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Technology, Megatrends and Work: Thoughts on the Future of Business Ethics

Author

Listed:
  • Premilla D’Cruz

    (Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad)

  • Shuili Du

    (University of New Hampshire)

  • Ernesto Noronha

    (Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad)

  • K. Praveen Parboteeah

    (University of Wisconsin – Whitewater)

  • Hannah Trittin-Ulbrich

    (Institute for Management and Organisation, Leuphana University of Lüneburg)

  • Glen Whelan

    (University of Quebec in Montreal)

Abstract

To commemorate 40 years since the founding of the Journal of Business Ethics, the editors in chief of the journal have invited the editors to provide commentaries on the future of business ethics. This essay comprises a selection of commentaries aimed at creating dialogue around the theme Technology, Megatrends and Work. Of all the profound changes in business, technology is perhaps the most ubiquitous. There is not a facet of our lives unaffected by internet technologies and artificial intelligence. The Journal of Business Ethics established a dedicated section that focuses on Technology and Business Ethics, yet issues related to this phenomenon run right through all the sections. Kirsten Martin, editor of the Technology and Business Ethics section, joins our interim social media editor, Hannah Trittin-UIbrich, to advance a human-centric approach to the development and application of digital technologies that places Business Ethics at centre of the analysis. For Shuili Du, technology is the defining condition for a new era of Corporate Social Responsibility—CSR 3.0—which she defines as “a company’s socially responsible strategies and practices that deal with key ethical and socio-technical issues associated with AI and related technologies on the one hand and leverage the power of AI and related technologies to tackle social and environmental problems on the other hand.” It is not just technologies that are a determining feature of our lives but technology companies, an argument made by Glen Whelan as he examines Big Business and the need for a Big Business Ethics as we try to understand the impact of Big Tech on our post-work world. Indeed, as noted by Ernesto Noronha and Premilla D’Cruz, megatrends in addition to advancement in technologies, namely globalization, the greening of economies, and changes in demographics and migration, are shaping the future for workers in ways previously unimaginable. Contributing to this important debate, Praveen Parboteeah considers the influence of another longstanding but oft overlooked megatrend, the role of religion in the workplace. Given the enormity of the influence of technology and other megatrends in our world, it is not surprising that this essay introduces ground-breaking ideas that speak to the future of business ethics research.

Suggested Citation

  • Premilla D’Cruz & Shuili Du & Ernesto Noronha & K. Praveen Parboteeah & Hannah Trittin-Ulbrich & Glen Whelan, 2022. "Technology, Megatrends and Work: Thoughts on the Future of Business Ethics," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 180(3), pages 879-902, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:kap:jbuset:v:180:y:2022:i:3:d:10.1007_s10551-022-05240-9
    DOI: 10.1007/s10551-022-05240-9
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    2. Edyta Gołąb-Andrzejak, 2024. "Editorial," International Journal of Business and Globalisation, Inderscience Enterprises Ltd, vol. 36(1), pages 1-3.
    3. Yang Yang & Jinmian Han, 2023. "Digital transformation, financing constraints, and corporate environmental, social, and governance performance," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 30(6), pages 3189-3202, November.
    4. Rizwan Raheem Ahmed & Munwar Hussain Pahi & Shahid Nadeem & Riaz Hussain Soomro & Vishnu Parmar & Fouzia Nasir & Faiz Ahmed, 2023. "How and When Ethics Lead to Organizational Performance: Evidence from South Asian Firms," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(10), pages 1-29, May.
    5. Laura J. Spence, 2022. "Radical, Relevant, Reflective and Brilliant: Towards the Future of Business Ethics," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 180(3), pages 829-834, October.
    6. Rosa Fioravante, 2024. "Beyond the Business Case for Responsible Artificial Intelligence: Strategic CSR in Light of Digital Washing and the Moral Human Argument," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(3), pages 1-16, February.

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