Ion Copoeru: “The Ethical Management of Ethics: Fostering Ethical Behavior in Corporations”, in: Patrick O’Sullivan, Mark Smith, Mark Esposito (ed.), Business Ethics A Critical Approach: Integrating Ethics Across the Business World, Routledge, 2012
Events such as Trafigura’s illegal dumping of toxic waste in Cí´te d’Ivoire and BP’s environmentally disastrous oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico have highlighted ethical issues in international business at a time when business leaders, academics and business schools were reflecting on their own responsibilities following the global financial crisis. The scope and scale of the global operations of multinational businesses means that decisions taken in different parts of the world have far reaching consequences beyond the national settings where employees are located or where firms are registered and as such, an awareness of these responsibilities needs to be integrated into all levels and all subjects.
Using four guiding principles – a critical multi-level approach rooted in the tradition of European social theory, a comparative and international perspective, a global rather than just a European or American stand point and engaging with subject-specific issues this book aims to ‘mainstream’ business ethics into the work of teachers and students in business schools. This comprehensive volume brings together contributions from a range of experts in different areas of business studies thereby facilitating and encouraging a move away from business ethics being a box to be ticked to being an integrated consideration across the business disciplines.
This impressive book brings ethical considerations back to the heart of the business curriculum and in doing so, provides a companion for the progressive business student throughout their university career.