Journal of Applied Economic Research
ISSN 2712-7435
Analytical Review of Conjugation of the Ethical Bases of Artificial Intelligence Implementation and Ecologization in Corporate Governance
Dmitry A. Ruban
Moscow State University of Technologies and Management, Moscow, Russia
Abstract
In contemporary corporations, managers have to embrace artificial intelligence and to focus on ecologization processes. Modern researchers pay significant attention to various aspects of corporate ethics, including those linked to the two noted challenges (AI ethics and eco-ethics). However, in most cases they are considered separately, whereas the relative behavior norms are actually connected. A new phenomenon can be labeled as AI-eco-ethics. The objective of the present investigation is the analytical reviewing of the conjugation of the ethical basis of artificial intelligence implementation and ecologization in corporate governance. The hypothesis is that previous studies characterize this conjugation sufficiently well. The analytical procedure includes finding articles from international journals dealing with AI-eco-ethics in the bibliographical database "Scopus" and systematizing the ideas from those articles by means of their attribution to common topics. The results indicate the diversity of the previous studies of AI-eco-ethics. The topics are the general questions of AI-eco-ethics, artificial intelligence as a new opportunity for eco-ethics development, the factor of sustainability in AI-eco-ethics, corporate interests in AI-eco-ethics and artificial intelligence as a challenge to eco-ethics. The polarity between the researchers' opinions is expressed sharply, and many of them doubt the positive influences of artificial intelligence on corporate eco-ethics. Reference to the ethic codes of the largest world's corporations implies very limited reflection of AI-ethic norms in them. However, when present, these norms co-occur with eco-ethical prescriptions. The results of the analytical review reveal prospects for the conceptualizing of AI-eco-ethics, which is of theoretical importance. From the practical point of view, the results emphasize the necessity of improving the quality and widening the breadth of managerial education, and also the development of inter-organizational cooperation and communication. The undertaken investigation clearly observes the conjugation of the ethical basis of artificial intelligence implementation and ecologization in corporate governance, although the chosen hypothesis is confirmed only in part.
Keywords
analytical review; artificial intelligence; corporate governance; conjugation of ethical foundations; greening
JEL classification
M14, O33, Q55References
1. Elder, M., Olsen, S.H. (2019). The Design of Environmental Priorities in the SDGs. Global Policy, Vol. 10, 70–82 .DOI: 10.1111/1758-5899.12596.
2. RavnBoess R.E., Kørnøv, L., Lyhne, I., Partidário, M.R. (2021). Integrating SDGs in environmental assessment: Unfolding SDG functions in emerging practices. Environmental Impact Assessment Review, Vol. 90, 106632. DOI: 10.1016/j.eiar.2021.106632.
3. Sætra, H.S. (2021). AI in context and the sustainable development goals: Factoring in the unsustainability of the sociotechnical system. Sustainability, Vol. 13, 1738. DOI: 10.3390/su13041738.
4. Chang, K. (2020). Artificial intelligence in personnel management: the development of APM model. The Bottom Line, Vol. 33, 377–388. DOI: 10.1108/BL-08-2020-0055.
5. Brendel, A.B., Mirbabaie, M., Lembcke, T.-B., Hofeditz, L. (2021). Ethical management of artificial intelligence. Sustainability, Vol. 13, 1974. DOI: 10.3390/su13041974.
6. Bonsón, E., Lavorato, D., Lamboglia, R., Mancini, D. (2021). Artificial intelligence activities and the ethical approaches in leading listed companies in the European Union. International Journal of Accounting Information Systems, Vol. 43, 100535. DOI: 10.1016/j.accinf.2021.100535.
7. Werhane, P.H., Freeman, E.R. (1999). Business ethics: The state of the art. International Journal of Management Reviews, Vol. 1, 1–16. DOI: 10.1111/1468-2370.00002.
8. Ruban, D.A., Yashalova, N.N. (2022). Pro-environmental Behavior Prescribed by Top Companies of the World. Available at: link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10668-021-01766-6.
9. Filimonova, I.V., Komarova, A.V., Provornaya, I.V., Dzyuba, Y.A., Link, A.E. (2020). Efficiency of oil companies in Russia in the context of energy and sustainable development. Energy Reports, Vol. 6, 498–504. DOI: 10.1016/j.egyr.2020.09.027.
