Corporate Ethics

Paper Summary:

The paper focuses on philosophical studies on ethics and the way in which conceptions of ethics can be seen to be tied to an understanding of human nature. The paper explores the beliefs of Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Plato and Immanuel Kant and develops a trajectory of philosophical thought which could hold the answer to determining absolute moral right and, as a consequence, the grounds for unfailing compliance. The paper considers the implications of this reasoning for the corporate sphere and particularly on the contents and effectiveness of corporate codes of conduct.

From the Paper:

"In the wake of corporate scandals, such as Enron and the Martha Stewart trial, which have, in recent years, captured international attention and media coverage, corporate ethics has become a household term. What corporate ethics entails, how these standards are created and maintained, and whether anyone actually pays any attention to them at all has been the subject of much interest and debate. It may be assumed that the aforementioned scandals could justifiably cause the layman to believe that the notion of corporate ethics is a mere chimera, something to which organizations pay lip service to ease the minds of stockholders as well as customers. On the other hand, the public nature of such scandals has put corporations and other large organizations in the position of being forced to discuss these matters openly and to give account of their own practices."

Sample of Sources Used:

• "Ethics / Rousseau," The Encyclopaedia Britannica Online. http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-252550/ethics retrieved 1 August 2007.
• Heesun Wee, "Corporate Ethics: Right Makes Might," Business Week 11 April 2002,http://www.businessweek.com/bwdaily/dnflash/apr2002/nf20020411_6350.htm retrieved 1 August 2007.
• Kant, Immanuel. Fundamental Principles of the Metaphysics of Morals. Thomas Kingsmill Abbott (Transl.) http://philosophy.eserver.org/kant/metaphys-of-morals.txt retrieved 1 August 2007
• "Plato's Ethics: An Overview," The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/plato-ethics/ retrieved 1 August 2007

More papers on Corporate Ethics:

• Analytical Essay # 134483 : "Corporate Ethics from a Metaphysical Perspective"
• Analytical Essay # 115818 : "Corporate Ethics Programs"
• Research Paper # 110984 : "Corporate Ethics"

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