Business Ethics - A Philosophical and Behavioral Approach


Book Description

In this textbook we examine the extent to which moral values play a role as productive forces for companies and the economy as a whole, and explores the effect of ethical and unethical behavior at both levels. We show how ethics improves productivity, and provide specific ethics tools for practical application for both students and managers. Stemming from an overall interdisciplinary approach, this textbook fills a gap in the literature on ethics in business. Following a textbook structure, we first derive knowledge from scientific studies that are relevant for students, and then summarize the results. We explain ethical assessment approaches, and then provide an ethical assessment of economic behavior using case studies. Roleplaying and games are used to explain the behavior of people in relation to ethics. The 2nd edition has been completely revised and expanded to include new findings from the behavioral sciences (psychology, social psychology, sociology and behavioral economics). In particular, the research on emotions, motivation and group behavior have given rise to many new impulses in business ethics. In addition, new case studies and new chapters were included, like Politics and Morality, Theories of Justice, Global Ethics, and Institutions as Solutions to Specific Game Situations (game theory). This book is important for students and researchers as well as policymakers and business executives due to its focus on applications.




Behavioral Business Ethics


Book Description

This book takes a look at how and why individuals display unethical behavior. It emphasizes the actual behavior of individuals rather than the specific business practices. It draws from work on psychology which is the scientific study of human behavior and thought processes. As Max Bazerman said, "efforts to improve ethical decision making are better aimed at understanding our psychological tendencies."




Morality, Competition, and the Firm


Book Description

In this collection of provocative essays, Joseph Heath provides a compelling new framework for thinking about the moral obligations that private actors in a market economy have toward each other and to society. In a sharp break with traditional approaches to business ethics, Heath argues that the basic principles of corporate social responsibility are already implicit in the institutional norms that structure both marketplace competition and the modern business corporation. In four new and nine previously published essays, Heath articulates the foundations of a "market failures" approach to business ethics. Rather than bringing moral concerns to bear upon economic activity as a set of foreign or externally imposed constraints, this approach seeks to articulate a robust conception of business ethics derived solely from the basic normative justification for capitalism. The result is a unified theory of business ethics, corporate law, economic regulation, and the welfare state, which offers a reconstruction of the central normative preoccupations in each area that is consistent across all four domains. Beyond the core theory, Heath offers new insights on a wide range of topics in economics and philosophy, from agency theory and risk management to social cooperation and the transaction cost theory of the firm.




Business Ethics


Book Description

A series of high-profile events in recent years have highlighted the growing need to cover ethical issues in international business and raise awareness of the responsibilities that need to be integrated into all levels and all subjects. Utilising the knowledge from a wide selection of expert contributors and illuminated by a case study for each chapter, this comprehensive volume makes a compelling case for business ethics to become an integrated consideration across the business disciplines, rather than an afterthought in the curriculum.




Cambridge Handbook of Research Approaches to Business Ethics and Corporate Responsibility


Book Description

While there is a large and ever-expanding body of work on the fields of business ethics and corporate social responsibility (CSR), there is a noted absence of a single source on the methodology and research approaches to these fields. In this book, the first of its kind, leading scholars in the fields gather to analyse a range of philosophical and empirical approaches to research in business ethics and CSR. It covers such sections as historical approaches, normative and behavioural methodologies, quantitative, qualitative and experimental perspectives, grounded theory and case methodologies, and finally a section on the role of the researcher in research projects. This book is a valuable and essential read for all researchers in business ethics and CSR, not only for those starting out in the fields, but also for seasoned scholars and academics.




Business Ethics


Book Description

Business Ethics: An Ethical Decision-Making Approach presents a practical decision-making framework to aid in the identification, understanding, and resolution of complex ethical dilemmas in the workplace. Focuses exclusively on three basic aspects of ethical decision making and behavior—how it actually takes place, how it should take place, and how it can be improved Uses real-life examples of moral temptations and personal ethical dilemmas faced by employees and managers Discusses the biases, psychological tendencies, moral rationalizations, and impact of self-interest as impediments to proper ethical decision making Includes relevant examples of ethical misconduct and scandals appearing in the news media




The Oxford Handbook of Positive Organizational Scholarship


Book Description

An ideal resource for organizational scholars, students, practitioners, and human resource managers, this handbook covers the full spectrum of organizational theories and outcomes that define, explain, and predict the occurrence, causes, and consequences of positivity.




Ethics and Business


Book Description

Ethics & Business: An Integrated Approach for Business and Personal Success gives students the practical knowledge and skills to identify ethical dilemmas, understand ethical behavior in themselves and others, and advocate for ethical behavior within their organization. The course focuses on three ethical questions: the individual, the organization, and the societal perspective. These questions and views explore different areas of business ethics, such as the use and abuse of power, challenges to honesty and integrity, and participation in ethical interventions such as reporting, repair, forgiveness, and reconciliation. Most business ethics courses are based on a single point of view. Depending on the viewpoint, this might be based on philosophical theory, organizational behavior, or a legal and regulatory compliance approach. As an author team, we combine and integrate these points of view into a unified whole by incorporating unique content, original videos, and adaptable case studies to assist students in making ethical decisions in their professional and personal lives.




Business Ethics and Sustainability


Book Description

This book equips readers with the knowledge, insights and key capabilities to understand and practice business activities from ethical and sustainable vantage points. In our interconnected global business environment, the impacts of business activities are under increased ethical scrutiny from a wide range of stakeholders. Written from an international perspective, this book introduces the theory and practice of ethical and sustainable business, focusing in particular on eco-environmental sustainability, intergenerational responsibilities, current disruptive technologies, and intercultural values of the business community and consumers. Written by an expert author who also brings to the fore non-Western concepts and themes, this book: features positive case studies, as well as transferrable and applicable key insights from such cases; highlights the importance of taking cultural differences into account; takes a transdisciplinary approach which considers findings from research fields including conceptual and empirical business ethics, behavioral economics, ecological economics, environmental ethics, and the philosophy of culture; weaves in pedagogical features throughout, including up-to-date case studies, study questions, thought experiments, links to popular movies, and key takeaways. Written in an accessible and student-friendly manner, this book will be of great interest to students of business ethics, environmental ethics, applied ethics, and sustainable development, as well as business practitioners striving toward ethical, sustainable, and responsible business practice.




The Oxford Handbook of Virtue


Book Description

The late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries have seen a renaissance in the study of virtue -- a topic that has prevailed in philosophical work since the time of Aristotle. Several major developments have conspired to mark this new age. Foremost among them, some argue, is the birth of virtue ethics, an approach to ethics that focuses on virtue in place of consequentialism (the view that normative properties depend only on consequences) or deontology (the study of what we have a moral duty to do). The emergence of new virtue theories also marks this new wave of work on virtue. Put simply, these are theories about what virtue is, and they include Kantian and utilitarian virtue theories. Concurrently, virtue ethics is being applied to other fields where it hasn't been used before, including bioethics and education. In addition to these developments, the study of virtue in epistemological theories has become increasingly widespread to the point that it has spawned a subfield known as 'virtue epistemology.' This volume therefore provides a representative overview of philosophical work on virtue. It is divided into seven parts: conceptualizations of virtue, historical and religious accounts, contemporary virtue ethics and theories of virtue, central concepts and issues, critical examinations, applied virtue ethics, and virtue epistemology. Forty-two chapters by distinguished scholars offer insights and directions for further research. In addition to philosophy, authors also deal with virtues in non-western philosophical traditions, religion, and psychological perspectives on virtue.