10. Graves, L.M., Sarkis, J., Gold, N. (2019). Employee pro-environmental behavior in Russia: The roles of top management commitment, managerial leadership, and employee motives. Resources, Conservation and Recycling, Vol. 140, 54–64. DOI: 10.1016/j.resconrec.2018.09.007.
11. Kivarina, M.V., Kulikov, S.P., Zagorodnikov, K.A., Zhiltsov, V.A., Khan, N.V. (2020). Economic growth humanization: Responsibility of business and social entrepreneurship. Quality - Access to Success, Vol. 21, 16–21. Available at: www.proquest.com/openview/28fbdb30a31dab62dfde3fbe6f11ad06/1.
12. Tsukerman, V.A., Ivanov, S.V. (2020). Environmental policy of resource corporations in commercial mineral production in the Arctic Zone of Russia. Mining Informational and Analytical Bulletin, Vol. 10, 56–66. DOI: 10.25018/0236-1493-2020-10-0-56-66.
13. Zvonova, E.A., Pishchik, V.Ya., Alekseev, P.V. (2021). Optimization of the activities of institutions promoting investment in the sustainable economic growth of Russia. Finance: Theory and Practice, Vol. 25, 110–120. DOI: 10.26794/2587-5671-2021-25-4-110-120.
14. Dixit, A., Quaglietta, J., Gaulton, C. (2021). Preparing for the future: How organizations can prepare boards, leaders, and risk managers for artificial intelligence. Healthcare Management Forum, Vol. 34, 346–352. DOI: 10.1177/08404704211037995.
15. Molthan-Hill, P., Worsfold, N., Nagy, G.J., Leal Filho, W., Mifsud, M. (2019). Climate change education for universities: A conceptual framework from an international study. Journal of Cleaner Production, Vol. 226, 1092–1101. DOI: 10.1016/j.jclepro.2019.04.053.
16. Ballester, O. (2021). An Artificial Intelligence Definition and Classification Framework for Public Sector Applications. ACM International Conference Proceeding Series, Vol. 3463709, 67–75. DOI: 10.1145/3463677.3463709.
17. Doorn, N. (2021). Artificial intelligence in the water domain: Opportunities for responsible use. Science of the Total Environment, Vol. 755, 142561. DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.142561.
18. Li, J., Zhou, Y., Yao, J., Liu, X. (2021). An empirical investigation of trust in AI in a Chinese petrochemical enterprise based on institutional theory. Scientific Reports, Vol. 11, 13564. DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-92904-7.
19. Virgilio, G.P.M. (2021). Is artificial intelligence leading to a jobless future? Journal of Social, Political, and Economic Studies, Vol. 46, 244–267. Available at: www.jspes.org/fall_winter_2021_virgilio.html.
20. Salah-Eddine, M., Belaissaoui, M., Hamlaoui, M.E., Salah-Eddine, K. (2021). Computerizing Technostress Management: Toward an Artificial Intelligence Assisted Support and Diagnosis System. Academy of Strategic Management Journal, Vol. 20, 1–13. Available at: www.abacademies.org/abstract/computerizing-technostress-management-toward-an-artificial-intelligence-assisted-support-and-diagnosis-system-10586.html.
21. Lebovitz, S., Levina, N., Lifshitz-Assaf, H. (2021). Is AI ground truth really true? The dangers of training and evaluating AI tools based on experts’ know-what. MIS Quarterly: Management Information Systems, Vol. 45, 1501–1525. DOI: 10.25300/MISQ/2021/16564.
22. Krkac, K. (2019). Corporate social irresponsibility: humans vs artificial intelligence. Social Responsibility Journal, Vol. 15, 786–802. DOI: 10.1108/SRJ-09-2018-0219.
23. Kriebitz, A., Lütge, C. (2020). Artificial Intelligence and Human Rights: A Business Ethical Assessment. Business and Human Rights Journal, Vol. 5, 84–104. DOI: 10.1017/bhj.2019.28.
24. Juho, V. (2019). Ethics of AI technologies and organizational roles: Who is accountable for the ethical conduct? CEUR Workshop Proceedings, Vol. 2505, 39–48. Available at: ceur-ws.org/Vol-2505/paper05.pdf.
25. Watson, G.J., Desouza, K.C., Ribiere, V.M., Lindic, J. (2021). Will AI ever sit at the C-suite table? The future of senior leadership. Business Horizons, Vol. 64, 465–474. DOI: 10.1016/j.bushor.2021.02.011.
