CREATIVE SOLUTIONS IN BUSINESS ETHICS
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.32782/ecovis/2024-2-7Keywords:
business ethics, creativity, ethical decision-making, corporate responsibility, innovation, moral dilemmas, ethical management, creative leadershipAbstract
The article examines the growing importance of creative solutions in business ethics in the context of a rapidly changing socio-economic environment and increasing expectations for corporate responsibility. As modern businesses face complex moral dilemmas, traditional models of ethical behavior are often insufficient to resolve the challenges posed by globalization, digitalization, and stakeholder pressure. The purpose of this study is to substantiate the theoretical and practical significance of creativity as a component of ethical decision-making and to analyze its impact on business practices. The paper outlines the main theoretical foundations of business ethics, including deontological, consequentialist, and virtue-based approaches, and explores how these can be enriched and transformed through the integration of creative thinking. Creativity is conceptualized not only as a generator of innovation but also as a catalyst for developing flexible, value-oriented, and socially responsible decisions in ethically ambiguous situations. The authors argue that creative ethical decisions enhance corporate adaptability and reputation while also promoting the development of long-term trust-based relationships with clients, employees, partners, and society at large. Special attention is paid to the mechanisms of implementing creative decision-making in business ethics through the use of interdisciplinary tools, such as design thinking, scenario planning, ethical foresight, and participatory leadership. These approaches provide a framework for forming ethically sound yet non-standard managerial responses to emerging risks and ethical tensions. Moreover, creative thinking in ethics enables the transformation of business culture from a reactive to a proactive system of values and behavior. The study highlights the importance of cultivating a creative ethical climate within organizations, emphasizing the role of leadership, organizational learning, and employee empowerment. In doing so, it is possible to build a resilient ethical infrastructure that aligns individual values with corporate principles. This alignment fosters not only compliance with formal ethical codes but also a deeper internalization of social responsibility in daily business operations. Real-world business cases are presented to demonstrate how creative ethical frameworks can be implemented in managerial practice. Furthermore, the article offers methodological recommendations for managers seeking to foster a creative and ethical climate in their organizations. The findings contribute to the field of management and ethics by emphasizing the role of creativity as a strategic resource for sustainable and responsible business development in the 21st century.
References
Капустін Б. І. Бізнес-етика: класичні концепції та сучасні виклики Етика та економіка. 2020. № 2 (18). С. 45–52.
Velasquez, M. (2012) Business Ethics: Concepts and Cases. 7th edition. Upper Saddle River, NJ : Pearson Education, 416 р.
Freeman, R. E. (2010) Strategic Management: A Stakeholder Approach. Cambridge : Cambridge University Press, 292 р.
Hofstede, G. J., Minkov, M. (2010) Cultures and Organizations: Software of the Mind. New York : McGraw‑Hill, 561 р.
Brown, T., Wyatt, J. Design Thinking for Social Innovation. Stanford Social Innovation Review. 2010. Winter. рр. 30–35.
Floridi, L. Translating Principles into Practices of Digital Ethics: Five Risks of Being Unethica. Philosophy & Technology. 2019. Vol. 32. pp. 185–193.
Герасимчук Н. А. Етичне лідерство в умовах суспільних трансформацій: український вимір. Вісник ЖДУ ім. І. Франка. Економічні науки. 2023. № 1(107). С. 112–118.
