Ownership Patterns and Ethical Practices of Small Enterprises in Kolkata

Abstract

The modern business environment is characterised by increased scrutiny of ethical practices. Given the ubiquitous role of small businesses and their expanding realm in the globalised era, it is becoming imperative that these enterprises reckon with the ethical dimension of business on a much more stringent basis. The issues of business ethics, which were primarily addressing problems of large corporations, are gradually encompassing the small enterprises. The objective of this research was to scrutinise the extent to which SMEs conform to ethical norms. With the use of empirical data, we tested whether proprietorship/partnership firms in the Kolkata district of West Bengal are more inclined to indulge in unethical practices in comparison with limited companies. There is clear support for the hypothesis that proprietorship and partnership firms tend to be more ethically infractious than the limited companies.