Business Ethics : Methods, Theories, and Application.

Cover -- Half Title -- Title -- Copyright -- Dedication -- Contents -- List of figures and tables -- About the author -- 1 Introduction to business ethics -- 1.1 What is the relationship between ethics and business? -- 1.1.1 The instrumental perspective of business ethics -- 1.1.2 The philosophical perspective of business ethics -- 1.2 The levels of business ethics -- 1.3 The relevance of business ethics: why is it important? -- 1.4 How to analyze and address ethical aspects of business: the approach of this book -- 2 Ethical theory and its application to business contexts -- 2.1 The meaning of ethics -- 2.1.1 Sources of everyday values and norms, and the function of ethics -- 2.1.2 A definition of ethics -- 2.1.3 (How) is normative ethics possible? -- 2.2 Moral philosophy and methods for ethical decision-making -- 2.2.1 Utilitarianism -- 2.2.2 Kantian ethics -- 2.2.3 Virtue ethics -- 2.3 Applying ethical theory to case analysis and ethical decision-making in business -- 2.3.1 Case 1: the underperforming friend -- 2.3.2 Case 2: XYZ Shoes, Inc. -- 2.3.3 Case 3: free chocolate cake -- 2.4 More ethical theories: ethics of care, Rawlsian ethics, discourse ethics -- 2.4.1 Ethics of care -- 2.4.2 Rawlsian ethics -- 2.4.3 Discourse ethics -- 2.4.4 Overview: methods for ethical analysis and decision-making -- 3 Conceptions of the economy and business: ethical aspects -- 3.1 Basic definitions and ethical questions -- 3.2 Adam Smith: beginnings of modern economic thought -- 3.3 Modern economics: rational choice and systemic interaction -- 3.3.1 Public goods -- 3.3.2 External effects -- 3.4 The ethical underpinning of capitalism -- 3.4.1 Efficiency -- 3.4.2 Competition -- 3.4.3 Optimal balance and satisfaction of individual self-interests -- 3.4.4 Support of individual freedom and equal opportunities -- 3.4.5 Promotion of overall societal welfare.

3.5 Criticism of capitalism -- 3.5.1 Traditional criticism -- 3.5.2 Fundamental ethical principles and criticism -- 3.5.3 New criticism -- 3.6 Shifting norms: the expanded ethical framework of the 21st-century economy -- 3.7 Excursus: two tales of the pencil -- 3.7.1 Tale of the pencil: the neoclassical version by Milton Friedman -- 3.7.2 An alternative tale of the pencil: considering external costs and sustainability -- 3.8 Summary and outlook: the relevance of contemporary business ethics -- 4 Organizational ethics: ethics of corporations, companies, and other business organizations -- 4.1 What is the moral responsibility of a business? -- 4.1.1 The concept of responsibility -- 4.1.2 Business-specific (company-specific) responsibilities -- 4.2 Methods for determining business-specific responsibilities -- 4.2.1 Determining business-specific responsibilities based on an Ethical Life Cycle Assessment (ELCA) -- 4.2.2 Determining business-specific responsibilities based on an Ethical Stakeholder Analysis (ESA) -- 4.3 Corporate Responsibility (CR) -- 4.3.1 A broader perspective on the overall responsibilities of a modern business -- 4.3.2 Defining CR -- 4.3.3 Justification of CR: the business case and ethical reasons -- 4.4 Methodology for CR analysis and CR design -- 4.5 Internal ethics and culture of organizations -- 4.5.1 Ethical culture of organizations -- 4.5.2 Underpinnings and characteristics of a strong ethical culture -- 4.5.3 How to develop and support a strong ethical culture -- 4.6 Ethics and compliance programs -- 4.6.1 Elements of an ethics and compliance program -- 4.6.2 Reasons for implementing an ethics and compliance program -- 4.7 DEI: diversity, equity, and inclusion -- 4.7.1 Ethical perspective -- 4.7.2 Business perspective -- 4.7.3 Dimension and characteristics of DEI issues: some examples.

4.7.4 Societal perspective: underlying societal issues and topics -- 4.7.5 DEI programs -- 4.8 ESG: environmental, social, and governance -- 4.8.1 Definition of ESG -- 4.8.2 Ethical and business aspects of ESG -- 4.8.3 Application of ESG in business practice -- 4.8.4 Reporting guidelines, regulation, and verification -- 5 Individuals in the world of business: ethical aspects of specific roles and professions -- 5.1 Ethical aspects of being an employee -- 5.1.1 Moral rights of employees -- 5.1.2 Responsibilities of employees -- 5.2 Ethical aspects of leadership -- 5.2.1 What defines great leadership? -- 5.2.2 What are ethical foundations of leadership? -- 5.3 Professional ethics -- 5.3.1 Professional ethics and moral self-identity -- 5.3.2 Core principles of professional ethics -- 5.3.3 The example of the accounting profession -- 5.4 Ethical challenges of working in specific business functions: the example of marketing ethics -- 5.4.1 Normative guidelines for marketing -- 5.4.2 Ethical challenges in marketing -- 5.5 Whistleblowing -- 5.5.1 Whistleblowing: definition and ethical aspects -- 5.5.2 A method for analyzing whistleblowing situations -- 5.5.3 Organizational aspects -- 5.5.4 Personal aspects -- 5.5.5 Societal aspects -- 6 Global business ethics -- 6.1 Global business ethics: cases -- 6.1.1 Case 1: child labor and slavery in the global chocolate industry -- 6.1.2 Case 2: outsourcing of manufacturing jobs -- 6.1.3 Case 3: the globalization of e-waste -- 6.2 Ethical challenges of globalization and global business -- 6.3 Global business ethics: principles -- 6.3.1 Basic global business ethics -- 6.3.2 Advanced global business ethics -- 7 Economic and ethical challenges of the Anthropocene: sustainability -- 7.1 The challenge of sustainability and ethical implications -- 7.1.1 The concept of sustainability -- 7.1.2 The ethics of sustainability.

7.1.3 The relevance of sustainability -- 7.2 Sustainable economy and sustainable business -- 7.2.1 Reasons why businesses should care about sustainability -- 7.2.2 Sustainability as a business opportunity and business task: examples -- 7.3 New business models: purpose-driven businesses, social enterprises, and the benefit corporation -- Conclusion -- Index.

Business Ethics: Theories, Methods, and Applications provides a new systematic approach to normative business ethics that covers the complex and various ethical challenges of modern business.

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Electronic reproduction. Ann Arbor, Michigan : ProQuest Ebook Central, 2024. Available via World Wide Web. Access may be limited to ProQuest Ebook Central affiliated libraries.