26. Wesselink, R., Blok, V., Ringersma, J. (2017). Pro-environmental behaviour in the workplace and the role of managers and organisation. Journal of Cleaner Production, Vol. 168, 1679–1687. DOI: 10.1016/j.jclepro.2017.08.214.
27. Albrecht, S.L., Bocks, A., Dalton, J., Lorigan, A., Smith, A. (2022). Pro-environmental employee engagement: The influence of pro-environmental organizational, job and personal resources. Sustainability, Vol. 14, 43. DOI: 10.3390/su14010043.
28. Lee, J., Kim, S. (2021). Does a pro-environmental firm attract future cash flow? With an impact of sustainable advertisement on firms’ financial performance. Sustainability, Vol. 13, 1348. DOI: 10.3390/su13031348.
29. López Jiménez, D., Dittmar, E.C., Vargas Portillo, J.P. (2021). New Directions in Corporate Social Responsibility and Ethics: Codes of Conduct in the Digital Environment. Available at: link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10551-021-04753-z.
30. Ciampi, F., Faraoni, M., Ballerini, J., Meli, F. (2022). The co-evolutionary relationship between digitalization and organizational agility: Ongoing debates, theoretical developments and future research perspectives. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Vol. 176, 121383. DOI: 10.1016/j.techfore.2021.121383.
31. Dannapfel, M., Wissing, T., Förstmann, R., Burggräf, P. (2019). Human machine cooperation in smart production: Evaluation of the organizational readiness. International Journal of Mechanical Engineering and Robotics Research, Vol. 8, 327–332. DOI: 10.18178/ijmerr.8.2.327-332.
32. Ghaleb, E.A.A., Dominic, P.D.D., Fati, S.M., Muneer, A., Ali, R.F. (2021). The assessment of big data adoption readiness with a technology–organization–environment framework: A perspective towards healthcare employees. Sustainability, Vol. 13, 8379. DOI: 10.3390/su13158379.
33. Sheppard, J.-A., Sarros, J.C., Santora, J.C. (2013). Twenty-first century leadership: International imperatives. Management Decision, Vol. 51, 267–280. DOI: 10.3390/su13158379.
34. Elliott, K., Price, R., Shaw, P., Spiliotopoulos, T., Coopamootoo, K., van Moorsel, A. (2021). Towards an Equitable Digital Society: Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Corporate Digital Responsibility (CDR). Society, Vol. 58, 179–188. DOI: 10.1007/s12115-021-00594-8.
35. Han, S., Pan, Y., Mygrant, M., Li, M. (2021). Differentiated environmental regulations and corporate environmental responsibility: The moderating role of institutional environment. Journal of Cleaner Production, Vol. 313, 127870. DOI: 10.1016/j.jclepro.2021.127870.
36. Weber-Lewerenz, B. (2021). Corporate digital responsibility (CDR) in construction engineering – ethical guidelines for the application of digital transformation and artificial intelligence (AI) in user practice. SN Applied Sciences, Vol. 3, 801. DOI: 10.1016/j.jclepro.2021.127870.
37. Wieland, J. (2014). Forms of economic organization – normative strategic management. Ethical Economy, Vol. 48, 197–213. DOI:10.1007/978-3-319-07923-3_12.
38. Schumacher, E.G., Wasieleski, D.M. (2013). Institutionalizing Ethical Innovation in Organizations: An Integrated Causal Model of Moral Innovation Decision Processes. Journal of Business Ethics, Vol. 113, 15–37. DOI: 10.1007/s10551-012-1277-7.
39. Camaréna, S. (2021). Engaging with artificial intelligence (AI) with a bottom-up approach for the purpose of sustainability: Victorian farmers market association, Melbourne Australia. Sustainability, Vol. 13, 9314. DOI: 10.3390/su13169314.
40. Samuel, G., Lucivero, F., Somavilla, L. (2022). The Environmental Sustainability of Digital Technologies: Stakeholder Practices and Perspectives. Sustainability, Vol. 14, 3791. DOI: 10.3390/su14073791.
41. Boxall, P., Purcell, J. (2011). Strategy and Human Resource Management. London, Palgrave Macmillan, 408 p. Available at: www.bloomsbury.com/us/strategy-and-human-resource-management-9781350309869.
42. Handzic, M., Ozlen, K., Durmic, N. (2016). A contingency approach to knowledge management: Finding the best fit. International Journal of Knowledge Management, Vol. 12, 31–44. DOI: 10.4018/IJKM.2016010103.
