Ethics And Governance

The Ethics of Governance: Moral Limits of Policy Decisions offers a toolbox drawn from normative ethics which finds applications in public governance, primarily focusing on policy making and executive action. It includes ethical concepts and principles culled from different philosophical traditions, ranging from more familiar Western theories to non-Western ethical perspectives, thereby providing a truly global, decolonized and expanded normative lens on issues of governance. The book takes a unique and original approach; it demonstrates the use of the ethical toolbox in the context of actual examples of governance challenges. Taking three major case studies each representing an aspect of human-human and/or human-nature and/or human-animal relationship, the book attempts to show the significance of public practical reasoning in policy decisions with the aim of arriving at reasonable responses. Acknowledging the challenges that policy makers often face, the book highlights the fact that policy making is hardly an exercise yielding a black-or-white solution; rather it involves finding the most reasonable normative outcome (course of action) in a given situation, especially employing an expanded understanding of values including well-being, sustainability, interdependence and community. This effort that helps bridge the gap between ethical theorists and policy practitioners exemplifies the necessary role of ‘engaged philosophy’ in public governance. In the major case studies, Boxes offer facts and figures along with pertinent ethical questions that have been raised and discussed. Aiming to aid the engagement of a diverse audience including non-philosophy readers, each chapter also includes Boxes containing examples, shorter case studies, at-a-glance charts, and tables with comprehensive ethical tools for a quick recap.

This book brings together research works, ideas, critical reviews and strategic proposals encompassing various ethical and corporate governance issues in workplaces and organizations around the globe. For the most part, organizations are managed by policies, guidelines and systems. Good ethics and solid corporate governance help to tie these three elements together so that an effective and successful organization is established. Alongside corporate governance, ethics play an integral role in ensuring the long term survival of businesses. Multidisciplinary in approach, this book provides a platform for scholars and researchers from various backgrounds and interdisciplinary expertise to showcase their research work, ideas, critical review and strategic proposals on the ethical aspects, governance and risk management issues in organizations. The book includes discussions of ethical issues in a variety of organizations around the globe including the non-profit and non-governmental sector and also provides readers with ideas, guidelines and strategic recommendations for handling such issues.

Colleges and universities play an important role in training competent and ethical future academic and business leaders. In today’s global business environment, with volatile worldwide capital markets and eroded investor confidence in corporate accountability, the demand for effective corporate governance and ethical conduct in ensuring reliable financial information is higher than before. This book is intended to develop an awareness and understanding of the main themes, perspectives, frameworks, concepts, and issues pertaining to corporate governance and business ethics from historical, global, institutional, commercial, best practices, and regulatory perspectives.

This book represents an introduction to and overview of the diverse facets of the ethical challenges confronting companies today. It introduces executives, students and interested observers to the complex trends and developments in business ethics. Coverage presents industry-specific topics in ethics. The book also provides a general, interdisciplinary survey of the ethical dimensions of management and business.

This book investigates the functioning and effects of moral rules and values as endogenous elements of governance structures when applied to economic and social transactions. The point of departure and framework of this book is Josef Wieland's theory of Ethics of Governance. Its focal point is the governance of the normative aspects of corporations. The Ethics of Governance is a comparative research project on business and economic ethics which started 15 years ago. Divided into five chapters, the book provides a comprehensive insight into the theoretical foundation and application-oriented results of the research project. It covers theoretical, conceptual and practical challenges in the global economy with regard to a sustainable economy, the social responsibility of corporations, and their transcultural and normative management. By offering comprehensive insight into the research results of the Ethics of Governance project, this book provides a unique scientific work on business and economic ethics.

This volume explores corporate governance from three perspectives: a traditional economic, a philosophical, and an integrated business ethics perspective. Corporate governance has enjoyed a long tradition in the English-speaking world of management sciences. Following its traditional understanding it is defined as leadership and control of a firm with the aim of securing the long-term survival and viability of that firm. But recent business scandals and financial crises continue to provide ample cause for concern and have all fuelled interest in the ethical aspects. As a result, corporate governance has been criticized by many social groups. Economic sciences have failed to provide a clear definition of the corporate governance concept. Complexity increases if we embed the economic approach of corporate governance in a philosophical context. This book seeks to define the concept by examining its economic, philosophical and business ethics foundations.

