Machines and computers are becoming increasingly sophisticated and self-sustaining. As we integrate such technologies into our daily lives, questions concerning moral integrity and best practices arise. A changing world requires renegotiating our current set of standards. Without best practices to guide interaction and use with these complex machines, interaction with them will turn disastrous. Machine Law, Ethics, and Morality in the Age of Artificial Intelligence is a collection of innovative research that presents holistic and transdisciplinary approaches to the field of machine ethics and morality and offers up-to-date and state-of-the-art perspectives on the advancement of definitions, terms, policies, philosophies, and relevant determinants related to human-machine ethics. The book encompasses theory and practice sections for each topical component of important areas of human-machine ethics both in existence today and prospective for the future. While highlighting a broad range of topics including facial recognition, health and medicine, and privacy and security, this book is ideally designed for ethicists, philosophers, scientists, lawyers, politicians, government lawmakers, researchers, academicians, and students. It is of special interest to decision- and policy-makers concerned with the identification and adoption of human-machine ethics initiatives, leading to needed policy adoption and reform for human-machine entities, their technologies, and their societal and legal obligations.

In Power and Regionalism in Latin America: The Politics of MERCOSUR, Laura Gomez-Mera examines the erratic patterns of regional economic cooperation in the Southern Common Market (MERCOSUR), a political-economic agreement among Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay, and, recently, Venezuela that comprises the world's fourth-largest regional trade bloc. Despite a promising start in the early 1990s, MERCOSUR has had a tumultuous and conflict-ridden history. Yet it has survived, expanding in membership and institutional scope. What explains its survival, given a seemingly contradictory mix of conflict and cooperation? Through detailed empirical analyses of several key trade disputes between the bloc's two main partners, Argentina and Brazil, Gomez-Mera proposes an explanation that emphasizes the tension between and interplay of two sets of factors: power asymmetries within and beyond the region, and domestic-level politics. Member states share a common interest in preserving MERCOSUR as a vehicle for increasing the region's leverage in external negotiations. Gomez-Mera argues that while external vulnerability and overlapping power asymmetries have provided strong and consistent incentives for regional cooperation in the Southern Cone, the impact of these systemic forces on regional outcomes also has been crucially mediated by domestic political dynamics in the bloc's two main partners, Argentina and Brazil. Contrary to conventional wisdom, however, the unequal distribution of power within the bloc has had a positive effect on the sustainability of cooperation. Despite Brazil's reluctance to adopt a more active leadership role in the process of integration, its offensive strategic interests in the region have contributed to the durability of institutionalized collaboration. However, as Gomez-Mera demonstrates, the tension between Brazil's global and regional power aspirations has also added significantly to the bloc's ineffectiveness.

The public space of democracies is constructed in a context that is marked by the digital transformation of the economy and society. This construction is carried out primarily through deliberation. Deliberation informs and guides both individual and collective action. To shed light on the concept of deliberation, it is important to consider the rationality of choice; but what type of rationality is this? References to economic reason are at once widespread, crucial and controversial. This book therefore deals with arguments used by individuals based on the notions of preferential choice and rational behavior, and also criticizes them. These arguments are examined in the context of the major themes of public debate that help to construct the contemporary public space: "populism", social insurance, social responsibility and environmental issues. Economic Reason and Political Reason underlines the importance of the pragmatist shift of the 2000s and revisits, through the lens of this new approach, the great utilitarian and Rawlsian normative constructs that dominated normative political economics at the end of the 20th century. Alternative approaches, based on the concept of deliberative democracy, are proposed and discussed.

Undeniably, the concept of corporate social responsibility (CSR) is not new, but there is a huge difference between understanding the concept of CSR in developed and developing nations. In developing countries, firms have little interest in adopting CSR as a strategy in their business goals. The best practices, techniques, and empirical studies conducted around the globe must be discussed in detail in order to encourage the incorporation of the best CSR strategies for regionally diverse businesses. Global Corporate Social Responsibility Initiatives for Reluctant Businesses is a critical reference source that covers the scope of global corporate social responsibility, which has continued to increase in the last couple of decades. The book includes core aspects of corporate social responsibility philosophy and practices in different European, North American, and Asian countries. This authored book helps readers to understand the corporate social responsibility practices in different countries and also provides a holistic picture of global CSR and emerging trends with the support of empirical studies. Covering topics including internationalization, Islamic CSR, green public procurement, CSR strategy, and sustainability, this book is essential for managers, executives, human resources managers, policymakers, academicians, researchers, students, and practitioners.

