Lawrence Kohlberg's Model of Moral Development: Application to the Work Place

Introduction


Picture 1: Moral Development
Source: (Vector, 2020)

Organizations are typically goal-oriented, and as a result, unethical corporate cultures can often emerge in the organizations. The features like unethical culture, pressure from managers and colleagues can be induced employees to behave unethically in the organizational context. When people feel that organizational pressure to go against their sense of what is right, they naturally become frustrated and emotionally exhausted. Manager’s value system and ability to make ethical decisions influence several individual factors of the employees such as personal needs, family influence, and religious background. Personality characteristics such as the strength of ego, self-confidence, and independence make managers easy to make more ethical choices regardless of outside pressures and personal risks (Daft, 2014). 

Therefore right fit between employees and organizations will be an important factor to deal with. The fit between Individuals and organizations was assessed by matching individual’s level of cognitive moral development with the ethical climate of their organization (Ambrouse, et al., 2007). 

Morals can be defined as the ways people should act or how people believe they should act. Morality can be descriptive or prescriptive. Moral development has been studied from a range of psychological perspectives. However modern studies of moral development have a strong influence on the cognitive development approach of Jean Piaget and Lawrence Kohlberg (Naito, 2013).

Kohlberg's model of Moral Development

Picture 2: Kohlberg's model of Moral Development Diagram
Source: (Management by Daft, 2016)

Kohlberg’s theory discuss the moral development stages of human beings. It helps to identify the ways of assessing how their employees and other key stakeholders interact with the organization and leadership styles need to be adopted at each stage of growth (Yilmaz, et al., 2019).

Kohlberg’s model is consists of three stages namely pre-conventional morality, conventional morality, and post-conventional morality. Kohlberg hypothesized that everyone needs to go through the first two stages to reach the higher stage of post-conventional morality. 

  • Preconventional morality

At the initial stage, individuals are guided by external rewards and punishments. They obey rules and regulations to avoid negative personal consequences as they are much concerned with their self-interest. According to Kohlberg's model organization must use autocratic or coercive leadership style with the employees of the initial stage of moral development, as at this stage by providing specific guidance and direction organizational goals can be achieved since employees of this stage are more concerned on task accomplishment, and self-interest (Daft, 2014). 

To consider the practical applicability let’s take an example from the Banking context. A newly recruited trainee to a bank is at the pre-conventional stage of morality. They are often apprehension about pleasing the Manager and a desire to perform work diligently expecting the reward of confirmation. Human Resource Management must give them proper guidance by using autocratic or coercive leadership styles as the leaders should take the control over these individuals to make them much productive.

  • Conventional morality

At the second stage individuals obey authority, not for reward, they fulfill duties and obligations of the social system to uphold laws, maintain order, and secure justice. At the conventional stage, people may have a lot of interpersonal skills and they try to conform to the expectations of good behavior as defined by colleagues, family, peers, and society. Work-group collaboration is the most effective manner of accomplishing organizational goals (Daft, 2014).

In the Banking environment at this stage, employees become more team-oriented. As they are more productive in groups and value societal expectations, HRM can use workgroup collaborations to enhance productivity at this stage.

  • Postconventional morality

At the highest level of moral development, people will be guided by the internal set of values based on universal ethical principles. They will not be hesitated to disobey rules or laws that violate these ethical principles.

In the banking setting, at this stage individuals may have a long history with the organization. They may have risen to management positions and are aware that people hold different values, balance concern for an individual with concern for the common good. HRM must use Transforming or servant leadership for the employees at this stage as transformational leaders develop an influence from their expertise, relationship, and charisma while servant leaders primarily concern with the growth of the workers (Kantharia, 2012). 

Examples from Global Context Numi Teas in Oakland

Ahmed Rahim, CEO of Numi Teas in Oakland, California performs at the post-conventional level of moral development. Ahmed Rahim has introduced fair trade practices and reduce the carbon footprint of his organization on the planet. Furthermore, Numi Teas has stepped forward to educate other business leaders on how to adopt and verify fair labor practices by promoting the model of moral development stage on a global scale (Daft, 2014). 

Limitations

Kohlberg’s stages of moral development provide interesting information about the milestone of individual growth, but these stages may not correspond to all business situations. Some employees may enter a higher stage than others. And some may never progress after certain stages. (Chorn Contributor, 2020).

Conclusion

Lawrence Kohlberg’s theory on the development of morality has been widely influential in psychology and even in business ethics. Kohlberg's model can help Business owners and Human Resource Managers to assess the relationship between the employees and the organizations and leadership style needs to be used at each stage to promote ethical fitness within the organization while achieving the emotional, and career goals of individuals and objectives of the organizations.

