Business Ethics

Dr Andy Crane is a senior lecturer in Business Ethics at the International Centre for Corporate Social Responsibility at the University of Nottingham Business School. He has a PhD from the University of Nottingham and a BSc from the University of Warwick. He is one of the co-founders of the ESRC funded Centre for Business Relationships, Accountability, Sustainability and Society at the University of Cardiff. Dr Dirk Matten is a senior research fellow in Business Ethics at the University of Nottingham Business School. He also holds a doctoral degree in Environmental and Strategic Management from the University of Dusseldorf in Germany.

INTRODUCTION; PART A: UNDERSTANDING BUSINESS ETHICS; 1. INTRODUCING BUSINESS ETHICS; What is business ethics?; Why is business ethics important?; Globalization: a new context for business ethics?; Sustainability: a new goal for business ethics?; Europe: a new perspective for business ethics?; Summary: study questions, research exercise; Case 1. McEurope: McDonalds faces ethical criticism in Europe; 2. FRAMING BUSINESS ETHICS: CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY, STAKEHOLDERS AND CITIZENSHIP; What is a corporation?; Corporate social responsibility; Stakeholder theory of the firm; Corporate accountability: the firm as a 'political' actor; Corporate citizenship; Summary: study questions, research exercises; Case 2. The 'English Patient': BMW withdraws from Rover Longbridge; 3. EVALUATING BUSINESS ETHICS: NORMATIVE ETHICAL THEORIES; Introduction; The role of ethical theory; Normative ethical theories: a European perspective; Traditional ethical theories; Contemporary ethical theories; Summary: towards a pragmatic use of ethical theory; Study questions, research exercise; Case 3. A bitter pill: the pharmaceutical industry and affordable AIDS drugs for Southern Africa; 4. MAKING DECISIONS IN BUSINESS ETHICS: DESCRIPTIVE ETHICAL THEORIES; Introduction; Models of ethical decision-making; Individual influences on ethical decision-making; Situational influences on decision-making; Summary: study questions, research exercises; Case 4. Rogue traders: Scandals in the banking and finance industry; 5. MANAGING BUSINESS ETHICS: TOOLS AND TECHNIQUES OF BUSINESS ETHICS MANAGMENT; Introduction; What is business ethics management?; Setting standards of ethical behaviour: designing and implementing codes of ethics; Managing stakeholder relations; Assessing ethical performance; Organizing for business ethics management; Summary: study questions, research exercise; Case 5. Shell shocked: has Shell moved towards a new way of managing business ethics?; PART B: CONTEXTUALIZING BUSINESS ETHICS: THE CORPORATE CITIZEN AND ITS STAKEHOLDERS; Introduction to Part B; 6. SHAREHOLDERS AND BUSINESS ETHICS; Introduction: reassessing the importance of shareholders as stakeholders; Shareholders as stakeholders: understanding corporate governance; Ethical issues in corporate governance; Shareholders and globalization; Shareholders as citizens of the corporation; Shareholding for sustainability; Summary: study questions, research exercise; Case 6. Derailing privatization: Railtrack, shareholders, and the 'travelling public'; 7. EMPLOYEES AND BUSINESS ETHICS; Introduction; Employees as stakeholders; Ethical issues in the firm-employee relation; Employing people worldwide: the ethical challenge of globalization; The corporate citizen and employee relations in a varied European context; Towards sustainable employment; Summary: study questions, research exercise; Case 7. Unhealthy business: junior doctors and excessive working hours; 8. CONSUMERS AND BUSINESS ETHICS; Introduction; Consumers as stakeholders; Ethical issues and the consumer; Globalization and consumers: the ethical challenges of the global marketplace; Consumers and corporate citizenship: consumer sovereignty and the politics of purchasing; Sustainable consumption; Summary: study questions, research exercise; Case 8. Boycotting the 'baby killers'? Nestle and the ongoing infant formula controversy; 9. SUPPLIERS,COMPETITORS AND BUSINESS ETHICS; Introduction; Suppliers and competitors as stakeholders; Ethical issues and suppliers; Ethical issues and competitors; Globalization, suppliers, and competitors: the ethical challenges of global business networks; The corporate citizen in the business community: ethical sourcing and fair trade; Sustainability and business relationships: towards industrial ecosystems; Summary: study questions, research exercise; Case 9. The spying game: allegations of industrial espionage at Unilever, Canal Plus, and Ericsson; 10. CIVIL SOCIETY AND BUSINESS ETHICS; Introduction: what is civil society?; Civil society organizations as stakeholders; Ethical issues and CSOs; Globalization and civil society organizations; Corporate citizenship and civil society: charity, collaboration, or regulation?; Civil society, business and sustainability; Summary: study questions, research exercise; Case 10. From conflict to collaboration? Greenpeace's Greenfreeze Campaign; 11. GOVERNMENT, REGULATION AND BUSINESS ETHICS; Introduction; Government as a stakeholder; Ethical issues in the relation between business and government; Globalization and business-government relations; Corporate citizenship and regulation: business as key player in the regulatory game; Governments, business, and sustainability; Summary: study questions, research exercise; Case 11. Mixing oil and Kohl: Elf, Leuna, and allegations of political corruption in France and Germany; 12. CONCLUSIONS AND FUTURE PERSPECTIVES; Introduction; The nature and scope of business ethics; Globalization as a new goal for business ethics; Sustainablity as a new goal for business ethics; Business ethics in a European context; The role of different stakeholder constituencies in business ethics; Corporate citizenship as a new concept in business ethics; The contribution of normative ethical theories to business ethics; Influences on ethical decision-making; The role of management tools in business ethics; Summary: study questions, research exercise; Case 12. No laughing matter: the Ilisu dam project in Turkey