The COVID-19 global pandemic has had a profound impact on the global business community. Amidst the ongoing crisis, countries around the world are opening up again to a business world in which both consumer behaviors and company practices have started to change. Numerous companies are using corporate social responsibility to demonstrate their commitment to fighting against COVID-19 and alleviating the negative consequences of the pandemic for their stakeholders; due to this, corporate social responsibility is expected to become a core issue for managers and researchers in the post-pandemic era. Future Advancements for CSR and the Sustainable Development Goals in a Post-COVID-19 World discusses the challenges and opportunities of corporate social responsibility and studies the reactions to the COVID-19 global pandemic that may lead to changes in corporate social responsibility, corporate approaches to sustainable development goals, and stakeholders' reactions to the post-COVID-19 era. This book addresses the opportunities for businesses to shift towards more genuine and authentic corporate social responsibility that contributes to addressing urgent social and environmental challenges. Covering topics from social entrepreneurship typologies to sustainability leaders, this book is ideal for managers, executives, entrepreneurs, business professionals and practitioners, policymakers, academicians, researchers, and students.

Recently multinational corporations have begun to reinvent themselves as socially responsible actors, largely in response to anti-corporate activist pressure. The author argues that a concern with corporate reputation is leading to an ideational shift in corporate behavior - in essence, it is disciplining their behaviour. This innovative exploration of the idea of a self-regulating corporation in an era of globalisation first examines the link between corporate reputation, corporate behaviour and self-regulation, and goes on to compare and contrast various studies of multinational corporations that have sought to self-regulate. Terry O'Callaghan includes a multifaceted critique of anti-corporate activists, which acknowledges both the dangers multinational corporations pose to communities and the fact that anti-corporate activists are the first groups to understand that corporate reputations could be put at risk by targeted campaigns. He also illustrates his themes through three case studies of companies that have attempted to self-regulate, including Royal Dutch Shell, the Toyota Motor Corporation and Interface Inc. Undergraduate and postgraduate students of international business, management and business ethics will be interested in the essential topics covered in this book, and academics and practitioners alike will appreciate its accessible lessons about reputational capital and holding MNCs accountable.

The research surrounding artificial intelligence (AI) is vast and quite diverse in both its applied and theoretical fields. AI tools and techniques, such as machine learning, data mining, neural networks, and advanced analytics, are evolving at a high speed, creating a consistent need for updated research. This is especially relevant with frequent developments for the application of AI technology in many science and industry sectors. This rapid expansion created a need for research that focuses on the questions surrounding the development of AI such as ethical issues, responsible AI methods and applications, and its widespread implementation. Within the answers to these questions is the prevailing notion that AI should be accountable, explainable, transparent, and fair for all organizations and individuals. Responsible AI and Ethical Issues for Businesses and Governments widens the understanding of AI outside of the "narrow" technical perspective to a broader viewpoint that embraces the links between AI theory, practice, and policy. The chapters in this book discuss the basic philosophical and conceptual foundations of AI and explores the responsible application of AI tools and methods, the moral aspects of AI, practical issues, and responsible AI implementation across a range of industries. While highlighting topics that include digital transformation, ethical competence, information literacy in AI, and the interaction between AI and humans, this book is ideally designed for IT specialists, technology developers, technologists, ethicists, practitioners, stakeholders, academicians, students, and researchers who are interested in learning more about the ethical and responsible use of AI.

Currently, there are several divergent and convergent understandings of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) as the term continues to evolve and expand. A number of scholars, practitioners, and international bodies have attempted to define the concept, theoretical underpinnings, dimensions, and sources of DEI as well as its advantages and disadvantages in organizations and workplaces. However, further study is necessary to accurately define the concept of DEI in order to appropriately develop and implement inclusive policies in today's business world. Mainstreaming Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion as Future Workplace Ethics enhances the historical origin of DEI, considers existing definitions and theories of DEI from a multidisciplinary lens, and provides insightful and valuable materials that are focused on DEI to aid the application of these concepts in theory and practice. Covering topics such as economic growth and policy development, this reference work is ideal for policymakers, ethicists, human resource specialists, business owners, executives, managers, industry professionals, academicians, researchers, instructors, and students.

This book deals with the development of key traditions of practical wisdom, particularly in Aristotelian virtue ethics, but also extending to other traditions such as Confucianism and Islam. It includes historical perspectives in philosophy, and offers views on the core concept of phronesis or practical wisdom and associated themes such as the idea of ‘good’ in good judgment, decision making in particular contexts, uncertainty, the acquisition of wisdom, and deliberation. It also includes an exploration of more contentious themes, such as reciprocity in the virtues, techne vs praxis, and standards.

