title: An exploratory study of ethical values in nonprofit fundraising: survey of fundraising executives.
abstract: An initial study used the Ethical Position Quotient in an extension of this measure from for-profit organizations to nonprofit organizations. Responses from professional fundraising executives for nonprofit organizations were generally more idealistic than relativistic regarding ethical decision-making. Additionally, in a comparison of the executives' answers to those of M.B.A. students, the students were significantly more relativistic and less idealistic than the nonprofit executives. On Forsyth's Taxonomy of Ethical Perspectives, approximately 20% of the students were absolutists versus 66% of the fundraising executives. Conversely, 70% of the M.B.A. students were situationists compared to only a third of the executives. This disparity in responses between these groups provides a rich and interesting platform for research.
authors.affiliation: Abbott Turner College of Business, Columbus State University, 4225 University Ave., Columbus, GA 31907 , USA. geraldvenable@aol.com
authors.forename: Beverly T
authors.initials: BT
authors.lastname: Venable
authors.forename: Judy
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wagner
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003657:Decision Making; D004989:Ethics; D005260:Female; D005653:Fund Raising / Q000941:ethics*; D006801:Humans; D007857:Leadership; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009939:Organizations, Nonprofit; D012107:Research Design; D012945:Social Values; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires