Towards Business Ethics as an Academic Discipline

1996 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 43-65 ◽  
Author(s):  
Georges Enderle
Keyword(s):  
Human Rights ◽  
Business Ethics ◽  
System Approach ◽  
Academic Discipline ◽  
Human Action ◽  
Business Practice ◽  
Ethical Framework ◽  
Practical Relevance ◽  
Teaching Business Ethics ◽  
Theoretical Understanding

AbstractRecalling several profound disagreements about business ethics as it is currently discussed in Western societies, I emphasize the need for business ethics as an academic discipline that constitutes the “backbone” for both teaching business ethics and improving business practice (section 1). Then I outline a conceptual framework of business ethics that promotes a “bottom-up” approach (section 2). This “problem-and action-oriented” conception appears to be fruitful in terms of both practical relevance and theoretical understanding. Finally, I argue for (section 3) the relevance of discussing goals at all levels of human action (i.e., individuals, organizations, systems) as well as the indispensability of human rights, and propose Amartya Sen's “goal-rights-system” approach as a normative-ethical framework for business ethics that integrates these two fundamental aspects.

scholarly journals Human rights to the street: Ethical frameworks to guide planning, design, and engineering decisions toward livability, equity, and justice

2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Bruce Appleyard ◽  
William Riggs
Keyword(s):  
Human Rights ◽  
Business Practice ◽  
Ethical Principles ◽  
Ethical Framework ◽  
Functional Area ◽  
Ethical Frameworks ◽  
Comprehensive Collection ◽  
Functional Areas ◽  
Practice Literature

Recently, there has been a renewed interest in statements about people’s rights to our streets. Drawing broadly from the literature and from an examination of a comprehensive collection of these rights, this article works toward establishing a comprehensive ethical framework that can be used to guide planning, design and engineering decisions to support pedestrian rights for street and urban livability. To identify and propose these ethical principles and help achieve optimal livability for individuals, groups and society, we: (a) comprehensively examine the literature to clarify the various concepts of street livability and human rights to the street (as related to a collection of various pedestrian rights statements); (b) explore what is being said in these rights to better understand people’s needs and wants; and (c) provide a roadmap for planners, urban designers, and engineers to address these needs in practice. Building on the previous steps and incorporating business practice literature of Functional Area Ethics, relevant functional areas are identified to help professionals act in support of these pedestrian rights.

When Human Rights Clash at the European Court of Human Rights

2017 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Human Rights ◽  
Practical Relevance ◽  
Ongoing Debate ◽  
Reasonable Disagreement ◽  
European Court ◽  
Key Questions ◽  
Rights Conflicts

This book aims to answer key questions surrounding (purported) conflicts of human rights at the European Court of Human Rights. Some of these questions concern the very existence of human rights conflicts. Can human rights really conflict with one another? Or should they be interpreted in harmony with one another? Other questions relate to the resolution of genuine human rights conflicts. How should such genuine conflicts be resolved? To what extent is balancing desirable? And which understanding of balancing should be employed? Throughout the book, contributors aim to answer these questions by engaging in concerted debate on both the existence and resolution of human rights conflicts. To increase its practical relevance, the discussion is framed around leading judgments of the European Court. The book ultimately aims to suggests, through the prism of reasonable disagreement, concrete ways forward in the ongoing debate on human rights conflicts at Europe’s human rights court.

The Promise of Pragmatism: Richard Rorty and Business Ethics

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-28
Author(s):  
Sareh Pouryousefi ◽  
R. Edward Freeman
Keyword(s):  
Business Ethics ◽  
Moral Responsibility ◽  
Richard Rorty ◽  
Business Practice ◽  
Global Markets ◽  
Democratic Deliberation ◽  
Philosophical Inquiry ◽  
Societal Challenges ◽  
Modern Slavery ◽  
Empirical Context

Pragmatists believe that philosophical inquiry must engage closely with practice to be useful and that practice serves as a source of social norms. As a growing alternative to the analytic and continental philosophical traditions, pragmatism is well suited for research in business ethics, but its role remains underappreciated. This article focuses on Richard Rorty, a key figure in the pragmatist tradition. We read Rorty as a source of insight about the ethical and political nature of business practice in contemporary global markets, focusing specifically on his views about moral sentiments, agency, and democratic deliberation. Importantly for business ethicists, Rorty’s approach sets in stark relief our moral responsibility as useful, practical thinkers in addressing the societal challenges of our time. We use “modern slavery” as an empirical context to highlight the relevance of Rorty’s approach to business ethics.

Business Ethics for Better Behavior

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jason Brennan ◽  
William English ◽  
John Hasnas ◽  
Peter Jaworski
Keyword(s):  
Business Ethics ◽  
Action Plan ◽  
Business Practice ◽  
Management Theory ◽  
Business Practices ◽  
Business Professionals ◽  
Entry Level ◽  
Ethical Performance ◽  
Wrong Thing ◽  
Simple Action

Business Ethics for Better Behavior concisely answers the three most pressing ethical questions business professionals face: 1. What makes business practices right or wrong? 2. Why do normal, decent businesspeople of goodwill sometimes do the wrong thing? 3. How can we use the answer to these questions to get ourselves, our coworkers, our bosses, and our employees to behave better? Bad behavior in business rarely results from bad will. Most people mean well much of the time. But most of us are vulnerable. We all fall into moral traps, usually without even noticing. Business Ethics for Better Behavior teaches business professionals, students, and other readers how to become aware of those traps, how to avoid them, and how to dig their way out if they fall in. It integrates the best work in psychology, economics, management theory, and normative philosophy into a simple action plan for ensuring the best ethical performance at all levels of business practice. This is a book anyone in business, from an entry-level employee to CEO, can use.

