Conscience and Corporate Culture

To what ethical standards can we hold corporations? In the past few years, monumental corporate scandals have been emblazoned on every front page, but people have largely responded with ambivalence to events such as Enron’s collapse and the tragedy of NASA’s Columbia. In Conscience and Corporate Culture , Goodpaster sets out to identify the common patterns among such recent events, and argues for the development of an ethical response. Reporting on more than three decades of professional evolution, the book serves as a platform for communication between doers and thinkers on a subject that is profoundly difficult and important. A vital resource for both educators in the field of business ethics and practicing corporate executives, this volume is an important step in advancing the constructive dialogue on corporate conscience. Perhaps we should ask no more of corporations than we ask of ourselves morally, but neither should we ask less.

List of Figures. Foreword by Thomas E. Holloran. Preface. Acknowledgments. Introduction. Part I Conscience: Response to a Pathology: 1. Teleopathy: The Unbalanced Pursuit of Purpose. 2. Mindsets and Culture. 3. Conscience as a Mindset: Personal and Organizational. 4. Challenges to the Very Idea. Part II: The Moral Agenda of Leadership: 5. Orienting Corporate Conscience. 6. Institutionalizing Corporate Conscience. 7. Sustaining Corporate Conscience. 8. Conscience and Three Academies. Epilogue. Notes. Index.

Kenneth E. Goodpaster is Koch Endowed Chair in Business Ethics at the University of St. Thomas.His research has spanned a wide range of topics, from conceptual studies of ethical reasoning to empirical studies of the social implications of management decision making. He is author of Perspectives on Morality (1976), Ethics and Problems of the 21st Century (1979), and the casebook Business Ethics: Policies and Persons (4th edn., 2006).

"The ability of Goodpaster to move between philosophical ideas, literature in management and actual cases is not only impressive; it also makes the book accessible and relevant to academic and practitioner audiences in a way that other seminal works in normative business ethics have yet to do." Jeffery Smith, Notre Dame Philosophical Reviews "This book show the way to the practice of improved business ethics, in teaching difficult decisions whether in the classroom, the boardroom or the office. It is a profound read, and will be valuable for business students and managers. It will give a better understanding and a lot of sensible options for forming and sustaining ethical business cultures." Business Executive <!––end––> "A timely and important book that shows how high the stakes are today." Tom Piper, Harvard Business School "I have known Ken Goodpaster for a number of years and always have been impressed with his ability to translate broad philosophical concepts into real–life business practice. Nowhere is this more important than in the area of values and ethics. Insightful, instructive, and thought–provoking, Ken is at the top of his game in Conscience and Corporate Culture ." Arthur D. Collins, Jr.Chairman & Chief Executive Officer, Medtronic, Inc. "To write an easy but not simple, relevant but also profound ethics book is an art with very few artists. Goodpaster is one of them, and teachers and managers will appreciate it." Henri–Claude de Bettignies.The Aviva Chair Professor of Leadership and Responsibility, INSEAD, Fontainebleau. Distinguished Professor of Global Responsible Leadership, CEIBS, Shanghai "Drawing on philosophy, literature, religion, and management theory, Goodpaster extends the idea of conscience from individuals to organizations...A respected business ethics scholar, Goodpaster addresses this book to his colleagues but also to corporate executives." CHOICE " An important book that analyzes the role of conscience, both personal and collective, in business decision making ... Goodpaster provides a road map of how to orient, institutionalize and sustain organizational conscience." Minnesota Lawyer “Should be compulsory reading for the general management/MBA student who wishes to know something about business ethics, management, organizations, moral philosophy, and even Anglo–Saxon poetry.” Michael Willoughby Small, Curtin Business School, Journal of Business Ethics