                                                                                               
                                                                                           
 Video 1: Kohlberg’s 6 Stages of Moral Development
 Source: (Sprouts, 2019)


References

Ambrouse, L. M., Amaud, A. & Schminke, M., 2007. Individual Moral Developmnent and Ethical Climate. [Online]

Available at: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/225110985_Individual_Moral_Development_and_Ethical_Climate_The_Influence_of_Person-Organization_Fit_on_Job_Attitudes
[Accessed 26 July 2021].

Chorn Contributor, 2020. Kohlberg's Stages of Moral Development in Business. [Online]
Available at: https://smallbusiness.chron.com/maslows-theory-approach-leadership-style-71607.html
[Accessed 26 July 2021].

Daft, R. L., 2014. Managing ethics and social responsibility. In: Management. s.l.:Cengage learning.

Kantharia, B., 2012. Servant Leadership: An Imperative Leadership Style for Leader Managers. [Online]
Available at: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/228136358_Servant_Leadership_An_Imperative_Leadership_Style_for_Leader_Managers
[Accessed 27 July 2021].

Naito, T., 2013. Moral Development. [Online]
Available at: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/301678784_Moral_Development
[Accessed 26 July 2021].

Numi Organic Tea, 2018. As Fair Trade USA Turns 20, Numi Organic Tea Spotlights Its Enduring Commitment to. [Online]
Available at: https://numitea.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/2018-Fair-Trade-Month-Press-Release-Numi-Organic-Tea.pdf
[Accessed 27 July 2021].

Sprouts, 2019. Kohlberg’s 6 Stages of Moral Development. [Online]
Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bounwXLkme4&ab_channel=Sprouts
[Accessed 20 July 2021].

Vector, 2020. Vector — Vector illustration. Leadership in business concept. Leader success business people skill development icons typography. [Online]
Available at: https://www.123rf.com/photo_85481299_vector-illustration-leadership-in-business-concept-leader-success-business-people-skill-development-.html
[Accessed 20 July 2021].

Yilmaz, O., Bahcekapili, H. G. & Sevi, B., 2019. [Online]
Available at: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/333828378_Theory_of_Moral_Development
[Accessed 26 July 2021].

 


Comments

  1. The article is very informative. Thank you for sharing this Rukmali.
    Although there were criticism around Kohlberg's theory of moral development as you have mentioned it had played an important part in development of moral phycology and it can help understand how the main stakeholders interact with the company.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Even though there are some criticism regarding effect to the employee of this particular mechanism, overall concept is very motivative.

    ReplyDelete
  3. This is the typical behavoiur of the employees. For an examaple, if we get new recruit grauduate. First year he is going through on probation period under supervision of a manager. After completeing the training period, he will perform his job while adding more values to the organization and his personal life. After another two/ three years, he will be promoted. But after promoted, sometimes morale will go down. Becuase doing same things over many periods he will come to the comfort zone. In this stage job enlargement/enrichment plays vital role to increase the morale.

    ReplyDelete
  4. The article is more attractive. You have explained the theory part with practical examples.
    According to Gilligan, C (1982) instead, argued that Kohlberg's theory overemphasizes concepts like justice while failing to properly address logical judgment based on principles and ethics of caring and concern for others.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Kohlberg defined three levels of moral development preconventional, conventional, and postconventional , However It’s seems to me the core of this concept is compassion. This kind of gradual process .

    ReplyDelete
  6. Good job Rukmali. There were some points on criticism around Kohlberg's theory of moral development as you have mentioned it plays an important part in development of moral phycology

    ReplyDelete
  7. Hi Rukmali!
    Kohlberg’s theory of moral development stresses on the target oriented companies, who use ethical and unethical methods to achieve their goals. Unethical programmes and processes go against the thinking of some employees. Their action in relation to personal needs, family background and religious beliefs may be different.
    Thereby the moral development and behavior may not match the company’s target.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Kohlberg’s theory has been criticized for emphasizing justice to the exclusion of other values, with the result that it may not adequately address the arguments of those who value other moral aspects of actions. Similarly, critics argue that Kohlberg’s stages are culturally biased, that the highest stages in particular reflect a westernized ideal of justice based on individualistic thought. This is biased against those that live in non-Western societies that place less emphasis on individualism.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Kohlberg's theory suggests that moral development occurs in a series of six stages. as explained it can be implemented in the workplace to have a better outcome, but it should be carefully handled by the Management or HR since the workplace is a diversified place where different people with different believes, lifestyle and religious interacts.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Kohlberg's theory proposes that there are three levels of moral development, with each level split into two stages. Kohlberg suggested that people move through these stages in a fixed order, and that moral understanding is linked to cognitive development. The three levels of moral reasoning include preconventional, conventional, and postconventional. (Mcleod, 2013). His study and findings were developed through experiments carried out with children in different age groups. Very uncommon topic explained well in detail. Thank You.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Each person is different from one another and no one must be jugged or look down upon others for their values and believes. In Kohlberg's theory he argues on that moral development is achievable through maintaining justice. But in recent times this concept was criticized since it is not focused about principles and ethics of concerning about others.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular Posts