Contemporary Issues in Business Ethics

Abstract

Part I Business and philosophy: philosophical ethics and business - introduction, US steel and Youngstown, Ohio, what is ethics?, ethical relativism - who's to say what is right or wrong?, business ethics - the free market theory Milton Friedman - the social responsibility of business is to increase its profits, doing business ethics - an analysis of Friedman, Friedman's radical position, free society ethics and law - is obedience to the law enough?, the tax argument, summary, study questions utilitarianism and the free market - utilitarianism, versions of utilitarianism, contemporary versions, challenges to utilitarianism, utilitarianism defense of the free market, an analysis of the utilitarian defense, psychological egoism - are people naturally selfish?, is the market the best means?, the good of the free market, means and ends, summary, study questions rights and the market - a theory of rights, rights and respect, autonomy, the scope of rights, basic and derivative rights - resolving conflicts, moral and legal rights, rights arguments for the free market, a right to liberty and the free market, capitalism and democracy, private property rights and the free market, summary, study questions the corporation as a social institution - the nature of the corporation, stakeholder theory and its critics, positive and negative duties, social theory, the corporation as a morally responsible agent, corporate governance and control, summary, study questions a debate on stakeholder theory - some readings, William Evan and R. Edward Freeman a stakeholder theory of the modern corporation - Kantian capitalism, Alexei Marcoux balancing act, Robert Phillips defending stakeholder theory. Part II Business and employees employment security - dismissals and layoffs, individual dismissal, employment at will, U.S. modifications to employment at will, just cause policies, just cause vs. EAW, mass layoffs, American vs. European approaches to layoffs, - a new social contract?, case study - Levi Strauss and company downsizes, Patricia Werhane - the right to due process, Ian Maitland - rights in the workplace - a Nozickian argument, Jeffrey Pfeffer - practices of successful organizations - employment security, Rosabeth Moss Kanter - the new security - employability, Barbara Andolsen - the new employability contract and social theory, decision scenarios employee responsibilites. (Part contents).

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