Imperfect Duties of Management: The Ethical Norm of Managerial Decisions

Description

This book uses Kant's idea of imperfect duty to extend the theory of the firm. Unlike perfect duty which is contractual or otherwise legally binding, imperfect duty consists of those commitments of choice that pursue some moral value, but that have practical limits to their pursuit. The author presents a broad view of the imperfect duties of management, defined as a nexus of all commitments to do good involving relations internal and external to the firm. This nexus consists of three overlapping categories of (i) building a virtuous managerial community, (ii) pursuing reasoned managerial discourse, and (iii) diligent and reasoned pursuit of the body of routine managerial duties such as capital budgeting and internal controls. Specific applications of the nexus theory for stakeholder relations via fair negotiation, and for analysis of the effects on the managerial team of perquisite consumption are presented. This book has major implications for research in business ethics and allows critical insights into managerial decision making. Front Matter ....Pages i-xiii Introduction: The Nexus of Imperfect Duty and the Ethical Norm (Richard M. Robinson)....Pages 1-10 Kant’s Categorical Imperative and Moral Duties (Richard M. Robinson)....Pages 11-38 The Nexus of Managerial Imperfect Duty and Its Conceptual Advantages (Richard M. Robinson)....Pages 39-64 Relations of Virtue (Richard M. Robinson)....Pages 65-88 Reasoned Managerial Discourse (Richard M. Robinson)....Pages 89-128 Due Diligence and the Profit Motive: Perfect or Imperfect Duty? (Richard M. Robinson)....Pages 129-150 Managers, Virtues, and Dispositions? (Richard M. Robinson)....Pages 151-172 Fair Negotiations (Richard M. Robinson)....Pages 173-204 Management Perquisites and Imperfect Duty (Richard M. Robinson)....Pages 205-222 Back Matter ....Pages 223-241