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Books > Business & Economics > Business & management > Business ethics
"We need to do Community Involvement better - we know we're spending millions each year on charitable causes; how can we find out what is really effective and what people will appreciate us for? Who should we partner with? How can we make a real difference in society and help our business?" Companies around the world are trying to answer these questions. Many are asking the same questions even as, collectively, they continue to spend billions on their communities. How do they know which activities are really worthwhile? Building on the authors' own extensive global experience at Nokia and E.ON, as well as the experience of many other experts in the field, this book offers the first-ever "how to" roadmap for managers on the comprehensive implementation of strategic Community Involvement inside their companies. It is designed to be practical, for those who want to act upon what they have read. It will fill a long-neglected niche as a day-to-day reference guide for practitioners. Corporate Community Involvement demonstrates what to do and how to do it. The advice is backed up by inspiring interviews with best-in-class practitioners from businesses such as Microsoft, GlaxoSmithKline, Ericsson, and Deutsche Bank and leading international Corporate Responsibility and Community Involvement experts. The book highlights proven best-practice approaches, effective methods, and concise tools to help managers "get there faster" and "get it right first time." The core of the book is a step-by-step guide to developing and implementing a comprehensive and successful approach to Corporate Community Involvement. It shows how to: conduct a current state analysis and devise a strategy, organize staffing and budgets, integrate Corporate Community Involvement throughout the business and create high-profile programs, partner across sectors, measure and evaluate results, communicate successful activities, and overcome challenges. Corporate Community Involvement has an international perspective: the models and principles advocated are adaptable anywhere in the world. Also, it is designed to have as much relevance to a small or medium-sized enterprise as to a multinational. The book outlines the history and future of Corporate Community Involvement, explaining the business context and why companies need to manage their programs strategically. It also distinguishes between the growing lexicon of terminologies and provides clear definitions of terms such as "philanthropy", "sponsorship", "Corporate Citizenship", "Corporate Responsibility" and "Sustainability", advising when they are appropriate and how each can add value to corporate activities. This will be an indispensible resource for those working at the interface between business and the community. New or developing practitioners will learn from both the successes and failures of those before them. Representatives from other sectors, notably government, international agencies, NGOs, and academia, will come to understand companies' internal requirements for cross-sector collaboration programs in the community better. And students interested in this field will be better equipped to start careers.
Growing interest in corporate social responsibility (CSR) has focused attention on the relationship between businesses and key stakeholders, such as NGOs and local communities. Curiously, however, commentators on CSR rarely discuss the role of trade unions, while commentators on employment relations seldom engage with CSR. This situation is all the more remarkable since unions are a critically important social actor and have traditionally played a prominent role in defending the interests of one key stakeholder in the company, the employee. Written by dedicated experts in their field, this book addresses a key gap in the literature on both CSR and employment relations, namely trade union policies towards CSR, as well as union engagement with particular CSR initiatives and the challenges they face in doing so. The research covers eleven European countries which, when taken together, constitute a representative sample of industrial relations structures across the continent. This book will be essential reading for scholars, students and practitioners of international business, employment relations, public policy and CSR. Its foreword is written by Philippe Pochet and Maria Jepsen, Directors of the European Trade Union Institute in Brussels.
Business Ethics: An Ethical Decision-Making Approach presents a practical decision-making framework to aid in the identification, understanding, and resolution of complex ethical dilemmas in the workplace. * Focuses exclusively on three basic aspects of ethical decision making and behavior how it actually takes place, how it should take place, and how it can be improved * Uses real-life examples of moral temptations and personal ethical dilemmas faced by employees and managers * Discusses the biases, psychological tendencies, moral rationalizations, and impact of self-interest as impediments to proper ethical decision making * Includes relevant examples of ethical misconduct and scandals appearing in the news media
The book consists of a short introduction to the significance of unintended consequences and four chapters. The first chapter develops a typology of unintended consequences and distinguishes them from historical contingencies. The second chapter analyzes three types of causes of such consequences: worldly, practical and psychological causes. The third explores the significant problems these consequences pose for standard moral theories. The fourth and final chapter examines how we might begin both to think about and cope with unintended consequences in an ethically good way.
