ASB 160 - Introduction to Business Ethics
Business ethics is a form of applied ethics. It aims at inculcating a sense within a company's employee population of how to conduct business responsibly. Because the term "ethics" can pose problems in an international context, i.e., the term does not translate well and it can be difficult to find a common understanding of the term, some organizations choose to recast the concept of business ethics through such other terms as integrity, business practices or responsible business conduct.
TOPCAT
TOPCAT is the library's online catalog. An online catalog stores a record for each item a library owns. Search the online catalog to find out what a library has on a given topic, or to locate a work by title, by author, subject headings or keywords.
SUBJECT HEADINGS:
Each item in TOPCAT is assigned one or more special terms, or subject headings that define what the item is about. When you search by subject all items sharing the same subject heading are retrieved. Using subject headings can be a very effective way of finding relevant items. Some useful subject headings are:
- Main subject heading:
- Business Ethics
- Social Responsibility of Business
See also:
Books
NetLibrary
NetLibrary is an Internet-based electronic library collection which provides access to the full text of scholarly, reference, and professional books in digital format. eBooks are digitally reproduced in their entirety, including photographs. From off-campus it is necessary to log-in to the NetLibrary using your user name and password. Once you are in NetLibrary, you may "browse" any title for fifteen minutes. To access e-books, go the library homepage and select Find e-books. Search using any of the subject headings that were used in TOPCAT. Below is a short list of some e-book titles on the topics covered in this module.
E-journals
E-journals are an electronic version of a journal that is found and read on the Web. Electronic journals, magazines, and newspapers provide access to current information on various subjects. Rather than browse individual e-journal titles, researchers can more quickly find information on a particular subject by searching a database. If the journal is an e-journal, there will be a link to the full text of the articles. Below is a select list of e-journals that include articles on business ethics and corporate social responsibility.
These titles are e-journals, magazines or newspapers:
Databases
To find articles in journals and other periodicals about business ethics or corporate social responsibility, consult the following databases:
- Business Source Premier Full Text EBSCO
- Provides full text for more than 2,300 journals, including full text for more than 1,100 peer-reviewed titles. This database provides full text back to 1886, and searchable cited references back to 1998.
- Conference Board Research Collection Full Text Conference Board
- Research reports on issues in business management and economics. Includes studies of F500 companies in addition to analyses and forecasts of regional, national, and international economic conditions.
- General Business File ASAP Full Text Thomson Gale
- Indexes publications on business trends, finance, acquisitions and mergers, international trade, money management, investments, and banking.
- Academic OneFile Full Text Thomson Gale
- Peer-reviewed, full-text articles from leading journals and reference sources covering physical sciences, technology, medicine, social sciences, the arts, theology, and literature.
- Academic Search Premier Full Text EBSCO
- This multi-disciplinary database provides full text for more than 4,500 journals, including full text for more than 3,700 peer-reviewed titles.
- Expanded Academic ASAP Full Text Thomson Gale
- Indexes over 3,880 publications on a wide range of topics including full text for over 3,500, some from 1980.
- SAGE Premium Publications Online Full Text Sage
- Search full text journals in the fields of business, humanities, social science, science, and technology.
Websites
- Applied Ethics Resources on WWW
- Links to many topics such as codes of ethics, public sector ethics, professional and media ethics.
- Better Business Bureau
- "BBB is the resource to turn to for objective, unbiased information on businesses. Our network of national and local BBB operations allows us to monitor and take action on thousands of businesses issues affecting consumers at any given time."
- Business Ethics Magazine/Online
- "For 15 years the premier publication of the movement for greater social responsibility in business. The mission of Business Ethics is to promote ethical business practices, to serve that growing community of professionals striving to work and invest in responsible ways."
- BizEthics
- Online information about Business Ethics, Corporate Social Responsibility, and Envirnomental Sustainability Issues.
