Business Ethics

William H. Shaw is the author and editor of numerous books and articles in the areas of ethics and social and political philosophy. Shaw obtained a Ph.D. in political philosophy from the London School of Economics and teaches philosophy at San Jose State University, where he served as chair of the department for 11 years. He has also been a visiting professor at the University of Zimbabwe, the University of Hong Kong and the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland. He has two other books with Cengage Learning, SOCIAL AND PERSONAL ETHICS and MORAL ISSUES IN BUSINESS (with Vincent Barry). Dale Miller is a Professor of Philosophy at Old Dominion University, whose work focuses on John Stuart Mill’s moral and social-political philosophy. He has a Ph.D. in Philosophy and M.A. in Economics from the University of Pittsburgh. He has held positions at the University of Minnesota Duluth, University of Florida and Universität Hamburg. Recently, he has become an experienced administrator, serving as department chair, Provost's Fellow for Faculty Development and Associate Dean for Research and Graduate Studies.

Part One | Moral Philosophy and Business.
Chapter 1 The Nature of Morality.
1. Ethics.
2. Business and Organizational Ethics.
3. Moral versus Nonmoral Standards.
4. Morality and Etiquette.
5. Morality and Law.
6. Professional Codes.
7. Where Do Moral Standards Come From?
8. Religion and Morality.
9. Morality Need Not Rest on Religion.
10. Ethical Relativism.
11. Relativism and the “Game” of Business.
12. Having Moral Principles.
13. Conscience.
14. The Limits of Conscience.
15. Moral Principles and Self-Interest.
16. Morality and Personal Values.
17. Individual Integrity and Responsibility.
18. Organizational Norms.
19. Conformity.
20. Diffusion of Responsibility.
21. Moral Reasoning.
22. Defensible Moral Judgments.
23. Patterns of Defense and Challenge.
24. Requirements for Moral Judgments.
25. Case 1.1 Made in the U.S.A.—Dumped in Brazil, Africa, Iraq . . .
26. Case 1.2 Loose Money.
27. Case 1.3 Just Drop off the Key, Lee.
28. Case 1.4 The A7D Affair.
Chapter 2 Normative Theories of Ethics.
29. Philosophical Theories of Ethics.
30. Consequentialist and Nonconsequentialist Theories.
31. Ethical Egoism.
32. Misconceptions about Egoism.
33. Psychological Egoism.
34. Criticisms of Ethical Egoism.
35. Utilitarianism: A First Look.
36. Six Points about Utilitarianism.
37. Utilitarianism in an Organizational Context.
38. Critical Inquiries of Act Utilitarianism.
39. The Interplay between Self-Interest and Utility.
40. Kant’s Ethics.
41. Good Will.
42. The Categorical Imperative.
43. Kant in an Organizational Context.
44. Critical Questions about Kant’s Ethics.
45. Other Nonconsequentialist Perspectives.
46. Ross’s Pluralism and Prima Facie Obligations.
47. How Much Does Morality Demand from Us?
48. Moral Rights.
49. Nonconsequentialism in an Organizational Context.
50. Critical Inquiries of Nonconsequentialism.
51. Utilitarianism Once More.
52. What Will the Optimal Code Look Like?
53. Making Moral Decisions Together: A Practical Approach.
54. Obligations, Effects, Ideals.
56. Case 2.1 A Day at the Zoo.
57. Case 2.2 The Ford Pinto.
58. Case 2.3 Blood for Sale.
Chapter 3 Justice and Economic Distribution.
