Business Ethics: Kant, Virtue, and the Nexus of Duty

This book offers students a philosophical introduction to the ethical foundations of business management. It combines lessons from Kant with virtue ethics and also touches upon additional approaches such as utilitarianism. At the core of the book lies the concept of the nexus of imperfect managerial duty. This consists of the creation and reinforcement of virtuous managerial teams, engagement of discourse among all stakeholders, and pursuit of business responsibilities including the creative efforts necessary for modern organizations. A variety of special problems in managerial ethics are also explored, such as the ethics of managerial paternalism, fairness in stakeholder negotiations, devolution of business into scandalous corruption, and the role of boycotts in society's shaping of managerial duties.

Case illustrations of these applications are presented throughout the book including in chapter appendices. A series of brief-answer questions, essay questions, and discussion questions are presented at the end of each chapter. Links to relevant video presentations of lectures applicable for each chapter are also provided.

Provides a foundation of business ethics using Kantian construction and virtue ethics Uses the nexus of managerial duty to examine practical problems of business ethics Features case illustrations as well as videos, test banks and sample syllabi on the author's website

Autorentext

Richard M. Robinson is Professor of Business in the Department of Business Administration at the State University of New York at Fredonia (SUNY Fredonia, USA).

Inhalt

Part I: The Role of Business Norms and Their Foundation.- Chapter 1 Normative Ethics and Business Practice.- Chapter 2 The Applicable Western Ethical View.- Chapter 3 The Categorical Imperative Process and Moral Duties.- Chapter 4 Moral Virtues and Ethical Decisions.- Chapter 5 The Abandonment of Business Codes of Ethics.- Part II: The Nexus of Managerial Duty.- Chapter 6 The Nexus of Managerial Imperfect Duty.- Chapter 7 Relations of Virtue, Pursuit of the Moral Business Community.- Chapter 8 Reasoned Managerial Discourse.- Chapter 9 Due Diligence and the Profit Motive.- Part III: Some Fundamental Problems in Management Ethics.- Chapter 10 Fairness Stakeholder Negotiations.- Chapter 11 The Philosophy of Action and Authority in Management Ethics.- Chapter 12 Duty, Boycotts and the Pricing of Ethics.- Chapter 13 Can Probable Trauma be Compensated?.- Part IV: Some Current Moral Environmental Issues for Business.- Chapter 14 Recognizing Environmental Duties.- Chapter 15 The Philosophy of Community and the Environmental Ethic.- Chapter 16 Some Current Environmental Problems for Business.- Chapter 17 Leadership in Restoring Local Areas.