We are making great strides in corporate social responsibility. Many reflect changes in business policies and practices. But when it comes to business ethics, are we really improving?
Consider this: almost 120 years ago, German socialist, economist, and politician Max Weber published his book, The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism, emphasizing that personal integrity and reputation matters: they form the basis of good business relationships. A person’s words are their bond and business can be counted on with a handshake.
Jump to the turn of the century. For six consecutive years, Fortune magazine deemed Enron one of the most innovative organizations and two months after being publicized, Enron filed for bankruptcy, bringing down companies and 1,000’s of individuals with it.
Not long after, new regulations and legislation were enacted including penalties regarding records and the accountability of auditing firms.
Then came the financial crisis of 2007-08, where organizations were deemed “too big to fail,” generating other hazards, risks, and an uneven playing field.
Headlines, book lists, and social media are filled with other examples, several from the most recent past. How did we get here? And more importantly, where do we go from here?
Moral and ethical leadership today require great courage, wisdom, and the right framework to make decisions. And there is always room for improvement.
In Summary
These articles and Article Nuggets explore trends in business ethics, the influence of leaders, and offer a framework for ethical decision making.
This is a brief synopsis of a 1,660-word and a 1,100-word article, and 5-Article Nuggets*, suitable for consultants’ newsletters for executives and leaders in organizations. It is available for purchase with full reprint rights, which means you may put your name on it and use it in your newsletters, blogs or other marketing materials. You may also modify it and add your personal experiences and perspectives.
The complete articles and Article Nuggets include these important concepts:
- What we don’t see
- Morality and ethics in the workplace
- The Influence of leadership
- Institutional integrity: the privilege of pressure
- Addressing injustice
- Discussing ethics at work
- Moral rebels at work
- Ethical decision making
- A Framework for ethical dilemmas
And references to the following sources:
Amii Barnard-Bahn, “How to Identify and Fix Pay Inequality” (Harvard Business Review November 2020)
Peter Drucker, The Essential Drucker (HarperCollins 2009)
Dr. Marc J. Epstein and Kirk O. Hanson, Rotten: Why Corporate Misconduct Continues and What to Do about It (Lanark Press 2020)
Robert Jackall, Moral Mazes (Oxford University Press 2009)
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- The Matter of Business Ethics – 1,660-word Article, $79
- The Matter of Business Ethics – 1,100-word article, $57
- The Matter of Business Ethics – 5-Article Nuggets, $89
*Article Nuggets: The same article broken up into 3-5 blog-style sections suitable for a series of blog posts or shorter newsletter articles.