59. The Nature of Justice.
60. Rival Principles of Distribution.
61. The Utilitarian View.
62. Utilitarianism and Economic Distribution.
63. Criticism of the Utilitarian Approach.
64. The Libertarian Approach.
65. Nozick’s Theory of Justice.
66. Nozick’s Wilt Chamberlain Example.
67. The Libertarian View of Liberty.
68. Markets and Free Exchange.
69. Property Rights.
70. Criticism of the Libertarian Approach.
71. Rawls’s Theory of Justice.
72. The Original Position.
73. Choosing the Principles.
74. Rawls’s Two Principles.
75. Fairness and the Basic Structure.
76 Benefits and Burdens.
77. Criticism of Rawls’s Theory.
78. Case 3.1 Eminent Domain.
79. Case 3.2 A College Education: Who Should Pay?
80. Case 3.3 Poverty in America.
Part Two | American Business and Its Basis.
Chapter 4 American and Global Capitalism.
81. Capitalism.
82. Historical Background of Capitalism.
83. Key Features of Capitalism.
84. Companies.
85. Profit Motive.
86. Competition.
87. Private Property.
88. Two Arguments for Capitalism.
89. The Natural Right to Property.
90. Adam Smith’s Concept of the Invisible Hand.
91. Criticisms of Capitalism.
92. Inequality.
93. Human Nature and Capitalism.
94. Competition Might Not Be What it’s Cracked Up to Be.
95. Exploitation and Alienation.
96. Today’s Economic Challenges.
97. The Decline of American Manufacturing.
98. Exclusive Focus on the Short Term.
99. Changing Attitudes Toward Work.
100. Case 4.1 Catastrophe in Bangladesh.
101. Case 4.2 Licensing and Laissez Faire.
102. Case 4.3 One Nation under Walmart.
103. Case 4.4 A New Work Ethic?
104. Case 4.5 Paying College Athletes.
Chapter 5 Corporations.
105. The Limited-Liability Company.
106. Corporate Moral Agency.
107. Can Corporations Make Moral Decisions?
108. Vanishing Individual Responsibility.
109. Rival Views of Corporate Responsibility.
110. The Narrow View: Profit Maximization.
111. The Broader View: Corporate Social Responsibility.
112. Stockholders and the Corporation.
113. Debating Corporate Responsibility.
114. The Invisible-Hand Argument.
115. The Let-Government-Do-It Argument.
116. The Business-Can’t-Handle-It Argument.
117. Institutionalizing Ethics Within Corporations.
118. Limits to What the Law Can Do.
119. Ethical Codes and Economic Efficiency.
120. Corporate Codes of Ethics.
121. Corporate Culture.
122. Case 5.1 Yahoo in China.
123. Case 5.2 Drug Dilemmas.
124. Case 5.3 Free Speech or False Advertising?
125. Case 5.4 Corporations and Religious Faith.
126. Case 5.5 Corporate Taxation.
Part Three Business and Society.
Chapter 6 Consumers.
127. Product Safety.
128. The Legal Liability of Manufacturers.
129. Government Safety Regulation.
130. How Effective Is Regulation?
131. The Responsibilities of Business.
132. Other Areas of Business Responsibility.
133. Product Quality.
134. Pricing.
135. Labeling and Packaging.
136. The Ethics of Advertising.
137. Deceptive Techniques.
138. The Federal Trade Commission’s Role.
139. Ads Directed at Children.
140. Issues Raised by Digital Advertising.
141. The Debate over Advertising.
142. Consumer Needs.
143. Market Economics.
144. Free Speech and the Media.
145. Case 6.1 Breast Implants.
146. Case 6.2 Hot Coffee at McDonald’s.
147. Case 6.3 Closing the Deal.
148. Case 6.4 The Rise and Fall of Four Loko.
Chapter 7 The Environment.
149. Business and Ecology.
150. Ecosystems.
151. Business’s Traditional Attitudes toward the Environment.
152. The Ethics of Environmental Protection.
153. The Costs of Pollution Control.
154. Who Should Pay the Costs?
155. Achieving Our Environmental Goals.
156. Regulations.
157. Incentives.
158. Pricing Mechanisms and Pollution Permits.
159. Delving Deeper into Environmental Ethics.
160. Global Environmental Fairness.
161. Obligations to Future Generations.
162. The Value of Nature.
163. Our Treatment of Animals.
164. Case 7.1 Risk Rating 2.0.
165. Case 7.2 Poverty and Pollution.
166. Case 7.3 The Fight over the Redwoods.
167. Case 7.4 Palm Oil and Its Problems.
Part Four The Organization and the People in it.