Nothing affects the modern economy and society more than decisions made in the marketplace, especially, but not only, decisions made by consumers. Although it is not startling to suggest that decisions made in production are affected by choices consumers make, consumers have long been viewed, not only by academic economists, as individual, isolated rational actors that make or refrain from purchases purely on the basis of narrow financial considerations. Markets are not and never were morally neutral. Market relations have always had an often taken-for-granted moral underpinning. The moralization of the markets refers to the dissolution and replacement of the conventional moral underpinnings of market conduct, for example, in the music market, financial markets, and corporate governance. It further implies not only the heightened importance of new ethical precepts, but the signifi cant change in the role of moral ideals in market behavior. These profound transformations of economic conduct are accompanied and co-determined by societal conflicts. The moralization of markets represents thus a new stage in the social evolution of markets. The book is divided into four parts, in which the twelve chapters, written by contributors from different social science disciplines, deal with the context of the moralization of the markets; the major social institutions; and present case studies that examine European and American attitudes and behavior towards tobacco and GMO; expansion of the private and ethics in business; and how workers respond to the new corporate norms. This new paperback edition will be of interest to sociologists, economists, social scientists, and the general consumer alike.
Practical Wisdom in Management is the first in-depth case-study book to explore how practical wisdom from spiritual and philosophical traditions inspires corporate culture and leadership. The outcome of the Practical Wisdom Initiative, between The Academy of Business in Society (ABIS) and Yale University Center for Faith and Culture, it seeks to construct a bridge between the worlds of management and the spiritual and philosophical traditions. Covering ten major worldwide religions, Theodore Malloch provides an overview of the practical wisdom of the major faith traditions for management. It includes case studies of over twenty multinational corporations focusing on their values, spiritual inspiration and business strategy. It features case studies on corporations including: Ascension Health; Michelin; DANONE Group, Walmart; TOMS; Marriott; HSBC; Four Seasons; Guangzhou Eversunny Trading and Toyota. It is essential reading for business leaders, researchers and students of business ethics and spirituality courses and includes full teaching guidance.
The major challenge for companies is to create a business that will last. This means they have to take seriously the issue of sustainable development, rather than simply having an environmental policy, conducting social or environmental audits or consulting the stakeholder. It requires more radical change; a thorough review of core values and purposes, with attention to the 'triple bottom line' of money, people and nature. Building to Last shows the way. Part One lays out the factors, including market trends and changing mindsets, which businesses will in future have to take into account. Part Two looks at some of the most enlightened steps so far taken by companies to preserve or enhance profitability while positioning themselves for the next century. The final part examines the different ways in which business can adopt principles of sustainability: independently, through industry associations, with those in their local community and through initiatives and through initiatives such as industrial ecology. It shows how businesses can manage the new challenges, monitor their performance and measure progress towards solutions that will last. This is a useful guide for environmental managers, senior and middle managers and managers of SMEs; and an essential text for academics and students of business schools or courses. Colin Hutchinson is an independent Sustainable Development Facilitator working with businesses, local authorities and environmental charities. He is a member of the Council of the Association for Management, Education and Development and a former Chairman of Sheppard Moscow Ltd. Originally published in 1997
Over the last few decades, emerging markets have increased their share in world GDP and have come to play a prominent and growing role in global business. Their period of impressive growth was triggered by major global advances such as economic liberalization and governance reforms and deregulation. As governments and policy makers have permitted global competition from the more advanced, developed world, the prospect of millions of consumers in developing countries not only encourages locals to start businesses, but also appeals to multinational enterprises overseas. The growing presence of emerging markets on the world stage has not been left unnoticed and many investors have contributed significant amounts of capital with the hope of receiving major financial gains. In this context, emerging markets are particularly facing sustainability challenges due to their fast growing pace and fuzzy or inexistent sustainability regulations. Corporate Social Responsibility in Emerging Economies represents a realistic critical overview of the state of affairs of CSR in the context of an emerging economy. It is an accessible and comprehensive diagnostic point of reference for the academic world as well as for policy makers. The topic of CSR is highly relevant for the business world and a challenging subject for the theory and literature. This is a unique book that offers new empirical insights for policy makers and scholars of the fields of CSR, Business Ethics, Organizational Studies and related disciplines
