Business ethics: boardroom pressures in an age of moral relativism

Eddington, Ian and Searle, John and Temple-Smith, Richard (2004) Business ethics: boardroom pressures in an age of moral relativism. In: 2004 Inaugural Academy of World Business, Marketing and Management Development Conference: The Challenge of Inter-Disciplinary Perspectives & Globalization in the 21st Century , 13-16 July 2004, Gold Coast, Australia.

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Abstract

Company law requires boardroom decision making to be parochial but boardrooms are pluralist by nature. It is argued that the way business is done, business contexts and strategic decision making do change over time. Factors bearing upon boardroom behaviour include inter alia preferences for the firm to act or to be seen to be acting in a socially and environmentally responsible manner: that is, to act ethically.

It is argued that conditions are favourable for the emergence of a more widespread pursuit of social and responsible business within a safe and civil society. Forces driving this emergence are discussed and barriers to its progress are outlined. Challenges for the theory of the firm are raised also.

Statistics for this ePrint Item

Item Type:	Conference or Workshop Item (Commonwealth Reporting Category E) (Paper)
Refereed:	Yes
Item Status:	Live Archive
Additional Information:	No evidence of copyright restrictions on web site.
Faculty/School / Institute/Centre:	Historic - Faculty of Business - Department of Economics and Resource Management (Up to 31 Mar 2007)
Faculty/School / Institute/Centre:	Historic - Faculty of Business - Department of Economics and Resource Management (Up to 31 Mar 2007)
Date Deposited:	11 Oct 2007 00:41
Last Modified:	02 Jul 2013 22:37
Uncontrolled Keywords:	business ethics; sustainable development; occupational health and safety; theory of the firm
Fields of Research (2008):	15 Commerce, Management, Tourism and Services > 1503 Business and Management > 150311 Organisational Behaviour 22 Philosophy and Religious Studies > 2201 Applied Ethics > 220102 Business Ethics 17 Psychology and Cognitive Sciences > 1701 Psychology > 170107 Industrial and Organisational Psychology
Fields of Research (2020):	35 COMMERCE, MANAGEMENT, TOURISM AND SERVICES > 3507 Strategy, management and organisational behaviour > 350710 Organisational behaviour 50 PHILOSOPHY AND RELIGIOUS STUDIES > 5001 Applied ethics > 500102 Business ethics 52 PSYCHOLOGY > 5201 Applied and developmental psychology > 520104 Industrial and organisational psychology (incl. human factors)
Socio-Economic Objectives (2008):	C Society > 95 Cultural Understanding > 9504 Religion and Ethics > 950402 Business Ethics
URI:	http://eprints.usq.edu.au/id/eprint/1401

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