Modern companies are subject to increasing pressures to conduct their business in an environmentally responsible manner due to social and environmental problems. Management of sustainable performance is one of the phenomena faced by the current business environment and, in particular, management corporations. The focus of management on profitability remains the main objective of any company, but it must also take into account the sustainability of social, economic, and environmental aspects. Under these circumstances, managerial decisions need to be adjusted and strongly substantiated, considering the information required by internal and external stakeholders, including financial reporting. The information requirements of customers and other stakeholders are steadily increasing, and some companies face certain problems in implementing the concept of sustainability and environmental reporting. CSR and Management Accounting Challenges in a Time of Global Crises is a comprehensive reference source that explores various theoretical and practical approaches of management accounting and its impact in the 21st century and investigates new accounting and financial approaches where economic and social aspects become mutually supportive to enhance their impact on community development. Covering topics such as CSR reporting, sustainability, and greenwashing, this book is an essential resource for academicians, specialty organizations, chief financial officers (CFOs), financial controllers, business analysts, financial planning and analysis (FP&A) analysts, budgeting managers, students, researchers, and business environment managers and specialists.

Featuring a conversational and highly approachable tone, Business Ethics: The Search for an Elusive Idea helps students bridge the gap between the complicated subject matter of ethics and the practical, everyday business situations in which ethics can come into play. Opening chapters provide students with a broad overview of philosophy, ethics, business, and human motivation. Students develop their vocabulary and general understanding of concepts and constructs related to ethics. Additional chapters examine a number of societal areas that have been the subject of ethical scrutiny in the past through a collection of engaging case studies. The studies discuss the housing crisis, the cost of health care, deception and trickery in advertising, and issues related to the auto industry and big oil. Closing chapters provide students with guidelines for organizational direction and advice for developing measurable change over time. Written to provide students with an accessible introduction, Business Ethics is an excellent resource for foundational courses within the discipline.

The world's systems of higher education (HE) are caught up in the fourth industrial revolution of the twenty-first century. Driven by increased globalization, demographic expansion in demand for education, new information and communications technology, and changing cost structures influencing societal expectations and control, higher education systems across the globe are adapting to the pressures of this new industrial environment. To make sense of the complex changes in the practices and structures of higher education, this Handbook sets out a theoretical framework to explain what higher education systems are, how they may be compared over time, and why comparisons are important in terms of societal progress in an increasingly interconnected world. Drawing on insights from over 40 leading international scholars and practitioners, the chapters examine the main challenges facing institutions of higher education, how they should be managed in changing conditions, and the societal implications of different approaches to change. Structured around the premise that higher education plays a significant role in ensuring that a society achieves the capacity to adjust itself to change, while at the same time remaining cohesive as a social system, this Handbook explores how current internal and external forces disturb this balance, and how institutions of higher education could, and might, respond.

The fourth industrial revolution continues to have a profound effect on humans, business activities, and the planet. Understanding its impacts and creating a society where mankind can thrive instead of fear technological advancement will be key as humans' abilities to deal with complex challenges will be tested more and more. Imagination, Creativity, and Responsible Management in the Fourth Industrial Revolution is an essential reference source that discusses preventative measures to limit the potential negative impacts and threats posed by technological advancements, which could include humans' loss of creativity, problem-solving skills, and critical thinking as automation becomes more prevalent. Putting ingenuity to good use by formulating responsible and sustainable management could hold the key to developing more opportunities for humans to thrive. Featuring research on topics such as digital enterprise, sustainable development, and knowledge sharing, this book is ideally designed for academics, researchers, students, consultants, IT specialists, engineers, and professionals analyzing the impact of innovative technological developments.

In today's business world, understanding and supporting understudied groups is vital to maintain workplace diversity, safety, and ethics as well as promote a positive work environment. Communication within a business is a key aspect of ensuring these groups are considered and all employees are informed of guidelines, services, and other various support systems available. Cases on Organizational Communication and Understanding Understudied Groups presents case studies that focus on organizational issues that individuals are likely to experience at some point during their employment in various understudied areas such as neurodiversity, learning differences, mental health, identity, gender, ethics, and emotion. Covering topics such as cross-cultural interactions and privacy management, this reference work is crucial for business professionals, academicians, researchers, scholars, practitioners, instructors, and students.

Focusing on research that examines both individual and organizational behavior relative to accounting, Advances in Accounting Behavioral Research provides an in-depth analysis and exchange of peer-reviewed knowledge across all areas of accounting behavioral research and the development, discussion, and expansion of theories from psychology, sociology, and related disciplines. From the effects of organizational commitment, the impact of stressors on performance, and responses to narcissism to the effects of auditor familiarity and the examination of personality traits, chapters in Volume 26 compile innovative and new explorations into the behavioral aspects of accounting and auditing. Working on both the individual and organizational level, this collection is essential reading for accounting students and educators, providing a unique, interdisciplinary forum with valuable insights on practice for those working in the field to better understand accounting domains.