Business and the Greater Good

Bringing together business and the greater good is not a piece of cake. In Knut J. Ims' and Lars Jacob Tynes Pedersen's book, internationally known scholars from both sides of the Atlantic develop deep reflections on the relationship between business and society. The authors show conflicts between business and the greater good and also demonstrate how business can be transformed, in order to align the goals of business and society. This is not only a book about the future of business ethics, it is a book about the future of business in general.' - Thomas Beschorner, University of St.Gallen, Switzerland'Business and the Greater Good does what it promises: rethinking business ethics in a competent, inspired and committed way. Its in depth analysis of the current failures of business and business ethics, while at the same time opening unexpected windows for the future, is its hallmark...Reading this book has convinced me that business ethics is entering a new phase of pioneering research and practice.' - Luk Bouckaert, KU Leuven University, Belgium With cutting-edge insights from leading European and North American scholars, this authoritative book addresses the fundamental problems of business in an age of crisis whilst presenting radical, but practical, solutions. The contributors explore three main value shifts: from inequality to equality, from the technical-materialistic to the ecological-spiritual, and from compliance and enforcement to autonomy and responsibility. A number of striking issues are addressed including the doctrine of self-interest, the purpose of business, codes of conduct, personal responsibility, existential perspectives on business ethics and the development of ethical competence. This book will be an essential point of reference for academic researchers and postgraduate students in business ethics and corporate social responsibility, as well as practitioners interested in the relevance of business ethics to leadership, management, strategy and finance. Contributors: G.G. Brenkert, J. Brinkmann, W. Cragg, G. Enderle, K.J. Ims, K. Jackson, O. Jakobsen, J.M. Lozano, E. O'Higgins, L.J.T. Pedersen, P. Pruzan, D.H. Schepers, S.P. Sethi, A. Tencati, L. Zsolnai