An assessment of ethical climate in three healthcare organizations

Journal of Clinical Ethics

Volumn 13, Issue 1, 2002, Pages 18-28

  Ells, Carolyn ^a   Downie, Jocelyn ^a   Kenny, Nuala ^a  

^a DALHOUSIE UNIVERSITY   (Canada)

Author keywords

[No Author keywords available]

Indexed keywords

ARTICLE; BIOETHICS AND PROFESSIONAL ETHICS; CANADA; CLASSIFICATION; COOPERATION; EMPIRICAL APPROACH; EPIDEMIOLOGY; ETHICIST; ETHICS; HEALTH CARE AND PUBLIC HEALTH; HEALTH PERSONNEL ATTITUDE; HOSPITAL; HOSPITAL MANAGEMENT; HOSPITAL PERSONNEL; HUMAN; INSTITUTIONAL ETHICS; MENTAL HOSPITAL; ORGANIZATION; ORGANIZATION AND MANAGEMENT; POLICY; PSYCHOLOGICAL ASPECT; QUESTIONNAIRE; STANDARD; STATISTICS; UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL; WORKPLACE;

BIOETHICS AND PROFESSIONAL ETHICS; EMPIRICAL APPROACH; HEALTH CARE AND PUBLIC HEALTH;

ACADEMIC MEDICAL CENTERS; ATTITUDE OF HEALTH PERSONNEL; COOPERATIVE BEHAVIOR; ETHICISTS; ETHICS; ETHICS, INSTITUTIONAL; HEALTH CARE SURVEYS; HOSPITAL ADMINISTRATION; HOSPITALS, MATERNITY; HOSPITALS, PSYCHIATRIC; HUMANS; NOVA SCOTIA; ORGANIZATIONAL OBJECTIVES; ORGANIZATIONAL POLICY; PERSONNEL, HOSPITAL; QUESTIONNAIRES; WORKPLACE;

EID: 0036491784     PISSN: 10467890     EISSN: None     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: None     Document Type: Article

References (15)

