On Social Psychology, Business Ethics, and Corporate Governance

2000 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 725-733 ◽  
Author(s):  
Timothy L. Fort
Keyword(s):  
Social Psychology ◽  
Corporate Governance ◽  
Business Ethics ◽  
Virtue Ethics ◽  
Corporate Law ◽  
Human Beings ◽  
Ethical Business ◽  
Large Numbers ◽  
Large Corporations ◽  
Business Behavior

Abstract:This paper is a response to a recent colloquy among Professors David Messick, Donna Wold, and Edwin Harman. I defend Messick’s naturalist methodology, which suggests that people inherently categorize others and act altruistically toward certain people in a given person’s in-group. This paper suggests that an anthropological reason for this grouping tendency is a limited human neural ability to process large numbers of relationships. But because human beings also have the ability to modify, to some extent, their nature, corporate law can organize small mediating institutions within large corporations in order to take ethical advantage of this grouping tendency. Within a corporate law taking seriously a mediating institution’s formulation of business communities, a virtue ethics approach can be integrated with a naturalist approach in a way that fosters ethical business behavior while mitigating the dangers of ingrouping tendencies.

No Character or Personality

2003 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 87-94 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gilbert Harman
Keyword(s):  
Social Psychology ◽  
Business Ethics ◽  
Moral Responsibility ◽  
Virtue Ethics ◽  
Moral Psychology ◽  
Empirical Research ◽  
Academic Discipline ◽  
A Priori ◽  
Character Traits ◽  
Personality Theory

Abstract:Solomon argues that, although recent research in social psychology has important implications for business ethics, it does not undermine an approach that stresses virtue ethics. However, he underestimates the empirical threat to virtue ethics, and his a priori claim that empirical research cannot overturn our ordinary moral psychology is overstated. His appeal to seemingly obvious differences in character traits between people simply illustrates the fundamental attribution error. His suggestion that the Milgram and Darley and Batson experiments have to do with such character traits as obedience and punctuality cannot help to explain the relevant differences in the way people behave in different situations. His appeal to personality theory fails, because, as an intellectual academic discipline, personality theory is in shambles, mainly because it has been concerned with conceptions of personality rather than with what is true about personality. Solomon’s rejection of Doris’s claims about the fragmentation of character is at odds with the received view in social psychology. Finally, he is mistaken to think that rejecting virtue ethics implies rejecting free will and moral responsibility.

Conclusion

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Abraham A. Singer
Keyword(s):  
Corporate Governance ◽  
Business Ethics ◽  
Political Theory ◽  
Chicago School ◽  
Corporate Law ◽  
Liberal Democratic ◽  
Immanent Critique ◽  
Methodological Reflection ◽  
Normative Account

The conclusion reviews the arguments that have been offered throughout the book. This book started with some basic presuppositions that represent the underlying normative commitments of the liberal democratic market societies we find ourselves in. This chapters reviews the critique offered of the Chicago School of economics, the normative account of corporate productivity, as well as the prescriptions offered for corporate law, corporate governance, and business ethics, that were offered in light of these presuppositions. Graphical representations are offered for each of the theories reviewed. The chapter concludes with a methodological reflection on the nature of immanent critique and the role of idealizing assumptions in political theory.

scholarly journals Teaching Corporate Social Responsibility and Business Ethics at Economic Programs

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Iza Gigauri ◽  
◽  
Mirela Panait ◽  
Maria Palazzo ◽  
◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Corporate Social Responsibility ◽  
Business Ethics ◽  
Social Responsibility ◽  
Business Education ◽  
Business Models ◽  
Human Beings ◽  
Teaching Business Ethics ◽  
Ethical Business ◽  
Corporate Social ◽  
Desk Research

The pandemic is seen as an opportunity to further advance in business ethics. Prof. Freeman called academics to contribute to developing more ethical business models. Businesses have been revising their missions towards more ethical business models as the pandemic has changed attitudes to life. Society expects that companies will serve human beings rather than solely maximization of profit to their stakeholders. This research is motivated by analyzing the importance of teaching business ethics. This research has looked into the directions of business education in terms of corporate social responsibility (CSR) and business ethics. The article intends to highlight the potential of CSR education in overcoming the pandemic crisis and increasing the wellbeing of society. This desk research underlines the standpoint of universities whether they should teach business ethics or CSR at the business faculties, and analyzes the educational programs of the business faculties to find out their attitude towards teaching of CSR/ethics.

Business Ethics in a Digital World

2022 ◽  
pp. 172-184
Author(s):  
Ingrid Vasiliu-Feltes
Keyword(s):  
Corporate Governance ◽  
Optimal Design ◽  
Business Ethics ◽  
Design Thinking ◽  
Emerging Technologies ◽  
Business Leaders ◽  
Ethical Business ◽  
Digital World ◽  
Digital Era ◽  
Scientific Advances

This chapter will highlight the importance of transforming our conceptualization of business ethics in the digital era and the opportunities related to an optimal design of sustainable digital business ethics programs in this new hyper-connected, hyper-automated digital world. The complex issues of this revised business ethics model will be addressed from three perspectives: corporate governance, leadership, and society. The sections related to corporate governance will highlight the operational challenges when aiming to incorporate ethics into the boardroom's DNA and will emphasize the sustainability imperative ethical business leaders are facing in this digital era. This chapter will also posit that by adopting a design thinking approach for business ethics in this digital era, we can leverage all the benefits offered by emerging technologies and scientific advances while maintaining a human-centric stance.

