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The Worldwide Academic Field of Business Ethics: Scholars’ Perceptions of the Most Important Issues

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  • Daniel Holland
  • Chad Albrecht

Abstract

We conducted an international survey of 211 scholars with expertise in business ethics. Each respondent was asked to identify the three most important issues that business ethics academia will face in the coming decade. Using content analytic procedures, responses were categorized and analyzed for commonalities. The results suggest that the most important issues facing business ethics academia in the future will be the following: (1) issues relating to business ethics education such as curriculum, pedagogy, faculty, and accreditation (2) the credibility of the business ethics field, (3) environmental issues, (4) issues relating to business ethics research such as research tools and quality of business ethics research (5) the decline of ethical behavior in society and organizations, (6) corporate social responsibility (CSR), (7) globalization, and (8) the institutionalization of ethics into business. We maintain that these issues have important teaching and research implications for the future sustainability of the business ethics discipline. Copyright Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht 2013

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  • Daniel Holland & Chad Albrecht, 2013. "The Worldwide Academic Field of Business Ethics: Scholars’ Perceptions of the Most Important Issues," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 117(4), pages 777-788, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:kap:jbuset:v:117:y:2013:i:4:p:777-788
    DOI: 10.1007/s10551-013-1718-y
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    4. Ezequiel Reficco & María Helena Jaén & Carlos Trujillo, 2019. "Beyond Knowledge: A Study of Latin American Business Schools’ Efforts to Deliver a Value-Based Education," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 156(3), pages 857-874, May.
    5. Manoj Anand & Jagandeep Singh, 2021. "Business students’ perception of corporate social responsibility: an exploratory study," DECISION: Official Journal of the Indian Institute of Management Calcutta, Springer;Indian Institute of Management Calcutta, vol. 48(3), pages 261-284, September.
    6. Elisabeth Albertini, 2019. "The Contribution of Management Control Systems to Environmental Capabilities," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 159(4), pages 1163-1180, November.
    7. Ricardo Leiva & Ignacio Ferrero & Reyes Calderón, 2016. "Corporate Reputation in the Business Ethics Field: Its Relation with Corporate Identity, Corporate Image, and Corporate Social Responsibility," Corporate Reputation Review, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 19(4), pages 299-315, November.
    8. John G. Cullen, 2017. "Educating Business Students About Sustainability: A Bibliometric Review of Current Trends and Research Needs," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 145(2), pages 429-439, October.
    9. Colin B. Gabler & Omar S. Itani & Raj Agnihotri, 2023. "Activating Corporate Environmental Ethics on the Frontline: A Natural Resource-Based View," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 186(1), pages 63-86, August.
    10. Reficco, Ezequiel & Jaén, María Helena, 2015. "Case method use in shaping well-rounded Latin American MBAs," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 68(12), pages 2540-2551.
    11. Samuel Leroy Cabrera-Luján & David Josías Sánchez-Lima & Segundo Alberto Guevara-Flores & Dany Yudet Millones-Liza & Elizabeth Emperatriz García-Salirrosas & Miluska Villar-Guevara, 2023. "Impact of Corporate Social Responsibility, Business Ethics and Corporate Reputation on the Retention of Users of Third-Sector Institutions," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(3), pages 1-18, January.
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