Towards Business Ethics as an Academic Discipline

Recalling several profound disagreements about business ethics as it is currently discussed in Western societies, I emphasize the need for business ethics as an academic discipline that constitutes the "backbone" for both teaching business ethics and improving business practice (section 1)...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Business ethics quarterly 1996-01, Vol.6 (1), p.43-65
Main Author: Enderle, Georges
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Academic disciplines
Applied ethics
Business education
Business ethics
Business structures
Corporate responsibility
Curricula
Economic theory
Education
Human rights
Morality
Normative ethics
Normativity
Scientific ethics
Social ethics
Social sciences
Teaching
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Summary:Recalling several profound disagreements about business ethics as it is currently discussed in Western societies, I emphasize the need for business ethics as an academic discipline that constitutes the "backbone" for both teaching business ethics and improving business practice (section 1). Then I outline a conceptual framework of business ethics that promotes a "bottom-up" approach (section 2). This "problem- and action-oriented" conception appears to be fruitful in terms of both practical relevance and theoretical understanding. Finally, I argue for (section 3) the relevance of discussing goals at all levels of human action (i.e., individuals, organizations, systems) as well as the indispensability of human rights, and propose Amartya Sen's "goal-rights-system" approach as a normative-ethical framework for business ethics that integrates these two fundamental aspects.
ISSN:1052-150X
2153-3326
DOI:10.2307/3857240