This brief explores the concept of moral leadership in organizations. Specifically, it examines ways in which companies can strengthen their reputation in the market and increase performance by taking leading positions in the realm of business ethics. It presents research from top scholars of Eastern Europe contemplating the future of our global information and knowledge society. How will the economic power nexuses of the world shift in the foreseeable future? Are we becoming so interconnected and at the same time divided that social capital (together with business integrity and customer feedback) may matter more than money and resources? How will education and creativity bridge the shrinking gap between producers and consumers? Such questions and many more are tackled by this brief. In the current global economy, we have never before been more tightly-knit and never before has it been easier to distribute goods as well as ideologies. However, in the global marketplace we are only as good as our word, or our reputation, proves to be. Integrity studies by Transparency International show a correlation between corruption and national threat and lists corruption among the most harmful factors to impact local and regional economies. Therefore, successful businesses cannot afford to simply remain materially successful; they have to consider their community impact and become moral leaders before they can be world leaders in their respective field. Featuring innovative tools, recommendations, case studies and checklists, this brief will be of interest to students, academics, scholars, practitioners and policymakers alike in the fields of leadership, corporate governance, business ethics and corporate social responsibility.

This volume explores the value of business integrity and ethics as a "best practice" model in business strategy. The authors define business integrity, explore areas in which integrity is often absent or discredited, and provide a framework and tools to help build better business ethics and corporate social responsibility. The volume aims to reveal that beyond the immediate economic effect, corruption can ruin entire countries by destabilizing key economic and political players, warping their vision for state development. Against the backdrop of global financial and ethical crises, the authors argue that integrity in business is a key component for long-term success. Integrity includes the ability to be consistent with one's moral values and principles and places society's wishes at the center of business decision-making. The cornerstone upon which a culture of integrity is built within a certain business is the ethics code. It explicitly states the values and principles to which a company adheres. The continuous promotion, support and communication of the ethics code stipulations provide the basis upon which integrity in business is built. Featuring case studies from countries such as Sweden, Great Britain and France and companies such Starbucks, Nike, PSEG, and Anglo-American PLC, this volume provides a comprehensive study of business integrity and social responsibility that will be of interest to students, scholars, professionals and policy-makers from around the world.