Chapter 8 The Workplace (1): Basic Issues.
168. Civil Liberties in the Workplace.
169. Current Trends.
170. Companies that Look Beyond the Bottom Line.
171. Hiring.
172. Screening.
173. Testing.
174. Interviewing.
175. Promotions.
176. Seniority.
177. Inbreeding.
178. Nepotism.
179. Discipline and Discharge.
180. Two Basic Principles.
181. Dismissing Employees.
182. Wages.
183. A Living Wage.
184. Labor Unions.
185. History of the Union Movement.
186. The Situation of Unions Today.
187. Union Ideals.
188. Union Tactics.
189. Case 8.1 The Dean’s Dilemma.
190. Case 8.2 Web Porn at Work.
191. Case 8.3 Speaking Out About Malt.
192. Case 8.4 Have Gun, Will Travel . . . to Work.
193. Case 8.5 Union Discrimination.
Chapter 9 The Workplace (2): Today’s Challenges.
194. Organizational Influence in Private Lives.
195. The Importance of Privacy.
196. Legitimate and Illegitimate Influence.
197. Testing and Monitoring.
198. Informed Consent.
199. Polygraph Tests.
200. Personality Tests.
201. Drug Testing.
202. Monitoring Employees on the Job.
203. Working Conditions.
204. Health and Safety.
205. Management Styles.
206. Day Care and Family Leave.
207. Redesigning Work.
208. Dissatisfaction on the Job.
209. Improving Work Life.
210. Case 9.1 Unprofessional Conduct?
211. Case 9.2 Testing for Honesty.
212. Case 9.3 She Snoops to Conquer.
213. Case 9.4 Protecting the Unborn at Work.
214. Case 9.5 Swedish Daddies.
Chapter 10 Moral Choices Facing Employees.
215. Obligations to the Firm.
216. Loyalty to the Company.
217. Conflicts of Interest.
218. Abuse of Official Position.
219. Insider Trading.
220. Proprietary Data.
221. Bribes and Kickbacks.
222. The Foreign Corrupt Practices Act.
223. The Case Against Overseas Bribery.
224. Gifts and Entertainment.
225. Conflicting Obligations.
226. Whistle-Blowing.
227. The Definition of Whistle-Blowing.
228. What Motivates Whistle-Blowers?
229. When is Whistle-Blowing Justified?
230. Self-Interest and Moral Obligation.
231. Protecting Those Who Do The Right Thing.
232. Case 10.1 Changing Jobs and Changing Loyalties.
233. Case 10.2 A Textbook Conflict of Interest.
234. Case 10.3 Inside Traders or Astute Observers?
235. Case 10.4 The Housing Allowance.
236. Case 10.5 Ethically Dubious Conduct.
Chapter 11. Job Discrimination.
237. The Meaning of Job Discrimination.
238. Evidence of Discrimination.
239. Statistical Evidence.
240. Attitudinal Evidence.
241. Affirmative Action: The Legal Context.
242. Affirmative Action Programs.
243. The Supreme Court’s Position.
244. Affirmative Action: The Moral Issues.
245. Arguments for Affirmative Action.
246. Arguments against Affirmative Action.
247. Comparable Worth.
248. Sexual Harassment.
249. The Definition of Sexual Harassment.
250. Dealing with Sexual Harassment.
251. Case 11.1. Minority Set-Asides.
252. Case 11.2. Hoop Dreams.
253. Case 11.3. Raising the Ante.
254. Case 11.4. Consenting to Sexual Harassment.
255. Case 11.5. Facial Discrimination.