Global Business Ethics
Birmingham Business School
Masters in Business Administration - International Business
Module Title: Global Business Ethics
Banner Code: 07 21262
Title: Business Ethics : Utopian visions of a more ethical and sustainable world
Date: November 2010
Word Count: (3500)
Written by: Folashayo E. Onibere
Table of Contents 1.0 Introduction 3 2.0 Business and Ethics – Definition 4 3.0 Business Ethics and Ethical Theories 5 3.1 Teleological Ethics 6 3.2 Virtue Ethics 7 3.3 Katian Deontology 7 3.4 Consequentialist Theories 8 4.0 Business Ethics and CSR 10 4.1 Share holder view of the Firm 11 4.2 The stakeholder theory of Social responsibility 12 4.3 The Stakeholder model vs. Shareholder model 12 5.0 Business Ethics and the Real world 14 Case Study A: “Uzbekistan Cotton; a new spin on child labour in the clothing industry 14 Case Study B: California Dental Association v. Federal Trade Commission 16 6.0 Bridging the Gap between the Utopian and the Real World 18 7.0 Conclusion 19 References 20
1.0 Introduction
In the present decade there has been an unprecedented growth and demand for ethical business practices among corporations and a rise in awareness of the general public and consumers respectively. Businesses now engage and use these ethical standards as a means of portraying themselves as being “morally responsible” and thus creating value in the minds of their customers.
Researches in business ethics deal with numerous questions relating to how business and ethics can be addressed within a sustainable framework. According to De George (1987), “Business ethics is the study of morality and immorality as well as possible justification of economic systems.”
Business ethics is gaining relevance as business is increasingly being conducted across national boundaries. Smaller domestic
Masters in Business Administration - International Business
Module Title: Global Business Ethics
Banner Code: 07 21262
Title: Business Ethics : Utopian visions of a more ethical and sustainable world
Date: November 2010
Word Count: (3500)
Written by: Folashayo E. Onibere
Table of Contents 1.0 Introduction 3 2.0 Business and Ethics – Definition 4 3.0 Business Ethics and Ethical Theories 5 3.1 Teleological Ethics 6 3.2 Virtue Ethics 7 3.3 Katian Deontology 7 3.4 Consequentialist Theories 8 4.0 Business Ethics and CSR 10 4.1 Share holder view of the Firm 11 4.2 The stakeholder theory of Social responsibility 12 4.3 The Stakeholder model vs. Shareholder model 12 5.0 Business Ethics and the Real world 14 Case Study A: “Uzbekistan Cotton; a new spin on child labour in the clothing industry 14 Case Study B: California Dental Association v. Federal Trade Commission 16 6.0 Bridging the Gap between the Utopian and the Real World 18 7.0 Conclusion 19 References 20
1.0 Introduction
In the present decade there has been an unprecedented growth and demand for ethical business practices among corporations and a rise in awareness of the general public and consumers respectively. Businesses now engage and use these ethical standards as a means of portraying themselves as being “morally responsible” and thus creating value in the minds of their customers.
Researches in business ethics deal with numerous questions relating to how business and ethics can be addressed within a sustainable framework. According to De George (1987), “Business ethics is the study of morality and immorality as well as possible justification of economic systems.”
Business ethics is gaining relevance as business is increasingly being conducted across national boundaries. Smaller domestic
References: Crane A., and Matten D, (3rd ed)(2010) Business Ethics: Managing corporate citizenship and sustainability in the age of globalisation. Oxford University Press .Oxford. Doh, J., Husted, B.W., Matten, D., et al. (2010) Ahoy There! Toward Greater Congruence and Synergy Between International Business and Business Ethics Theory and Research. Business Ethics Quarterly, 20 (3): 481-502. Dunne, S Goodstein, J. and Butterfield, K.D. (2010) Extending the Horizon of Business Ethics: Restorative Justice and the Aftermath of Unethical Behavior. Business Ethics Quarterly, 20 (3): 453-480. Hausman, D.M Smith J. H. (2003) Business Ethics and Public Policy, Leadership and Organizational Studies: The Shareholders vs. Stakeholders Debate. MIT Sloane Management Review Roth, T.P *The Oyez Project, California Dental Association v. Federal Trade Commission, 526 U.S. 756 (1999) available at: (http://oyez.org/cases/1990-1999/1998/1998_97_1625) (Last visited Tuesday, November 30, 2010