipate conflicts as well as to leverage for future research. García-Ortega, B.; De-Miguel-Molina, B.; Galán-Cubillo, J. (2019). Examining CEOs Moral Reasoning in the Automotive Industry. Sustainability. 11(21):1-24. https://doi.org/10.3390/su11215972 Waldman, D. A., & Siegel, D. (2008). Defining the socially responsible leader. The Leadership Quarterly, 19(1), 117-131. doi:10.1016/j.leaqua.2007.12.008 Treviño, L. K., Brown, M., & Hartman, L. P. (2003). A Qualitative Investigation of Perceived Executive Ethical Leadership: Perceptions from Inside and Outside the Executive Suite. Human Relations, 56(1), 5-37. doi:10.1177/0018726703056001448 Treviño, L. K., & Brown, M. E. (2004). Managing to be ethical: Debunking five business ethics myths. Academy of Management Perspectives, 18(2), 69-81. doi:10.5465/ame.2004.13837400 Weber, J. (2009). Assessing the «Tone at the Top»: The Moral Reasoning of CEOs in the Automobile Industry. Journal of Business Ethics, 92(2), 167-182. doi:10.1007/s10551-009-0157-2 Sukitsch, M., Engert, S., & Baumgartner, R. (2015). The Implementation of Corporate Sustainability in the European Automotive Industry: An Analysis of Sustainability Reports. Sustainability, 7(9), 11504-11531. doi:10.3390/su70911504 Wells, P. (2013). Susta