Governance and ethics are intertwined. A government functions within certain broad moral and ethical parameters, integrally linked with the sociological foundation of the polity in which it is articulated. The importance of ethics in governance has acquired a significant place in contemporary theoretical discussion. This book situates ethics in governance in India in the national frame and incorporates the context of globalization, allowing for the increasing importance of non-state global actors in national decision making. The author argues that a lack of ethics quickly turns into corruption and leads to governmental efforts to deal with it. He proposes that ethics are a set of standards that a society places on itself to articulate its responses to societal needs, and discusses the efforts of the Indian government at eradicating corruption and its failure. A theoretical approach to the issues of ethics in governance and corruption, this book is of interest to academics in the fields of Asian Politics, in particular Indian politics, and political philosophy.

This book analyzes the possibilities for effective global governance of science in Europe, India and China. Authors from the three regions join forces to explore how ethical concerns over new technologies can be incorporated into global science and technology policies. The first chapter introduces the topic, offering a global perspective on embedding ethics in science and technology policy. Chapter Two compares the institutionalization of ethical debates in science, technology and innovation policy in three important regions: Europe, India and China. The third chapter explores public perceptions of science and technology in these same three regions. Chapter Four discusses public engagement in the governance of science and technology, and Chapter Five reviews science and technology governance and European values. The sixth chapter describes and analyzes values demonstrated in the constitution of the People’s Republic of China. Chapter Seven describes emerging evidence from India on the uses of science and technology for socio-economic development, and the quest for inclusive growth. In Chapter Eight, the authors propose a comparative framework for studying global ethics in science and technology. The following three chapters offer case studies and analysis of three emerging industries in India, China and Europe: new food technologies, nanotechnology and synthetic biology. Chapter 12 gathers all these threads for a comprehensive discussion on incorporating ethics into science and technology policy. The analysis is undertaken against the backdrop of different value systems and varying levels of public perception of risks and benefits. The book introduces a common analytical framework for the comparative discussion of ethics at the international level. The authors offer policy recommendations for effective collaboration among the three regions, to promote responsible governance in science and technology and a common analytical perspective in ethics.

This book can be highly recommended to corporate directors, executives, managers and interested academics. At the same time, however, I think it should also be on the reading list of every politician involved in rethinking the regulations of the economic system in these times of social, ecological and financial crisis. Frederic Ghys, Ethical Perspectives This is an interesting and thought provoking study that deals with a relatively neglected area of corporate and personal leadership. . . this book makes a significant contribution to recognising the emerging social and moral responsibilities of the individual leader at board level. . . The case studies used to support the author s argument are extremely detailed and would certainly be of interest to those on corporate boards and directors of organisations who maybe seeking answers to lessons learned and the author makes a clear recommendation regarding the teaching of virtuous values to corporate leaders. Trevor K. Horne, Leadership Matters Corporate Governance and Ethics is an illuminating and practical reading of Aristotle s Politics for today s corporate directors. With a deft synthesis of ethics, economics and politics, Alejo Sison elevates the discussion of corporate governance out of the realm of abstract rules and structures into a more effective form of Aristotelian politics. He argues that corporate governance is a human practice where subjective, ethical conditions outweigh the mastery of techniques, since the firm is not a mere production function but, above all, a community of workers. Corporate governance issues are discussed in a holistic fashion, using international case studies to embed the discussion in environments defined by their economic, legal and cultural systems. One of the author s key messages is that reform starts with the ethical and political education of directors. Alejo Sison uses an integrative approach to corporate governance that incorporates ethical-political considerations with the economic and legal dimensions of issues. He backs his theoretical claims with a series of case histories including Fiat from Italy, Cheung Kong Holdings and Whampoa Limited from China, Banco Popular from Spain and United Airlines from the US. He provides a special focus on the education of corporate directors in accordance with the principles of Aristotle s Politics. This accessible book will appeal to corporate directors, executives and managers; academics and students with an interest in corporate governance, leadership and ethics, corporate citizenship and corporate social responsibility; and modern readers of Aristotle s virtue theory and politics in relation to business ethics.

Ethics and accountability have become important themes for modern government, as in most of the countries there is a severe crisis of legitimacy. Increasingly there is a feeling that performance management alone will not solve this crisis. Citizens also expect from politicians and public servants ethical responsible conduct. As to the ethics, however, there is a problem. Governance and new public management have raised new problems which cannot be solved by referring to the traditional bureaucratic ethics. Devolution and decentralisation processes have enhanced the responsibility of public servants. The increase of transparency and openness and the service orientation of public organisations have challenged the traditional values of discretion and equality before the rule. The growing interaction between the public and the private sector have raised the question of integrity. In light of these developments, it is important to update the ethical system, or reversibly, the traditional values of the public service can question some actual evolutions in government.