- The Caux Round Table
- "The Caux Round Table is a global network of senior business leaders committed to principled business leadership, who believe that business has a crucial role in developing and promoting equitable solutions to key global issues. Its mission is to advocate implementation of the Caux Round Table Principles for Business through which sustainable and socially responsible prosperity can emerge as the foundation for a fair, free and transparent society."
- Center for Business Ethics
- "The Center for Business Ethics is dedicated to promoting ethical business conduct in contemporary society. With a vast network of practitioners and scholars, and an expansive multimedia library, the center provides an international forum for benchmarking and research in business ethics. The center helps corporations and other organizations strengthen their ethical cultures through educational programming and consulting."
- Center for Ethical Business Cultures
- The Center for Ethical Business Cultures (CEBC) assists leaders in creating ethical and profitable business cultures at the enterprise, community and global levels.
- Center for Study of Ethics in the Professions: Codes of Ethics Online
- "The Center for the Study of Ethics in the Professions (CSEP) was established in 1976 to promote research and teaching on practical moral problems in the professions. The first interdisciplinary center for ethics to focus on the professions, CSEP continues to be one of the nation's leading centers for practical and professional ethics. It is known for its work on ethics in engineering and science and in related areas of business."
- Complete Guide to Ethics Management: An Ethics Toolkit for Managers
- "This guide is a straightforward and highly practical tool designed to help leaders and managers implement comprehensive ethics management systems in their workplaces -- systems to deal with the complex, ethical issues that can occur in the day-to-day realities of leading and managing an organization."
- Council for Ethical Leadership
- "The Council for Ethical Leadership is an organization that, through its diverse membership, seeks to promote ethical leadership and accountability through advocacy of best ethical practices and applied ethics education."
- Ethics Resource Center
- "Founded in 1922, the Ethics Resource Center is America's oldest non-profit organization devoted to the advancement of high ethical standards and practices in public and private institutions. For 85 years, ERC has been a resource for institutions committed to a strong ethics culture. ERC's expertise also informs the public dialogue on ethics and ethical behavior. The organization analyzes current and emerging issues and produces new ideas and benchmarks that matter — for the public trust."
- Georgetown Business Ethics Institute
- "The Georgetown Business Ethics Institute was established to foster the creation and dissemination of significant conceptual, empirical and applied knowledge in business ethics. The research results of its members and associates are disseminated in places of national and international repute. The practical implications, methods, and techniques that derive from these research results are used to advance the ethical understanding and activities of students and practitioners in the realm of business, at the local, national and international levels."
- Institute for Global Ethics
- "Founded in 1990, the Institute for Global Ethics (IGE) is an independent, nonsectarian, nonpartisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting ethical action in a global context. Our challenge is to explore the global common ground of values, elevate awareness of ethics, and provide practical tools for making ethical decisions."
- Institute of Business Ethics
- Helps organizations to strengthen their ethics culture and encourage high standards of business behavior based on ethical values.
- International Business Ethics Institute
- The Institute fosters global business practices that promote equitable economic development, resource sustainability, and just forms of government.
- Saint James Ethics Centre
- "St James Ethics Centre is an Australian not-for-profit organization which provides a non-judgmental forum for the promotion and exploration of ethics. The website features a large number of ethics-related articles on diverse subjects, a discussion forum, and a news section, along with information about their work. "
- Society for Business Ethics
- The Society for Business Ethics is an international association whose objectives are to:
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- Promote the study of business ethics
- Provide a forum in which moral, legal, empirical, and philosophical issues of business ethics may be openly discussed and analyzed
- Provide a means by which those interested in and concerned with business ethics mayexchange ideas
- Promote research and scholarship through the regular publication of the journal Business Ethics Quarterly
- Society of Corporate Compliance & Ethics
- "The Society of Corporate Compliance & Ethics (SCCE) is a non-profit organization dedicated to improving the quality of corporate governance, compliance and ethics. SCCE’s roles include:
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- Facilitating the development and maintenance of compliance programs
- Providing a forum for understanding the complicated compliance environment
- Offering tools, resources and educational opportunities for those involved with compliance.