Assessment of Ethical Performance of Organization Members: A Conceptual Framework

Abstract
This article describes a conceptual framework that facilitates the assessment of the ethical performance of organization members. Based upon measurement principles applied to general work performance assessment, this framework is comprised of three components: the major stakeholders of the organization, the categorizing of organization members into individual or group units for accountability, and the division of performance into behaviors or results. Ethical standards can be formulated for combinations of these three components and expressed in terms of existing laws, or organizational or professional standards. The importance of the framework for business ethics research and theory development is discussed.