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On Firms and the Next Generations: Difficulties and Possibilities for Business Ethics Inquiry

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  • Daniel Arenas
  • Pablo Rodrigo

Abstract

Despite the centrality of the topic for the debate on sustainability, future generations have largely been ignored by business ethics. This neglect is in part due to the enormous philosophical challenges posed by the concepts of future generations and intergenerational duties. This article reviews some of these difficulties and defends that much clarity would be gained from making a distinction between future generations and the next generations. It also argues that the concept of next generations offers a better starting point for business ethics to incorporate the topic in its research agenda. We then suggest four potential pathways to explore this territory. The four approaches build on the notion of organizations as communities with memory and vision, on the narrative shape of organizational life, on the affinity of stakeholders with the next generation, and on systems of indirect reciprocity. These first two approaches are connected to communitarian approaches to business ethics, and the last two engage in a dialog with contractarian views and stakeholder theory. The article ends with some implications for theory and practice. Copyright Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht 2016

Suggested Citation

  • Daniel Arenas & Pablo Rodrigo, 2016. "On Firms and the Next Generations: Difficulties and Possibilities for Business Ethics Inquiry," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 133(1), pages 165-178, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:kap:jbuset:v:133:y:2016:i:1:p:165-178
    DOI: 10.1007/s10551-014-2348-8
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Giuseppe Danese, 2017. "A social contract approach to sustainability," International Review of Economics, Springer;Happiness Economics and Interpersonal Relations (HEIRS), vol. 64(4), pages 327-339, December.
    2. Xiangyu Chang & Yinghui Huang & Mei Li & Xin Bo & Subodha Kumar, 2021. "Efficient Detection of Environmental Violators: A Big Data Approach," Production and Operations Management, Production and Operations Management Society, vol. 30(5), pages 1246-1270, May.
    3. Kévin André & Sylvain Bureau & Arthur Gautier & Olivier Rubel, 2017. "Beyond the Opposition Between Altruism and Self-interest: Reciprocal Giving in Reward-Based Crowdfunding," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 146(2), pages 313-332, December.
    4. Rob Macklin & Karin Mathison, 2018. "Embedding Ethics: Dialogic Partnerships and Communitarian Business Ethics," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 153(1), pages 133-145, November.
    5. Diego F. Uribe & Isabel Ortiz-Marcos & Ángel Uruburu, 2018. "What Is Going on with Stakeholder Theory in Project Management Literature? A Symbiotic Relationship for Sustainability," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(4), pages 1-23, April.

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