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Running head: JOURNAL ARTICLE REVIEW FOUR
Journal Article Review Four
Delletia DeFlora
Liberty University
BUSI 613
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Running head: JOURNAL ARTICLE REVIEW FOUR
Journal Article Review Three
Article Caption
The article titled Perceptions of Ethics Among Supply Chain Management Professionals
written by authors Jacob Heller, Nathan Heller, and Gerald Burch, discusses what is considered
to be ethical in the world of supply chain management. These authors believe that a person’s
personal perception controls what they view as ethical in business (Heller, Heller & Burch,
2014). Through the explanation of what supply chain management is and experimentation, it was
concluded that based on a person’s age, ethnicity, level of education, and a few other factors,
their ideas and opinions on ethics could change completely. Various phases such as the
maintenance phase and the disengagement phase, display a greater understanding of an
individual’s understanding and viewpoint on ethics as well.
Author’s Purpose
Ethics can be a sticky topic because everyone has a different viewpoint on what should
be considered moral and immoral. With people being raised as children differently and trying to
work cohesively in one environment, there are challenges faced that only having an
understanding of that person will help. Explanation and understanding is one thing that the
author gives great detail to in the article. The authors’ purpose in this article is to present
contrasting viewpoints of what is considered to be ethical in not only the business world, but in
supply chain management as well. As various employees are examined during their study, a
significant amount of time is taken out to grasp a full understanding of who someone is to
comprehend how they function in ethical and unethical situations. The main gain from this
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Running head: JOURNAL ARTICLE REVIEW FOUR
article, as given by the authors, is the concept that ethics are formed from different backgrounds
and therefore, require a team to understand.
Application
The overall concept of ethics can be seen in and applied to different supply chain
management concepts because everything that is done has a code of ethics. Whether people want
to face it or not, getting things done ethically can be a struggle. As businesses take a look at the
implementation of just in time purchasing, they will find out that the concept can be long and
frustrating. This process also brings in a lot of common problems from suppliers that are
involved as well. “In a detailed survey of U.S. firms involved with JIT manufacturing, 47 percent
of the respondents indicated that they had serious problems with some of their suppliers”
(Liberty University, 2017, p. 233). When problems arise, the door for unethical behavior to
happen is easily opened and can cause a lot of problems.
Just in time practices in manufacturing are normally put in place to help businesses save
more and become more efficient as waste is reduced, as well as speeding up production time and
the quality of delivery to clients (Danese, Romano & Bortolotti, 2012). With this process being
so complex and leading to such a beneficial outcome, it is important that every piece of the
puzzle and every employee has a clear understanding of the ethics of the company. As the
production process is being decreased, some employees may feel that it is okay to take a break,
slack off or perform a lighter load during their shifts. But if this is an action that goes against the
organization’s code of ethics of what employees should be doing during their shifts, then
understanding and comprehension of overall ethics becomes an issue.
Background Issue
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Running head: JOURNAL ARTICLE REVIEW FOUR
The background issue for the concept of ethics is understanding. A lack of understanding
will cause a repeated cycle of firing and hiring that breed the same results. “Ethical issues are not
always clear cut; there are many grey areas that need to be threaded with care by organizations”
(Al-Aidaros, Shamsudin & Idris, 2013, p. 1). Before any activities are performed, researchers are
aware that there are blurred lines in ethics that make it difficult to function properly. Concepts of
ethics have been labeled as limited and lacking when it comes to actually explaining what is right
and wrong (Al-Aidaros, Shamsudin & Idris, 2013) which causes the cross-over of the issues seen
in unethical situations in the work place.
Managerial Implications
Advice to managers who are implementing the just in time manufacturing process is to
educate employees. Not only educate them on what to expect with the use of a new system, but
also educate them on the expectation of how to handle certain situations. Because everyone has a
different idea of the right and wrong thing to do, it is better to give them clear and concise
direction on what is expected of them to do instead of hoping that what is expected is common
knowledge to everybody. Ethics begins coming to the surface when people are faced with
making a decision between alternatives in relation to moral principles (Al-Aidaros, Shamsudin &
Idris, 2013). Without being educated on the moral principles that the company has, there is a lack
of communication and understanding which can turn out bad for a company.
Managers should also take the time out to inform employees of what complications may
arise when dealing with suppliers and other third-party companies. One of the most common
problems that companies have when pursing just in time purchasing is the lack of employees
being ready to handle and support the process (Liberty University, 2017). Preparing employees
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Running head: JOURNAL ARTICLE REVIEW FOUR
for what to expect will keep them from having to make decisions based on their own judgement,
and give them the tools to follow the training on ethics and the just in time system that they have
received from higher management.
Conclusion
The concept of ethics is one that stretches across every industry and every department
and employee involved in those industries. Just because it is something that people are aware of
on a grand scheme, that does not mean it is something that all people understand the same.
Trainings and common understandings are some of the only things that will allow for ethics to be
comprehended on a level where effective execution can happen. Just in time manufacturing and
implementation is a supply chain management concept and process that can bring major issues,
leaving employees to make final decisions on the correct way to handle things. The greater their
level of knowledge of the morals of the company they work for, the greater the outcome of the
process.
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Running head: JOURNAL ARTICLE REVIEW FOUR
References
Al-Aidaros, A., Shamsudin, F. M. & Idris, K. M. (2013). Ethics and ethical theories from an
Islamic perspective. International Journal of Islamic Thought, 4. Retrieved from
http://www.ukm.my/ijit/IJIT%20Vol%204%202013/IJIT%20Vol%204%20Dec
%202013_1_1-13.pdf
Danese, P., Romano, P. & Bortolotti, T. (2012). JIT production, JIT supply and performance:
investigating the moderating effects. Industrial Management & Data Systems, 112(3).
Retrieved from https://www-emeraldinsight-
com.ezproxy.liberty.edu/doi/full/10.1108/02635571211210068
Heller, J., Heller, N. & Burch, G. (2014). Perceptions of ethics among supply chain management
professionals. Academy of Business Research Journal, 4, 90-102. Retrieved from
http://web.a.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.liberty.edu/bsi/detail/detail?vid=0&sid=33f61e77-
3146-4a54-a7c8-def16946e29f%40sessionmgr4008&bdata=JnNpdGU9YnNpLWxpdmU
%3d#AN=100447492&db=bth
Liberty University. (2017). Supply chain management. United States of America. ISBN:
9781309072783
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