Written for professional and aspiring accountants, this book addresses the specific ethical issues that accountants are often obliged to resolve in the context of their work. The authors, an accountant and an ethicist, take a case-based, pragmatic approach to the subject, examining real life dilemmas often faced in the practice of accountancy. Each chapter investigates a specific issue, such as whistle-blowing or the implications of independence, and includes several case studies that put the theoretical analysis into practical perspective. Throughout, Cottell and Perlin seek to go beyond the codes of professional behavior to confront the subtle personal, corporate, and governmental pressures that make ethical decision making difficult. In an era in which accountants have been tried publicly for aiding in corporate fraud, "Accounting EthicS" provides a careful and welcome exploration of the moral issues faced almost daily by professionals in the field. Following an introductory chapter that raises fundamental questions about accountability, the authors analyze and interpret the three different systems from which ethical considerations are born--deontologism, utilitarianism, and ethical realism. Subsequent chapters examine particular types of conflicts. Among the topics that receive extended treatment are moral conflicts within the firm, the issue of independence, whistle-blowing as an option, legal requirements and ethical duties, difficulties in relationships among professionals, questions of sexual difference and discrimination, and accounting's responsibility to society. Specialized jargon is kept to a minimum, making this an excellent resource for anyone practicing or considering a career in the accounting profession.
In a world struggling to adapt to seismic social and environmental changes, the time is now for businesses to prioritise creating local conditions of peace. This book builds on original research foregrounding 'peace' as a core business outcome for natural resources industries. Especially in non-warlike situations where natural resources industries have exacerbated or caused conflict, foregrounding peace as a core business outcome can bring substantial benefits. Peace is a concept external and internal stakeholders understand. Consequently, research shows that when natural resources sector CSR professionals start reframing their day-to-day decisions in terms of peace outcomes, they are more likely to create efficient and cost-effective solutions to environmental, social and economic business challenges. This book provides both theory and practical suggestions for how to reframe day-to-day CSR activities of natural resources companies as peace-focused, business decisions. Especially in the remote and rural regions of the world where natural resources industries have the greatest impact, businesses can lead the way in contributing to conditions of peace while bringing much needed resources to market.
This text brings together case studies focusing on specific instances of corporate best practices. All too often, we showcase cases based on questionable or unethical corporate behavior. Instead, the editors bring together in this book examples of how some firms got it right. Certainly, there is no claim that the companies in these case are perfect; some of them may have histories that include questionable practices. But, these are companies that work to foster trust, both internally and in their relationships with customers, suppliers, shareholders, and the communities in which they operate. The book is not, however, merely a descriptive iteration of effective corporate conduct. The editors conclude with an analysis of frameworks for corporate and managerial ethical decision-making - frameworks that help to establish models for best practices. These frameworks then can be generalized and applied to other corporate situations, and replicated by other companies in their search for excellence and the resulting avoidance of misconduct.
Intentional Integrity, by Silicon Valley expert Rob Chestnut, provides
an excellent road map for any organization looking to create a clear
set of values to live by.
Bridging the gap between architectural theory and professional practice studies, this book offers critical inquiry into the shifting ground of ethical thought in the changing climate of the global economy. Looking at issues of contemporary significance to architectural critics, practitioners, educators, and students, the book also examines the role of the architectural academy in providing an education in ethical judgement. Including transcripts of responses and discussions among its contributors, a broad interdisciplinary set of perspectives are debated and often controversial points of view are put forward.
