Reframing Economic Ethics

This book reconstructs major paradigms in the history of economic ethics up to, and including, the present day. Asserting that ethics should be integral rather than marginal to economics and management education, Reframing Economic Ethics highlights the need for a paradigm change from mechanistic to humanistic management, and argues that the failures of markets and managers in recent years were paved by a misguided management education. The author shows how the reader can and must learn from the history of economic thinking in order to overcome the theoretical shortcomings and the practical failings of the present system.

This collection brings together leading scholarly thinking to understand why CSR failed to prevent the global financial crisis, how corporate social irresponsibility (CSI) contributed to the financial crisis, and how we may reframe CSR or improve CSR frameworks to help prevent or mitigate any future financial and economic crises.

The objectives of this book are twofold. Firstly, it proposes that economics should be defined as a study of imperfect cooperation. Secondly, it elucidates the continuities that extend from classical political economy through the neoclassical, Keynesia

There are many books about business and society, yet very few of them question the primacy of GDP growth, profit maximization and individual utility maximization. This groundbreaking book questions these assumptions and investigates the possibility of creating a human-centered, value-oriented society based on humanistic principles.

In the wake of economic crisis on a global scale, more and more people are reconsidering their role in the economy and wondering what they can do to make it work better for humanity and the planet. In this innovative book, J. K. Gibson-Graham, Jenny Cameron, and Stephen Healy contribute complex understandings of economics in practical terms: what can we do right now, in our own communities, to make a difference? Full of exercises, thinking tools, and inspiring examples from around the world, Take Back the Economy shows how people can implement small-scale changes in their own lives to create ethical economies. There is no manifesto here, no one prescribed model; rather, readers are encouraged and taught how to take back the economy in ways appropriate for their own communities and context, using what they already have at hand. Take Back the Economy dismantles the idea that the economy is separate from us and best comprehended by experts. Instead, the authors demonstrate that the economy is the outcome of the decisions and efforts we make every day. The economy is thus reframed as a space of ethical action—something we can shape and alter according to what is best for the well-being of people and the planet. The book explores what people are already doing to build ethical economies, presenting these deeds as mutual concerns: What is necessary for survival, and what do we do with the surplus produced beyond what will fulfill basic needs? What do we consume, and how do we preserve and replenish the commons—those resources that can be shared to maintain all? And finally, how can we invest in a future worth living in? Suitable for activists and students alike, Take Back the Economy will be of interest to anyone seeking a more just, sustainable, and equitable world.

This book explores the role of businesses in delivering positive societal and financial outcomes as they seek to bridge the gap between short-term organizational behaviors and long-range sustainability commitments. By addressing the inevitable data challenges associated with the strategic integration of a sustainability mindset, it enables faster adoption of social, environmental and governance metrics that generate lasting enterprise value. Inspired by the experience of practitioners that have successfully influenced the learning behaviors of complex organizations, this book helps readers drive systemic innovations as they leverage sustainability initiatives in a programmatic and intentional manner. Features: Defines a toolkit to generate sustainable business value by focusing on the organizational design underpinning sustainability-oriented initiatives. Provides a multidisciplinary lens on shaping the impact dialogue through applied frameworks. Discusses the need to analytically identify an organizational learning curve before developing impact targets and framing sustainability commitments around them. Combines theory and practice in a practical style by presenting a variety of real-life applications at a global level. The Open Access version of this book, available at www.taylorfrancis.com, has been made available under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives 4.0 license.

It has become increasingly apparent that humanity's complex social, political, and economic systems are incompatible with the finite capacity of the Earth to replenish resources and absorb wastes. If the planet is to continue to be habitable for the myriad web of other creatures that make life possible, humans must transform their systems so that they are aligned with natural systems. One thing is sureit will not be Nature's laws, the delicate interdependence that characterizes Earth's ecosystems, that change. The change must begin within each person, and from there permeate throughout our social, political, and economic structures. The contributors to this volume believe that such transformations are urgently needed and possible, and they offer specific examples. They suggest solutions that call for new perspectives in our ethics, beliefs, traditions, economy, business, gender relations, education, and technology. They show that human beings have the power to implement changes in all natural and social environments. The chapters in this book have been organized around three keywords: Reconnecting, Reframing, and Rethinking. The contributors argue that we need to reconnect with the Earth and nature, as well as with each other and parts of ourselves that we have ignored for too long. We need to reframe the way in which people prioritize choices in the economy, the way we do business and pursue development; and we need to rethink the mission of education and the roles of technology.

A growing number of higher education institutions in Asia are now integrating ethics courses in their curricula. But the challenge remains to develop courses that can effectively reach their objectives, and to create and use teaching materials appropriate to the particular profile of the students and executives in different regions and cultures. In this context, enhancing awareness for ethical dilemmas, proposing frameworks and models to help managers handle difficult choices and demanding decisions - while not being moralistic and imposing values - , and presenting alternative approaches through recent and relevant cases are the main objectives of this book. It examines teaching methods, learning tools and pedagogical methods effective in the teaching of ethics within the particular context of the rich diversity of Asian cultures, and discusses ethics courses curricula, aiming at developing the capacity to deal with a number of issues such as corruption, intellectual property protection, whistle blowing and consumer rights. The relevance and limits of Asian philosophical and spiritual traditions and how their underlying values can be a meaningful aspect in the teaching of ethics to managers and business leaders are explored, as are the benefits and limits of corporate codes of conduct and ways to enhance their effectiveness. A similar approach is taken to the introduction of “oaths” and “ethics pledges” among business students, which has been promoted in some business schools.