Crane, A., & Matten, D. (2016) Business Ethics: Managing Corporate Citizenship and Sustainability in the Age of Globalization. 4th edition. Oxford : Oxford University Press. 632 р. URL: https://global.oup.com/academic/product/business-ethics-9780199697311(accessed May 7, 2024)
Freeman, R. E., Martin, K., & Parmar, B. The Power of And: Responsible Business Without Trade‑Offs. New York : Columbia University Press, 2020. 208 р. (in USA)
Bicchieri, C. The Grammar of Society: The Nature and Dynamics of Social Norms. Cambridge University Press, 2006. 278 р. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO97805116160379 (accessed May 7, 2024)
Choi, J. N., Tu, Y., Lu, X., & Guo, W. Ethical Leadership and Team‑Level Creativity: Mediation of Psychological Safety Climate and Moderation of Supervisor Support for Creativity. Journal of Business Ethics. 2019. Vol. 159, № 2. pp. 551–565. DOI: https://doi.org/ 10.1007/s10551-018-3839-9 (accessed May 7, 2024)
Goncalo, J. A., Chatman, J. A., Duguid, M. M., & Kennedy, J. A. Creativity from Constraint? How Political Correctness Influences Creativity in Mixed‑Sex Work Groups. Administrative Science Quarterly. 2014. Vol. 59, № 4. pp. 602–629. Avaіlable at: https://hdl.handle.net/1813/75434 (accessed May 18, 2024)
Капранова Л. Г. Креативність мислення як запорука прийняття нестандартних бізнес-рішень. Вісник Приазовського державного технічного університету. Серія "Економічні науки". 2023. № 1(38). С. 106–111. DOI: https://doi.org/.31498/2225-6725.1(38).2023.294570 (дата звернення: 18.05. 2024)
Когут М., Стеців І., Содома Р. Професійна етика в маркетингу та етикет сучасного бізнесу, як запорука економічної безпеки підприємства. Економіка та суспільство. 2024. № 68. DOI: https://doi.org/10.32782/2524-0072/2024-68-75 (дата звернення: 18.05. 2024)
Романюк М., Романюк Т. Соціальна відповідальність в Україні: публічний та корпоративний аспекти. Актуальні проблеми розвитку регіональної економіки. 2023. Т. 2, № 19. С. 271–279. DOI: https://doi.org/10.15330/apred.2.19.271‑27(дата звернення: 18.05. 2024)
Собко О. Соціальна відповідальність бізнесу та розвиток підприємництва в Україні під час війни. European Scientific Journal of Economic and Financial Innovations. 2024. Т. 1, 1(13). С. 308–317. DOI: https://doi.org/10.32750/2024‑0130 (дата звернення: 18.05. 2024)
Каптейн М. Етична організація: робити правильні речі правильно. Нью-Йорк: Routledge, 2020. 245 р. DOI: https://doi.org/10.4324/9780429282490 (accessed May 7, 2024).
Пономаренко В. Етика управління в кризових умовах: адаптація західних моделей до українського національного контексту. Економіка і суспільство. 2024. № 3(45). С. 98–107.
Hofman, G. Towards a Practical Ethics of Generative AI in Creative Production Processes. DOI: https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.2412.03579 (accessed May 7, 2024).
Correll, M. (2019). Ethical dimensions of visualization research. In Proceedings of the CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems, pp. 1–13. ACM. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1145/3290605.3300418 (accessed May 7, 2024)
Kapustin, B. I. (2020). Biznes-etyka: klasychni kontseptsii ta suchasni vyklyky [Business Ethics: Classic Concepts and Modern Challenges]. Etyka ta ekonomika – Ethics and economics, no. (2)18, p. 45–52.
Velasquez, M. G. (2012). Business Ethics: Concepts and Cases (7th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education.
Freeman, R. E. (2010). Strategic Management: A Stakeholder Approach. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Hofstede, G., Hofstede, G. J., & Minkov, M. (2010). Cultures and Organizations: Software of the Mind. New York: McGraw-Hill.
Brown, T., & Wyatt, J. (2010). Design Thinking for Social Innovation. Stanford Social Innovation Review, Winter, pp. 30–35.
Floridi, L. (2019). Translating Principles into Practices of Digital Ethics: Five Risks of Being Unethical. Philosophy & Technology, vol. 32, pp. 185–193.
Herasymchuk, N. A. (2023). Etychne liderstvo v umovakh suspilʹnykh transformatsii: ukrainsʹkyi vymir [Ethical leadership in the context of social transformations: the Ukrainian dimension]. Visnyk ZhDU im. I. Franka. Ekonomichni nauky – Journal of Zhytomyr Ivan Franko State University. Economics Sciences, no. (1)107, p. 112–118.
