Business Ethics

Abstract

Business ethics is the study of the moral rules and perspectives in use in organizations, particularly market actors. With roots in both applied moral philosophy and the study of social issues in management and business, it is a diverse and interdisciplinary field offering rich perspectives on how, why, and whether businesses, other organizations, and individuals operate in ethical and social terms. Additionally, business ethics incorporates the macro perspective of how business systems, structures, economies, and policy do or should organize in support of ethical practice. Business ethics research can be found across a range of disciplines. While the majority of work remains in outlets explicitly called “business ethics,” important research is also published elsewhere. Importantly, there is a good deal of crossover with neighboring subjects such as sustainability, corporate social responsibility, organizational responsibility, and corporate citizenship (for more information see Oxford Bibliographies in Management articles “Organizational Responsibility” by Stephanie R.Klein and “Approaches to Social Responsibility” by Kellie C. Liket and Pursey P.M.A.R. Heugens). In the contributions selected here, a driving requirement has been that business ethics remain center stage. This means that the ethical component of each article or book in question needs to be clearly articulated and attended to. In this business ethics bibliography, the approach taken has been to acknowledge the origins and foundation of business ethics and, importantly, to make visible some areas of research which are evolving to be critically important for the future. The future is necessarily guided by the past, and the earlier themes highlighted here remain pertinent and continue to develop and mature. It is an exciting time for business ethics, and as this bibliography shows, there is a great deal that this discipline has to offer to global critical problems. Indeed, the rise of the recognition of the practical relevance of business ethics is evident in the bibliography. Additionally, while the English-language field of the early years was overwhelmingly dominated by North American voices and North American interests, that has changed; now issues of global concern are firmly on the agenda, and contributors from around the world are far more familiar in the debates, though there remain structural barriers to the important diversity of contributions that the complex field arguably needs to be relevant and innovative. The approach taken here has been to actively seek to include diverse contributors of all kinds. The subjects covered can be divided into theory (ethical theory and stakeholder theory); themes (perennial themes, convergence, and new technology); and perspectives (organizational form, disciplinary viewpoints and the ‘Global South), ending with reference to the place of business ethics in the grand challenges as an indicator of the important practical impact of business ethics as a subject.