Ethics And Business: A Global Introduction

Description

Ethics in business is not a new topic and has been intensely discussed since the emergence of the so-called limited companies. However, privatization, technological and digital innovation, changes in moral perception, economic and financial crises and globalization stir a more recent debate on how companies should behave in our societies. This book starts from the position that ethics in business should imply an open debate on norms and values, using a sound methodology to get there. Ethics should cross borders: not only the borders of a country, but also the borders of someone’s moral imagination. Ethics should not only be about harmony but also about conflict (and how to deal with that). Ethics should be realistic and well substantiated by academic research. Ethics should be used to understand the complexity of the world, and the challenges companies struggle with on various levels. Therefore, this book is composed of three parts in which ethics is discussed at different levels. In part one we discuss ethics at the level of the individual. In part two we discuss ethics and business. In the third part, ethics is discussed in the context of a globalized world. In each chapter, we discuss the ethical complications of each topic from various – and preferably opposing – perspectives. Each perspective is methodologically and academically substantiated. Each chapter ends with an extensive literature list in which the original sources are listed for further reading. Furthermore, at the end of each chapter, a summary is written in which the most important definitions and viewpoints are highlighted. The frequent use of colorful and bold examples make this an accessible read for bachelor and master students at business schools and professionals in international business. Cover......Page 1 Title Page......Page 2 Copyright Page......Page 3 Foreword......Page 4 Content......Page 6 Introduction......Page 10 Part 1 Ethics and the individual......Page 12 1 What is ethics?......Page 14 1.1 Ethical behaviour?......Page 15 1.2 Ethics as an academic discipline......Page 17 1.3 Morality......Page 18 1.4 The structural analysis......Page 26 1.5 The structural evaluation......Page 29 1.6 Ethics and related disciplines......Page 30 Summary......Page 45 Literature......Page 47 2 Responsibility......Page 50 2.1 The meaning of responsibility......Page 51 2.2 The ability to take responsibility......Page 52 2.3 Situational factors that influence responsibility......Page 60 Summary......Page 65 Literature......Page 67 3 Normative ethics......Page 70 3.2 Ethics for people......Page 71 3.3 Ethics from people......Page 85 3.4 Directions in ethics applied......Page 92 Summary......Page 94 Literature......Page 96 4 A model for ethical decision-making......Page 100 4.2 Step 1: moral questions......Page 101 4.3 Step 2: moral stakeholders......Page 103 4.4 Step 3: alternatives......Page 104 4.5 Step 4: an informed choice......Page 105 Summary......Page 109 Literature......Page 110 Part 2 Business and ethics......Page 112 5 A short history of ethics in business......Page 114 5.1 The industrial revolution......Page 115 5.2 Current trends in society......Page 118 5.3 The triple bottom line......Page 125 Summary......Page 133 Literature......Page 135 6 Social values......Page 138 6.1 The industrial revolution and social values of workers......Page 139 6.2 Rights of workers in developed countries......Page 142 6.3 Challenges in developed countries......Page 150 6.4 Challenges in developing countries......Page 172 6.5 Corruption......Page 177 6.6 Social values of consumers......Page 182 Summary......Page 190 Literature......Page 193 7 Ecological values......Page 200 7.1 The tragedy of the commons......Page 201 7.2 Towards a circular economy......Page 217 Summary......Page 226 Literature......Page 228 8 Economic values......Page 232 8.1 Economic values......Page 233 8.2 Profit......Page 236 Summary......Page 251 Literature......Page 253 9 Accountability......Page 258 9.1 Transparency and compliance......Page 259 9.2 The business of business is business......Page 261 9.3 Voluntary accountability......Page 274 9.4 Mandatory accountability......Page 278 9.5 Collective industry self-regulation......Page 281 Summary......Page 288 Literature......Page 290 Part 3 Ethics in a globalized world......Page 294 10 Cultural diversity......Page 296 10.1 Culture......Page 297 10.2 Cultural differences on various levels......Page 301 10.3 Cultural differences and business......Page 302 10.4 Cultural differences between countries......Page 305 Summary......Page 312 Literature......Page 314 11 Globalization: does the system work?......Page 318 11.1 Why globalization is a good thing......Page 319 11.2 Why globalization is a bad thing......Page 329 Summary......Page 340 Literature......Page 342 Index......Page 344 About the author......Page 350