scholarly journals Developing robots: The need for an ethical framework

European View ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
pp. 37-43 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alex Leveringhaus
Keyword(s):  
Artificial Intelligence ◽  
Human Rights ◽  
Human Dignity ◽  
Ethical Framework ◽  
Foreseeable Future ◽  
Policy Level ◽  
Technological Developments ◽  
The Subject ◽  
Ethical Approaches ◽  
Robotic Technologies

This article discusses the need for an ethical framework for emerging robotic technologies. The temptation, arguably driven by sci-fi treatments of artificial intelligence, is to ask whether future robots should be considered quasi-humans. This article argues that such sci-fi scenarios have little relevance for current technological developments in robotics, nor for ethical approaches to the subject: for the foreseeable future robots will merely be useful tools. In response to emerging robotic technologies, this article proposes an ethical framework that makes a commitment to human rights, human dignity and responsibility a central priority for those developing robots. At a policy level, this entails (1) assessing whether the use of particular robots would result in human rights violations and (2) creating adequate institutions through which human individuals can be held responsible for what robots do.

scholarly journals Analyzing the Integration of Human Rights into Social Work Education

2015 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 100
Author(s):  
Paulette Andrea Henry
Keyword(s):  
Human Rights ◽  
Social Work ◽  
Social Work Education ◽  
Academic Discipline ◽  
Social Work Students ◽  
Collective Responsibility ◽  
Clear Understanding ◽  
Human Beings ◽  
Work Education ◽  
The University

<p>The understanding of human rights are important to social work education and practice especially since the global definition of social work highlights the dual role of social work as a practice based profession and academic discipline emphasizing the principles of social justice, human rights, collective responsibility and respect for diversity. Concomitantly, social work education must ensure that students know and understand human rights laws especially since human rights are inherent to all human beings and are often expressed and guaranteed by international law which Governments are expected to uphold. Social workers have a commitment as duty bearers in supporting governments in the upholding of those agreements pertinent to the wellbeing of the people. Using the University of Guyana as a frame of reference this paper examined students’ knowledge on international agreements prior to leaving the University since these laws not only speak to nation states but to universal practices and many social work issues transcend borders. This paper utilized a mixed method approach to ascertain students’ awareness of international human rights laws and their perceptions on the applicability to practice. The findings show that there is limited knowledge amongst social work students on human rights covenants and conventions. This assessment is instructive to social work educators locally and internationally pointing to the need for integration into the curricula. It is imperative that generalist practitioners leave the University with a clear understanding of these laws as many practice issues are transnational. There will be the need for international social work to be a taught course for undergraduates training to become generalist practitioners.</p>

scholarly journals INTERNATIONAL PROTECTION OF HUMAN RIGHTS DURING GENOMIC RESEARCHES

2020 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
pp. 157-165
Author(s):  
Екатерина Шипова
Keyword(s):  
Human Rights ◽  
Genomic Research ◽  
Ethical Framework ◽  
International Level ◽  
Aim Analysis ◽  
Basic Principles ◽  
International Protection ◽  
Analysis And Synthesis ◽  
Protection Of Human Rights ◽  
Normative Basis

International and regional human rights law offers a normative basis for researches conducted with human participation. Despite the fact that the goal of conducting medical researches, including genomic researches, is to obtain new knowledge, it should never prevail over human rights and freedoms. This principle goes through all international legal acts relating to bio-medical researches and the human genome. Aim: analysis of the existing regulatory and ethical framework for conducting genomic researches at the international level. Methods: empirical methods are used: comparison, analysis and synthesis, generalization, description; special methods: comparative legal, logical, systemic. Results: the study examines the basic regulatory and ethical framework for conducting genomic researches at the international level. The basic principles of the protection of human rights and freedoms during genomic research are formulated, which are enshrined in international regulatory and ethical acts.

scholarly journals Human Rights Anchored in Business: Practice and Challenges in the Palm Oil Sector in Malaysia

2019 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-20
Author(s):  
Andika AB. Wahab
Keyword(s):  
Human Rights ◽  
Corporate Culture ◽  
Palm Oil ◽  
Business Practice ◽  
Oil Companies ◽  
Business And Human Rights ◽  
Oil Sector ◽  
Sustainability Standards ◽  
Direct Market ◽  
Market Pressure

The United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights aims to address gaps in human rights governance by setting a standard and corporate culture of respecting human rights. In Malaysia, despite growing requirements for sustainable production, the palm oil sector has been implicated in various corporate human rights violations. This article discusses how do three public listed companies in the palm oil sector in Malaysia perform their obligation to respect human rights? This article argues that while large palm oil companies have shown modest progress in realizing their human rights obligation – the lack of regulatory framework, resources, direct market pressure and membership to sustainability standards continue to serve as critical challenges in compensating the gaps in human rights governance.

Teaching business ethics: Bringing reality to the classroom

1992 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 225-229 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dietrich L. Schaupp ◽  
Michael S. Lane
Keyword(s):  
Business Ethics ◽  
Teaching Business Ethics ◽  
Teaching Business
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