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