This book brings together a variety of international, cross-cultural case studies of management education programmes and discusses the results in light of the present higher social expectations on managerial behaviour. It presents both traditional and unusual approaches to management education, examining concept mapping, transformational learning theory, the practice-theory gap, cultural indoctrination and business students' increased concern with socio-ecological sustainability. It moves from restating the purpose of university business schools to discussing the construction of conducive learning environments on introductory courses and of communities of learning through 'harmonised teaching'. In addressing the social and ethical problems that will soon confront all managers, Meeting Expectations is a valuable resource for teachers, students and practitioners.
In the modern age of authenticity and transparency, consumers are no longer content with brands that are dismissive of, or even apathetic to, sustainability. Brands are now expected to convey understanding and concern when it comes to matters such as climate change, carbon footprints and employee welfare. Most importantly of all, they must be genuinely committed to these standpoints - remaining consistent and proactive in their principles. With the rise of more conscious consumers and the belief-driven buyer, organizations ignore sustainability and the spirit of 'doing good' at their own peril. From three marketing experts with decades of experience between them, Sustainable Marketing delivers the new benchmark for modern marketing. This book clarifies the importance of the sustainable approach before providing a comprehensive guide to implementing, driving and maintaining these practices in any organization. A must-read for any business leader or marketing executive, this is a unique and fascinating blend of academic research and practical case studies that will kick-start and inspire sustainable initiatives.
To fully comprehend corporate social responsibility (CSR), corporations must understand the many-sided nature of CSR. This book provides insight into the theoretical foundation, beliefs, and expectations of the multiple stakeholders; the governance of CSR commitment; and corporations' strategies associated with the design, development, implementation and communication strategies for CSR through the case study on Malaysia. The book also explains why corporations should pursue a dual economic and social function and why it being critical to an organisation's success. It also describes the CSR trends and influences such as sustainability and globalisation on the future of CSR.
The war is over. The largest corporations in the world are now committed to sustainability. But, behind the public relations gloss, corporate executives and managers are perplexed. The majority of them have a genuine desire to work in an ethical and sustainable manner. Yet, when they engage with their stakeholders for that purpose, they unexpectedly encounter a world of hardball politics full of hostile activists, self-interested elites and unpredictable attacks. Unfortunately, corporate management is too often unskilled in this rough-and-tumble world. While managers rely on facts and rational analysis, their self-appointed critics have mastered the arts of political discourse, issue framing and media manipulation. At the same time, as corporations extend their global reach, their third-world stakeholder communities are beset with a variety of poverty-maintaining and sustainability-thwarting conditions. In many parts of the world, communities suffer from entrenched divisions, exclusion from power, unpredictable violence and economic dependency. In order to both reduce reputational risk and to contribute to sustainable development, companies need the equivalent of roadmaps of the socio-political terrain in their stakeholder networks.This book moves on to next challenge of giving companies what they need now: namely, "how to" guides addressing the twin problems of firstly maintaining political legitimacy (talking the talk), and, secondly, promoting sustainable development (walking the walk). They need to learn how to both play stakeholder politics and collaborate with stakeholders towards sustainability goals. Most companies have already encountered or anticipated the barriers that this book addresses, and managers will recognize the dilemmas described.Stakeholder Politics is the first book to offer a method for classifying and dealing with these socio-political problems.The book presents a typology of stakeholder networks that will help managers and community leaders identify and improve the social capital patterns in their own networks. Once they know what patterns they have, they can move their networks towards those that foster sustainable community development. The author describes vivid cases in which managers and community stakeholders have already used the approach successfully. At the same time, managers get handy tools for predicting and avoiding community-level socio-political risk around stakeholder issues: most notably, the Stakeholder 360 which has been successfully used in Canada and Australia with large groups of managers learning about stakeholder engagement.The book has been written for an audience of both managers and academics. Those working in developing countries with difficult stakeholder issues will find it indispensable.
