The Ethics of Business in a Global Economy

Book excerpt: Paul M. Minus Overview The papers gathered in this volume were first presented for reflection and discussion at a landmark event in March 1992. The International Conference on the Ethics of Business in a Global Economy, held in Columbus, Ohio, brought together over 300 participants from twenty-two nations in six continents. This was the most geographically diverse body of leaders ever assembled to consider issues of ethics in business. Approximately two-thirds of them were business executives; the others came mainly from the fields of education and religion. Knowing the context from which this book emerged will help readers understand its composition and content. As can be quickly seen, the fourteen authors who have contributed to it come from different areas of the world and from different fields of endeavor. One finds, first, essays on the book's central theme by business leaders from four nations. Next there are analyses of three key topics by scholars active in the fields of economics and ethics. Then come statements by practitioners of four major world religions on the relevance of their respective traditions to the ethics of business. Finally there are six brief case studies prepared by two business ethicists about specific ethical issues arising in international business. The authors address different facets of one of the most dramatic new facts of our time: the globalization of business. With many corporations now operating around the world and others planning a significant expansion of markets, this development is destined to accelerate in coming decades.