Business Ethics and Efficiency

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Abraham A. Singer
Keyword(s):  
Economic Theory ◽  
Corporate Governance ◽  
Business Ethics ◽  
Corporate Law ◽  
Competitive Market ◽  
Moral Principle ◽  
Social Cooperation ◽  
Market Failures ◽  
Ethical Duty ◽  
Starting Point

This and the next chapter articulate a theory of business ethics that fits with how the book has approached corporate governance and corporate law. It takes the “market failures approach” (MFA) to business ethics as a starting point, a view that takes efficiency to be the primary moral principle for business. The MFA holds that businesses have an ethical duty not to exploit “market failures,” the inefficiencies and misallocations systematically and predictably effected by markets. This view is strong because it provides a robust account of business’s ethical duties within the framework of contemporary economic theory; business ethics is neither a wet blanket draped over the C-suite nor a self-serving rationalization of business’s self-interested activities. Instead, business ethics is shown to fit within a larger scheme of social cooperation, taking seriously businesses’ place within that scheme, particularly within a competitive market characterized by deontic weakening.

‘Turning Human Beings into Lawyers’

2018 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 99-104
Author(s):  
Insa Koch
Keyword(s):  
Financial Regulation ◽  
Legal Culture ◽  
Corporate Law ◽  
Customary Law ◽  
Immigration Law ◽  
Legal Anthropology ◽  
Human Beings ◽  
Legal Practice ◽  
The World ◽  
Cultural Experts

Does anthropology matter to law? At first sight, this question might seem redundant: of course, anthropology matters to law, and it does so a great deal. Anthropologists have made important contributions to legal debates. Legal anthropology is a thriving sub-discipline, encompassing an ever-increasing range of topics, from long-standing concerns with customary law and legal culture to areas that have historically been left to lawyers, including corporate law and financial regulation. Anthropology’s relevance to law is also reflected in the world of legal practice. Some anthropologists act as cultural experts in, while others have challenged the workings of, particular legal regimes, including with respect to immigration law and social welfare.

Corporate governance and business ethics: Evidence from a sample of Algerian corporations

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 15-29
Author(s):  
Nour El Houda Yahiaoui ◽  
Abdelmadjid Ezzine
Keyword(s):  
Corporate Governance ◽  
Business Ethics ◽  
Structural Model ◽  
Structural Equations ◽  
Path Modeling ◽  
Senior Managers ◽  
Corporate Scandals ◽  
Governance Systems ◽  
Sustainable Value ◽  
Governance Practices

Corporate governance systems are developed to govern corporations, build trust and create sustainable value for all stakeholders. Paradoxically, in spite of massive efforts in developing governance systems, corporate scandals are persisting. Different studies have strongly recommended business ethics as a solution to this paradox. Thus, this study explores if business ethics supports corporate governance practices in a sample of Algerian corporations. The study used a mixed methodology; qualitative: since this subject is poorly addressed in the Algerian context that requires an exploratory study. Quantitative by developing a structural model demonstrating the relationship between business ethics and corporate governance, Data for the study were collected by means of a questionnaire distributed on an anonymous basis to corporations’ senior managers in Sidi Bel Abbes district. Treatment of collected data is done using two types of analysis: the structural equations modeling approach by using the PLS Path approach (PLS Path Modeling) and linear regression. The study finds out that business ethics leads to better levels of corporate governance and supports its practices; and the reason is mainly due to an implicit involuntary commitment to laws as a minimum required level of compliance, and that the protection of stakeholders’ rights are the most important corporate governance’s dimension affected by business ethics.

scholarly journals Business Ethics Decision-Making: Examining Partial Reflective Awareness

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (5) ◽  
pp. 2635
Author(s):  
Marli Gonan Božac ◽  
Katarina Kostelić ◽  
Morena Paulišić ◽  
Charles G. Smith
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Business Ethics ◽  
Ethical Decision Making ◽  
Field Research ◽  
Assessment Process ◽  
Ethical Business ◽  
Reflective Awareness ◽  
Ethical Choices ◽  
Available Information ◽  
Context Characteristics

The aim of this research was to examine partial reflective awareness in ethical business choices in Croatia. The ethical decision-making is interlinked with sustainable practices, but it is also its prerequisite. Thus, better understanding of business ethics decision-making provides a basis for designing and implementing sustainability in a corporate setting. The research was done on student populations who will soon carry important roles and make important decisions for individuals, organizations, and society. The field research was conducted using Kohlberg’s scenarios. The results reveal that the process of decision-making goes through the lenses of respondents’ own preferred ethics. However, the reflective awareness of respondents’ preferred ethics is skewed and regularities in that deviations point out to the relevance of the context characteristics and arousal factors. In addition, the individuals do not use all available information in the assessment process. The revealed partial reflective awareness contributes to explanation of why people have problems with justifying their choices. As there are many examples of unethical behavior in the environment that remain unpunished, it is necessary to raise awareness of the issue. Improvement in reflective awareness would contribute to more sustainable ethical choices and reveal a possibility of an intervention design within the higher education framework.

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