In this revealing book Peggy Chiu argues against the common belief that maximizing wealth is the primary concern of ordinary small shareholders when they make their share-buying decisions. This fascinating in-depth study of small shareholders provides both theoretical and empirical insights into their personal values and attitudes to corporate social responsibility (CSR). The author establishes that personal values are a major influence on decisions about the type of investments people make and about which companies they choose to invest in. Financial risk and return are far from being the only factors that determine small shareholders' investment decisions - irresponsible behaviour is not acceptable and will not attract investment from this significant group. Looking Beyond Profit is an essential book, not just for encouraging investment managers to look more closely at their environmental impacts, but for finance advisers and all concerned with corporate governance, either as practitioners, researchers, business educators or students.
The business of business is business. So why should corporations be involved in development? This groundbreaking new book makes the case that governments and their international agencies, grouped under the umbrella of the United Nations, have failed in their attempts to rid the planet of underdevelopment and poverty. If development is the objective then it seems that the solution and the responsibility lies with the private sector - particularly through the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programmes of large corporations, with their tremendous power and economic strength. Written by noted CSR practitioner Michael Hopkins, this book is the first to explicitly link CSR with development. It spells out what corporations are doing on development, what more they could do and how CSR can be a useful tool to promote economic development via corporations. This is important and challenging reading for all of those in government, business and NGOs who think that there must be a better, more effective and dynamic way to kick-start development and eradicate poverty.
This exciting new text engages with the issue of ethical dilemmas encountered in different organizations. Rather than exploring the definition of ethical conduct, this book focuses on the way in which the process of organization produces dilemmas of ethical behaviour. Using illustrative accounts from corporate settings as a basis, the book explores the conditions that lead to ethical dilemmas and the strategies organizations adopt to deal with these dilemmas or steer away from them. The book suggests that ethical dilemmas are often dealt with by directing attention away from the core problem, rather than engaging with and solving it. This is a fascinating text, which raises important questions and provides a deeper understanding of the dynamics of ethical processes. A company's ethical behaviour is a major criterion by which the company, its products and services are judged and is therefore crucial to sound management in today's organizations. Ethical Dilemmas in Management is essential reading for all students of business and management and ethics.
Historically, the study of corporate social responsibility (CSR) reporting has largely been within the context of Western economies. However, in the wake of highly publicized incidents such as Bhopal and the struggle of the Ogoni people in Nigeria, many large corporations now claim to be taking steps to improve their environmental and social performance within developing countries. Using the lens of stakeholder theory, this book examines whether the current practice of CSR reporting in developing countries is motivated by a desire to discharge accountability to all relevant stakeholders or whether it is being driven by the imperative of advancing corporate economic interests. While concepts like CSR reporting have become more fashionable, they vary widely in different national contexts; this book therefore clarifies the types and roles of CSR reporting and the underlying corporate motivations. The author considers the current CSR reporting practices in a number of developing countries, with particular attention given to illuminating a case study of Bangladesh.