43. Bacq, S., Drover, W., Kim, P.C. (2021). Writing bold, broad, and rigorous review articles in entrepreneurship. Journal of Business Venturing, Vol. 36, 106–147. DOI: 10.1016/j.jbusvent.2021.106147.
44. Paul, J., Merchant, A., Dwivedi, Y.K., Rose, G. (2021). Writing an impactful review article: What do we know and what do we need to know? Journal of Business Research, Vol. 133, 337–340. DOI: 10.1016/j.jbusres.2021.05.005.
45. Snyder, H. (2019). Literature review as a research methodology: An overview and guidelines. Journal of Business Research, Vol. 104, 333–339. DOI: 10.1016/j.jbusres.2019.07.039.
46. Pranckute, R. (2021). Web of Science (WoS) and Scopus: The Titans of Bibliographic Information in Today's Academic World. Publications, Vol. 9, 12. DOI: 10.3390/publications9010012.
47. Sætra, H.S. (2021). A framework for evaluating and disclosing the ESG related impacts of AI with the SDGs. Sustainability, Vol. 13, 8503. DOI: 10.3390/su13158503.
48. Morley, J., Elhalal, A., Garcia, F., Kinsey, L., Mökander, J., Floridi, L. (2021). Ethics as a Service: A Pragmatic Operationalisation of AI Ethics. Minds and Machines, Vol. 31, 239–256. DOI:10.1007/s11023-021-09563-w.
49. Kindylidi, I., Cabral, T.S. (2021). Sustainability of AI: The case of provision of information to consumers. Sustainability, Vol. 13, 12064. DOI: 10.3390/su132112064.
50. Fischer, I., Beswick, C., Newell, S. (2021). Rho AI – Leveraging artificial intelligence to address climate change: Financing, implementation and ethics. Journal of Information Technology Teaching Cases, Vol. 11, 110–116. DOI: 10.1177/2043886920961782.
51. Bernardová, D., Jílková, E., Pokorný, M., Krišová, Z. (2017). Abstract modelling of the impact of activities of economic entities on the social system. Acta Universitatis Agriculturae et Silviculturae Mendelianae Brunensis, Vol. 65, 965–976. DOI: 10.11118/actaun201765030965.
52. Loureiro, A. (2018). There is a fourth industrial revolution: the digital revolution. Worldwide Hospitality and Tourism Themes, Vol. 10, 740–744. DOI: 10.1108/WHATT-07-2018-0044.
53. Menegaki, A.N., Agiomirgianakis, G.M. (2019). Sustainable technologies in tourist accommodation: A qualitative review. Progress in Industrial Ecology, Vol. 13, 373–400. DOI: 10.1504/PIE.2019.102858.
54. Holzmeyer, C. (2021). Beyond ‘AI for Social Good’ (AI4SG): social transformations – not tech-fixes – for health equity. Interdisciplinary Science Reviews, Vol. 46, 94–125. DOI: 10.1080/03080188.2020.1840221.
55. Murdock, G. (2018). Media Materialties: For A Moral Economy of Machines. Journal of Communication, Vol. 68, 359–368. DOI: 10.1093/joc/jqx023.
56. Brusseau, J. (2021). AI Human Impact: Toward a Model for Ethical Investing in AI-intensive Companies. Available at: www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/20430795.2021.1874212.
57. Brooks, L., Cannizzaro, S., Umbrello, S., Bernstein, M.J., Richardson, K. (2022). Ethics of climate engineering: Don't forget technology has an ethical aspect too. International Journal of Information Management, Vol. 63, 102449. DOI: 10.1016/j.ijinfomgt.2021.102449.
58. Nishant, R., Kennedy, M., Corbett, J. (2020). Artificial intelligence for sustainability: Challenges, opportunities, and a research agenda. International Journal of Information Management, Vol. 53, 102104. DOI: 10.1016/j.ijinfomgt.2020.102104.
59. Bottger, P., Barsoux, J.-L. (2009). What new general managers must learn and forget in order to succeed. Strategy and Leadership, Vol. 37, 25–32. DOI: 10.1108/10878570911001462.
60. Hamel, G. (2009). Moon Shots for management: What great challenges must we tackle to reinvent management and make it more relevant to a volatile world? Harvard Business Review, Vol. 87, 91–98. Available at: hbr.org/2009/02/moon-shots-for-management.