1. For a fuller description of this and related collaboration initiatives, see N.P. Kenny et al., "Organizational Ethics Canadian Style," HEC Forum 12, no. 2 (2000): 141-8.
2. V. Bart and J.B. Cullen, "A Theory and Measure of Ethical Climate in Organizations," Research in Corporate Social Performance and Policy 9 (1987): 51-71. An excellent discussion of the relationship between ethical climate, ethical culture, organizational commitment, and organizational behavior is found in L.K. Treviño et al., "The Ethical Context in Organizations: Influences on Employee Attitudes and Behaviors," Business Ethics Quarterly 8, no. 3 (1998): 447-76.
3. V. Bart and J.B. Cullen, "A Theory and Measure of Ethical Climate in Organizations," Research in Corporate Social Performance and Policy 9 (1987): 51-71. An excellent discussion of the relationship between ethical climate, ethical culture, organizational commitment, and organizational behavior is found in L.K. Treviño et al., "The Ethical Context in Organizations: Influences on Employee Attitudes and Behaviors," Business Ethics Quarterly 8, no. 3 (1998): 447-76.
4. An organizationwide needs assessment conducted at St. Boniface General Hospital, Winnipeg, Man., Canada, targeted 400 staff and all physicians, but its scope was limited to ethics education. Our own assessment adapted and expanded that survey instrument to address broader issues of ethical climate. For more details about the St. Boniface needs assessment, see B. Lewthwaite and S. Ericson-Nesmith, "Needs Assessment for Healthcare Ethics Education," HEC Forum 10, no. 1 (1998): 86-101. Other assessments within healthcare include E. Chown, Ethical Dimensions of Health Administration (Ottawa: Canadian College of Health Service Executives, 1990); P. Allatt, Final Report: Hospital Ethics Committee Needs Assessment at The University of Toronto Joint Centre for Bioethics (1998), available at 〈http:// www.utoronto.ca/jcb/clinical/needs_assess ment〉
5. An organizationwide needs assessment conducted at St. Boniface General Hospital, Winnipeg, Man., Canada, targeted 400 staff and all physicians, but its scope was limited to ethics education. Our own assessment adapted and expanded that survey instrument to address broader issues of ethical climate. For more details about the St. Boniface needs assessment, see B. Lewthwaite and S. Ericson-Nesmith, "Needs Assessment for Healthcare Ethics Education," HEC Forum 10, no. 1 (1998): 86-101. Other assessments within healthcare include E. Chown, Ethical Dimensions of Health Administration (Ottawa: Canadian College of Health Service Executives, 1990); P. Allatt, Final Report: Hospital Ethics Committee Needs Assessment at The University of Toronto Joint Centre for Bioethics (1998), available at 〈http:// www.utoronto.ca/jcb/clinical/needs_assess ment〉
6. An organizationwide needs assessment conducted at St. Boniface General Hospital, Winnipeg, Man., Canada, targeted 400 staff and all physicians, but its scope was limited to ethics education. Our own assessment adapted and expanded that survey instrument to address broader issues of ethical climate. For more details about the St. Boniface needs assessment, see B. Lewthwaite and S. Ericson-Nesmith, "Needs Assessment for Healthcare Ethics Education," HEC Forum 10, no. 1 (1998): 86-101. Other assessments within healthcare include E. Chown, Ethical Dimensions of Health Administration (Ottawa: Canadian College of Health Service Executives, 1990); P. Allatt, Final Report: Hospital Ethics Committee Needs Assessment at The University of Toronto Joint Centre for Bioethics (1998), available at 〈http:// www.utoronto.ca/jcb/clinical/needs_assess ment〉
7. A. Bowling, B. Jacobson, and L. Southgate, "Health Service Priorities: Explorations in Consultation of the Public and Health Professionals on Priority Setting in an Inner London Health District," Social Science & Medicine 37, no. 7 (1993): 851-7; W. Ying Hill, I. Fraser, and P. Cotton, "Patients' Voices, Rights and Responsibilities: On Implementing Social Audit in Primary Care," Journal of Business Ethics 17 (1998): 1481-97; B.J. Daley and S.A. Wilson, "Needs Assessment in Long-Term Care Facilities: Linking Research and Continuing Education," Journal of Continuing Education in the Health Professions 19 (1999): 111-21.
8. A. Bowling, B. Jacobson, and L. Southgate, "Health Service Priorities: Explorations in Consultation of the Public and Health Professionals on Priority Setting in an Inner London Health District," Social Science & Medicine 37, no. 7 (1993): 851-7; W. Ying Hill, I. Fraser, and P. Cotton, "Patients' Voices, Rights and Responsibilities: On Implementing Social Audit in Primary Care," Journal of Business Ethics 17 (1998): 1481-97; B.J. Daley and S.A. Wilson, "Needs Assessment in Long-Term Care Facilities: Linking Research and Continuing Education," Journal of Continuing Education in the Health Professions 19 (1999): 111-21.
9. A. Bowling, B. Jacobson, and L. Southgate, "Health Service Priorities: Explorations in Consultation of the Public and Health Professionals on Priority Setting in an Inner London Health District," Social Science & Medicine 37, no. 7 (1993): 851-7; W. Ying Hill, I. Fraser, and P. Cotton, "Patients' Voices, Rights and Responsibilities: On Implementing Social Audit in Primary Care," Journal of Business Ethics 17 (1998): 1481-97; B.J. Daley and S.A. Wilson, "Needs Assessment in Long-Term Care Facilities: Linking Research and Continuing Education," Journal of Continuing Education in the Health Professions 19 (1999): 111-21.
10. Bart and Cullen, see note 2 above; The Council of Ethical Organizations, The Ethics-Compliance Survey, available at 〈http://www.corporate ethics.com/research〉. Ethics Resource Center, Ethical Effectiveness Quick Test, available at 〈http://www.ethics.org/quicktest〉.
11. Bart and Cullen, see note 2 above; The Council of Ethical Organizations, The Ethics-Compliance Survey, available at 〈http://www.corporate ethics.com/research〉 Ethics Resource Center, Ethical Effectiveness Quick Test, available at 〈http://www.ethics.org/quicktest〉.
12. Lewthwaite and Ericson-Nesmith, see note 3 above; J. Ross et al., "Evaluation and Self-Assessment," in Health Care Ethics Committees: The Next Generation (Chicago: American Hospital Publishing, 1993), 113-32; Chown, see note 3 above.
13. K.V. Mann, "Not Another Survey! Using Questionnaires Effectively in Needs Assessment," Journal of Continuing Education in the Health Professions 18 (1998): 142-9; Edmonton Social Planning Council, Doing It Right! A Needs Assessment Workbook (Edmonton, Alb.: Edmonton Social Planning Council, 1988).
14. K.V. Mann, "Not Another Survey! Using Questionnaires Effectively in Needs Assessment," Journal of Continuing Education in the Health Professions 18 (1998): 142-9; Edmonton Social Planning Council, Doing It Right! A Needs Assessment Workbook (Edmonton, Alb.: Edmonton Social Planning Council, 1988).
15. The research ethics board (REB) is the Canadian equivalent to the institutional review board (IKB) in the United States.