With business under unprecedented pressure from a range of stakeholders to engage in corporate social responsibility (CSR), those working in dirty industries, developing countries and the extractive sector are finding themselves exposed to great strategic risks. Many of these companies are endeavouring to practise CSR and sustainability, but lack the knowledge to do so convincingly. Much of what has been published to date tells companies they must "do" CSR, without explaining how best to implement CSR-related policies and why this is very much in the corporate interest. Buried Treasure sets out in a series of case studies from different industries around the world a clear demonstration of how it is possible to create "shared value" for companies, communities and other stakeholders by putting CSR at the core of the business model. In implementing CSR, companies need to look beyond philanthropy, delving deeper to find the "buried treasure" of shared value creation. This is much more than finding the simple "win-win" solutions. It is about companies engaging seriously in the challenges they face in their operations and finding competitive advantage from working with stakeholders to solve these common problems. This is not easy - but where companies have done it well they have found new corporate opportunities and enhanced brand value. Buried Treasure presents a series of steps, each accompanied by an in-depth case study, to demonstrate how different companies have managed to uncover the value of CSR. They include: Anglo-American's "Zimele" programme of enterprise development in its coal and platinum mining areas in South Africa; Montana Exploradora, showing how community co-monitoring of the environment has helped build trust for a gold mine in Guatemala; Gildan, a leading sportswear manufacturer, demonstrating how garment manufacture in Honduras created meaningful local opportunities; Scandic Hotels, which has used environmental stewardship and "omtanke" to create comparative advantage in a competitive industry; and Turner Broadcasting, using corporate core competences in partnership with an NGO to leverage staff skills, enhancing public perception and staff retention. This short and accessible book will be an invaluable aid to managers and students searching for clear proof of the advantages of corporate social responsibility for business and its many stakeholders and for guidance in how to action best-practice policies.
This is a research-based book on whistle-blowing in organizations. The three noted authors describe studies on this important topic and the implications of the research and theory for organizational behavior, managerial practice, and public policy. In the past few years there have been critical developments, including corporate scandals, which have called public attention to whistle-blowing and have led to the first comprehensive federal legislation to protect private sector whistle-blowers (the Sarbanes-Oxley Act). This book is the first to integrate these new developments in an analytic and empirically grounded approach to whistle-blowing in organizations.
It is not often that we have the opportunity to hear from the early pioneers of a social movement about how it grew and evolved, but that is exactly what this book sets out to do. The Difference Makers tells the stories of 23 entrepreneurs who have been instrumental in developing corporate responsibility; offers an analysis of how CSR has emerged as a key business issue, why it has evolved so quickly, and the visions of its thought leaders. The book examines 23 of the key players who have been instrumental in developing the corporate responsibility movement. They include John Ruggie and the Global Compact, Allen White and the Global Reporting Initiative, John Elkington and SustainAbility, Simon Zadek and AccountAbility, Alice Tepper Marlin and Social Accountability International, Bob Dunn and Business for Social Responsibility, and Joan Bavaria and Ceres - along with many others. The Difference Makers is a history and detailed analysis of how corporate responsibility has emerged as a key political, social, and business issue, why it has evolved so quickly, and what the visions of its thought leaders are for the future. It is essential reading for academics, business people and all those interested in the future of the corporation.
The human rights issues have long played an important role in the strategies of, and the roles played by, corporations around the world. This book focuses on these issues from both theoretical and practical perspectives. The authors examine the nature of and the limits of human rights responsibilities of business. They explore whether the protection of human rights should play a role in the regulation of international trade by bodies like the World Trade Organization and examine the effectiveness of voluntary standards in the clothing textiles trade, mining, advertising and the pharmaceutical industry. Long thought to be the exclusive jurisdiction of governments, the relationship between business and human rights has emerged in the last two decades as one of the most pressing issues in the field of business ethics. Do corporations have human rights responsibilities? If so, what is that nature of those responsibilities and do they differ in any significant way from those of governments? Is it reasonable or realistic to expect corporations to respect human rights in environments where governments, particularly in the developing and underdeveloped world, need economic development and have a limited capacity and/or interest in enforcing human rights standards and laws? Integrating theory and practice, the authors include discussion of the debates leading to the creation of the ISO 26000 standard and the United Nations human rights framework for business entities. They also explore the implications of the current debate for international trade agreements and trade with China. Scholars and students in management, philosophy, political science, and sociology will find this volume a great resource, as will activists, managers and policy makers.Contributors include: J. Bishop, T. Campbell, C. Coumans, W. Cragg, B. Hamm, A. Macleod, P. Potter, C. Sampford, A. Wellington, F. Wettstein, S. Wood |
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