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Foundations and Applications for Contractualist Business Ethics

Author

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  • Pursey Heugens
  • J. Oosterhout
  • Muel Kaptein

Abstract

Contractualism is one of the most promising ‘centers of gravity’ in business ethics. In this guest editorial we provide a concise roadmap to the field, sketching contractualism’s historic and disciplinary antecedents, the basic argumentative structure of the contract model, and its boundary conditions. We also sketch two main dimensions along which contributions to the contractualist tradition can be positioned. The first dimension entails positive versus normative theorizing – does a given contribution analyze the world as it is or how it ought to be? The second dimension involves four different levels of analysis that are commonly employed in contractualist business ethics: the nano, micro, meso, and macro levels. We then proceed to position the articles comprising this special issue along these two dimensions. Copyright Springer Science+Business Media, Inc. 2006

Suggested Citation

  • Pursey Heugens & J. Oosterhout & Muel Kaptein, 2006. "Foundations and Applications for Contractualist Business Ethics," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 68(3), pages 211-228, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:kap:jbuset:v:68:y:2006:i:3:p:211-228
    DOI: 10.1007/s10551-006-9011-y
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Prabhir Poruthiyil, 2013. "Weaning Business Ethics from Strategic Economism: The Development Ethics Perspective," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 116(4), pages 735-749, September.
    2. Marian Eabrasu, 2012. "A Moral Pluralist Perspective on Corporate Social Responsibility: From Good to Controversial Practices," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 110(4), pages 429-439, November.
    3. Dirk Gilbert & Michael Behnam, 2009. "Advancing Integrative Social Contracts Theory: A Habermasian Perspective," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 89(2), pages 215-234, October.
    4. Kirsten Martin, 2012. "Diminished or Just Different? A Factorial Vignette Study of Privacy as a Social Contract," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 111(4), pages 519-539, December.
    5. Caroline Moraes & Finola Kerrigan & Roisin McCann, 2020. "Positive Shock: A Consumer Ethical Judgement Perspective," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 165(4), pages 735-751, September.
    6. J. Oosterhout & Pursey Heugens, 2009. "Extant Social Contracts in Global Business Regulation: Outline of a Research Agenda," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 88(4), pages 729-740, October.
    7. Oyku Arkan & Mahak Nagpal & Tobey K. Scharding & Danielle E. Warren, 2023. "Don’t Just Trust Your Gut: The Importance of Normative Deliberation to Ethical Decision-Making at Work," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 186(2), pages 257-277, August.
    8. Gary Burkhardt & Frederic Boy & Daniele Doneddu & Nick Hajli, 2023. "Privacy Behaviour: A Model for Online Informed Consent," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 186(1), pages 237-255, August.
    9. Magali Fia & Lorenzo Sacconi, 2019. "Justice and Corporate Governance: New Insights from Rawlsian Social Contract and Sen’s Capabilities Approach," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 160(4), pages 937-960, December.
    10. Christoph Luetge & Thomas Armbrüster & Julian Müller, 2016. "Order Ethics: Bridging the Gap Between Contractarianism and Business Ethics," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 136(4), pages 687-697, July.
    11. Andaç T. Arıkan, 2020. "Opportunism is in the Eye of the Beholder: Antecedents of Subjective Opportunism Judgments," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 161(3), pages 573-589, January.
    12. Kirsten Martin, 2016. "Understanding Privacy Online: Development of a Social Contract Approach to Privacy," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 137(3), pages 551-569, September.
    13. Paul Neiman, 2013. "A Social Contract for International Business Ethics," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 114(1), pages 75-90, April.

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