Crane, A., & Matten, D. (2016). Business Ethics: Managing Corporate Citizenship and Sustainability in the Age of Globalization (4th ed.). Oxford: Oxford University Press. Service document Available at: https://global.oup.com/academic/product/business-ethics-9780199697311 (accessed May 7, 2024)
Freeman, R. E., Martin, K., & Parmar, B. (2020). The Power of And: Responsible Business Without Trade-Offs. New York: Columbia University Press.
Bicchieri, C. (2006). The Grammar of Society: The Nature and Dynamics of Social Norms. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO97805116160379 (accessed May 7, 2024)
Choi, J. N., Tu, Y., Lu, X., & Guo, W. (2019). Ethical Leadership and Team-Level Creativity: Mediation of Psychological Safety Climate and Moderation of Supervisor Support for Creativity. Journal of Business Ethics, no 159(2), р. 551–565. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-018-3839-9 (accessed May 7, 2024)
Goncalo, J. A., Chatman, J. A., Duguid, M. M., & Kennedy, J. A. (2014). Creativity from Constraint? How Political Correctness Influences Creativity in Mixed-Sex Work Groups. Administrative Science Quarterly, no 59(4), p. 602–629. Avaіlable at: https://hdl.handle.net/1813/75434 (accessed May 18, 2024)
Kapranova, L. H. (2023). Kreatyvnist myslennia yak zaporuka pryiniattia nestandartnykh biznes-rishenʹ [Creativity of thinking as a key to making non-standard business decisions]. Visnyk Priazovsʹkoho derzhavnoho tekhnichnoho universytetu. Seriia “Ekonomichni nauky” – Reporter of the Priazovskyi State Technical University. Section: Economic Sciences, no 1(38), p. 106–111. DOI: https://doi.org/10.31498/2225-6725.1(38).2023.294570 (accessed May 18, 2024)
Kohut, M., Stetsiv, I., & Sodoma, R. (2024). Profesiina etyka v marketynhu ta etyket suchasnoho biznesu, yak zaporuka ekonomichnoi bezpeky pidpryiemstva [Professional ethics in marketing and modern business etiquette as a guarantee of the economic security of the enterprise]. Ekonomika ta suspilstvo – Economy and Society, no 68. DOI: https://doi.org/10.32782/2524-0072/2024-68-75 (accessed May 18, 2024)
Romaniuk, M., & Romaniuk, T. (2023). Sotsialʹna vidpovidalʹnistʹ v Ukraini: publichnyi ta korporatyvnyi aspekty [Social responsibility in ukraine: public and corporate aspects]. Actual Problems of Regional Economy Development, no. 2(19), р. 271–279. DOI: https://doi.org/10.15330/apred.2.19.271-279 (accessed May 18, 2024)
Sobko, O. (2024). Sotsialʹna vidpovidalʹnistʹ biznesu ta rozvytok pidpryiemnytstva v Ukraini pid chas viiny [Social responsibility of business and development of entrepreneurship in Ukraine during the war]. European Scientific Journal of Economic and Financial Innovations, no. 1(13), р. 308–317. DOI: https://doi.org/10.32750/2024-0130 (accessed May 18, 2024)
Kaptein, M. (2020). The ethical organization: Doing the right things right. New York: Routledge. DOI: https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.4324/9780429282490 (accessed May 7, 2024)
Ponomarenko, V. (2024). Ethics of management in crisis conditions: Adaptation of Western models to the Ukrainian national context. Economics and Society, no. 3(45), p. 98–107.
Hofman, G. (2024). Towards a practical ethics of generative AI in creative production processes. DOI: https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.2412.03579 (accessed May 7, 2024).
Correll, M. (2019). Ethical dimensions of visualization research. In Proceedings of the CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems, pp. 1–13. ACM. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1145/3290605.3300418 (accessed May 7, 2024).


