The Ethical Dimension in Corporate and Management Behavior

The aim of this chapter is to describe the basic theoretical aspects of ethical practices in business and to present the remaining 15 chapters which comprise this book. An essential feature of this chapter is how ethics arises from specific economic facts and on the other hand, how the evolution of society, new resources, new technologies, and economic growth in developed countries lead to a cultural evolution which changes the traditional perspective on the obtainment of profits, as reported by the Business Roundtable in their latest annual statement: not only the obtainment of profits for the shareholders but also the obtainment of economic, social, and ecological benefits for all the stakeholders. This is the purpose and final goal of business ethics and the different chapters included in this book.