Perspectives On Philosophy Of Management And Business Ethics

This book presents a selection of articles with focus on the theoretical foundations of business ethics, and in particular on the philosophy of management and on human rights and business. This implies identifying and discussing conflicts as well as agreement with regard to the philosophical and other foundations of business and management. Despite the general interest in corporate social responsibility and business ethics, the contemporary discussion rarely touches upon the normative core and philosophical foundations of business. There is a need to discuss the theoretical basis of business ethics and of business and human rights. Even though the actions and activities of business may be discussed from a moral perspective, not least in the media, the judgments and opinions relating to business and management often lack deeper moral reflection and consistency. Partly for this reason, business ethicists are constantly challenged to provide such moral and philosophical foundations for business ethics and for business and human rights, and to communicate them in an understandable manner. Such a challenge is also of scientific kind. Positions and opinions in the academic field need to be substantiated by thorough moral and theoretical reflection to underpin normative approaches. Far too often, business ethicists may agree on matters, which they approach from different and sometimes irreconcilable philosophical standpoints, resulting in superficial agreement but deeper-lying disagreement. In other cases, it may be of high relevance to identify philosophical standpoints that despite conflicting fundamentals may arrive at conclusions acceptable to everyone.

Using an interdisciplinary focus, this book combines the research disciplines of philosophy, business management and sustainability to aid and advance scholar and practitioner understanding of the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Managing as a form of human action has an inherent link with philosophy, which is also concerned with choosing the right action and the best way to lead our lives. Management theory and philosophy can join forces in epistemology (the philosophy of knowledge), ethics, and cultural theory. The epistemology of management concerns the question of how management can improve its ability to create knowledge about managing companies and about using management theory in the task of managing. Management ethics investigates the question of what the right management actions are. The cultural theory of management examines how corporate culture can increase the cooperation within the firm and how the cultural surplus value of products and brand management can increase the firm’s value creation in its products. This book introduces the readers to central approaches in this new field, which represents a synthesis of management and philosophical theory.

This book opens a new field within business science: management philosophy. It presents an uncompromising picture of the real leader through a set of leadership virtues, focusing on human duties, not on human rights. The book demonstrates that only through philosophy it is possible to establish a genuine science of management, overcoming the pressures of functionalism, opportunism and pragmaticism, inherent in the hyper-modern corporation shaped by high-tech and information advantages.

This book demonstrates how the conceptual resources of contemporary French philosophy from the early 20thCentury to the present day can be applied to give us new perspectives on business ethics and the ethics of organizations. In providing an overview of possible applications, the book covers a wide range of philosophers, philosophical movements and perspectives and provides detailed analyses of core materials relevant to business ethics. It explores and analyzes French philosophy, taking into account phenomenology, existentialism, French epistemology, structuralism, post-structuralism, deconstruction and postmodernism as well as recent discussions of philosophy of organizations and management. Each chapter contains suggestions for further reading and educational illustrations of possible applications to the mainstream business ethics and ethics of organization literature.

Business ethics, as an academic discipline directed at influencing business itself, has now developed into a sophisticated interdisciplinary enquiry, with its own journals, societies, and specialist practitioners. The contributors reflect on the state of, and prospects for, the field ofbusiness ethics. While the scope of each chapter is intentionally broad, the particular perspectives adopted, themes addressed, by the various authors display considerable variety. The order of the chapters reflects a movement from the armchair to the field, with insights from a number ofperspectives including philosophy, anthropology, management, history, social science methodology, and education. Each contributor is a recognised expert in their own particular area. The book is essential reading for all interested in researching the development of business ethics. It will also be of benefit to students and business people interested in the development of business ethics as a field of study.

Ethics for Managers introduces students to the philosophical underpinnings of business ethics and translates this theory into practical terms, demonstrating the moral implications of the decisions managers make. This edition features new material on global ethics, the financial downturn, and ethical sustainability. New, student-friendly features include: Learning objectives at the beginning of each chapter, which provide a roadmap to what is covered and how to use it. Cases that demonstrate real-world scenarios, allowing readers to grapple with real moral ambiguity. Discussion questions at the end of each chapter, which challenge students to see different moral perspectives and to practice good decision-making. A new chapter on international business ethics. Students of business ethics courses will find this compact, well-organized text a useful tool to understand ethics in the digital age.

The Handbook of Philosophy of Management addresses the philosophical foundations of management in theory and practice. It covers established branches of philosophy, such as aesthetics, epistemology, moral philosophy, political and social philosophy, philosophy of education, philosophy of practice, and philosophy of science. The Handbook’s broad scope maps out the field and provides a forum where philosophy can be meaningfully applied to the study of management in all its forms. The original, peer-reviewed research published here sheds new light on the complexities of management theory and practice, beyond what hitherto has been possible with the sole application of the social sciences. As philosophy provides a meta-framework for moving beyond paradigm fragmentation within management research and education, this allows researchers and practitioners to find harmony (and discord) in the perspectives revealed by a philosophical lens.