Corporate Ethics and Management Theory

Abstract

In what follows we try to develop a concise line of reasoning concerning a conceptual clarification of the relationship between corporate ethics and management. Our proposal will draw from philosophical considerations developed by philosophers of the methodical constructivism of the so-called Erlangen-School (Lorenzen 1968, 1981, 1982, 1987a, 1987b, Kambartel 1989). We use the term “corporate ethics” instead of (the more fuzzy term) “business ethics” to stress that the focus of our paper is the firm and not the economy as a whole. The word “management” denotes all actions which are directed towards the (purposeful) co-ordination of corporate activities by which the transformation of goods and services is accomplished (i.e., procurement, operations, logistics, marketing etc.). These actions are traditionally grouped in five “managerial functions” under the headings of (1) planning, (2) organising, (3) staffing, (4) leading (directing), and (5) control (Koontz/O’Donnell 1964). Management theory then is the body of knowledge about managerial functions developed to describe, understand (or explain) and improve management practice. Note that this definition implies an approach to the field of management which is guided by the theory of action (instead, e.g., by systems theory).KeywordsBusiness EthicManagement TheoryCorporate StrategyDiscourse EthicEthic ManagementThese keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.