Business Ethics : A Very Short Introduction

Nils Oermann draws on a range of contemporary case studies for issues such as accountability and corporate scandal, to illustrate the need for and benefits of ethical reflection in businesses today. Exploring key ethical concepts, including justice, freedom, and responsibility, he encourages a critical response to ethical dilemmas in the industry.

Very Short Introductions: Brilliant, Sharp, InspiringEver since the global financial crisis of 2008, the global economic order and many of its major corporate players have come in for heavy criticism. From a macro-perspective, the capitalist approach to organizing and digitalizing markets, to managing risks and to securing sustainable participation and distribution of wealth has been questioned. China (as a state capitalist competitor), the ongoing re-nationalization of the US economy, and the large-scale digitization of global labour markets have shaken the trust of many in Western capitalism and global free trade. At the same time, ongoing corporate scandals have demonstrated an endemic unwillingness of the major players in the global economy to respect the law and shoulder a fair share of risks, and taxes. Business, it might seem, is unable to conduct itself in a fashion that is economically as well as ecologically and even socially sustainable, and law-makers seem to be unable to establish better rules of play.This Very Short Introduction addresses these macro and micro issues within the field of business ethics, and draws on a range of case studies to illustrate the need for and benefits of ethical reflection in the industry today. It explores key ethical concepts, including justice, freedom, and responsibility, within the context of contemporary problems such as tax evasion of major corporations, the challenges of digitization and digital surveillance, and the renationalization of industries, and encourages a critical response to modern day ethical dilemmas within economics.ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.