61. Fleishman, E.A., Mumford, M.D., Zaccaro, S.J., Levin, K.Y., Korotkin, A.L., Hein, M.B. (1991). Taxonomic efforts in the description of leader behavior: A synthesis and functional interpretation. Leadership Quarterly, Vol. 2, 245–287. DOI: 10.1016/1048-9843(91)90016-U.
62. Hunter, S.T., Tate, B.W., Dzieweczynski, J.L., Bedell-Avers, K.E. (2011). Leaders make mistakes: A multilevel consideration of why. Leadership Quarterly, Vol. 22, 239–258. DOI: 10.1016/j.leaqua.2011.02.001.
63. Joseph, G., Hashmi, A. (2018). Legitimacy and institutionalization of code of conduct: The management of business ethics. Research on Professional Responsibility and Ethics in Accounting, Vol. 21, 53–82. DOI: 10.1108/S1574-076520180000021003.
64. Alfirevic, N., Potocan, V., Nedelko, Z. (2021). Students' values, professional socialization and the mental gap of corporate social responsibility perceptions. PLoS ONE, Vol. 16, e0261653. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0261653.
65. Castilla-Polo, F., Liceran-Gutierrez, A., Ruiz-Rodriguez, M.D.C. (2022). The adoption of corporate social responsibility active learning methodology with management accounting students. International Journal of Management Education, Vol. 20, 100613. DOI: 10.1016/j.ijme.2022.100613.
66. De Villiers, R. (2021). Seven principles to ensure future-ready accounting graduates – a model for future research and practice. Meditari Accountancy Research, Vol. 29, 1354–1380. DOI: 10.1108/MEDAR-04-2020-0867.
67. Groschl, S., Pavie, X. (2020). Transdisciplinarity applied to management education: A case study. Journal of Education for Business, Vol. 95, 451–457. DOI: 10.1108/MEDAR-04-2020-0867.
68. Sroufe, R. (2020). Business Schools as Living Labs: Advancing Sustainability in Management Education. Journal of Management Education, Vol. 44, 726–765. DOI: 10.1177/1052562920951590.
69. Xu, J.J., Babaian, T. (2021). Artificial intelligence in business curriculum: The pedagogy and learning outcomes. International Journal of Management Education, Vol. 19, 100550. DOI: 10.1016/j.ijme.2021.100550.
70. Yang, M., Wang, J., Yasmin, F. (2021). Does higher business education champion environmental sustainability for next generation of leaders? An assessment of in-school students and alumni’s perspective. Polish Journal of Environmental Studies, Vol. 30, 5317–5332. DOI: 10.15244/pjoes/135715.
Acknowledgements
The author grate fully thanks K. Chang (University of East London) and N.N. Yashalova (Cherepovets State University) for fruitful discussions related to the problematics of the present work.
About Authors
Dmitry Aleksandrovitch Ruban
PhD, Candidate of Geological-Mineralogical Sciences, Master of State and Municipal Governance, Associate Professor, Researcher, Moscow State University of Science and Technologies, Moscow, Russia (109004, Moscow, Zemlyanoy Val Street, 73); ORCID 0000-0003-2847-645X; e-mail: ruban-d@mail.ru.
For citation
Ruban D.A. Analytical Review of Conjugation of the Ethical Bases of Artificial Intelligence Implementation and Ecologization in Corporate Governance. Journal of Applied Economic Research, 2022, Vol. 21, No. 2, 390-418. DOI: 10.15826/vestnik.2022.21.2.014.
Article info
Received April 2, 2022; Revised April 25, 2022; Accepted May 22, 2022.
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.15826/vestnik.2022.21.2.014
Download full text article:
~823 KB, *.pdf
(Uploaded
03.07.2022)
Created / Updated: 2 September 2015 / 20 September 2021
© Federal State Autonomous Educational Institution of Higher Education «Ural Federal University named after the first President of Russia B.N.Yeltsin»
Remarks?
select the text and press:
Ctrl + Enter
Portal design: Artsofte
Contact us
Rector's Office
Rector, Dr. Victor Koksharov
Tel. +7 (343) 375-45-03, e-mail: rector@urfu.ru
Vice-Rector for International Relations, Dr. Maxim Khomyakov
Tel. +7 (343) 375-46-27, e-mail: Maksim.Khomyakov@urfu.ru