Why is Business Talking about Ethics?: Reflections on Foreign Conversations

Abstract

History tells us that business ethics is a subject that comes and goes. So the interesting question is: Why are the ethics of business discussed in one era and not another? Based on conversations with business people and academics from Japan, Europe, and Latin America, this article looks at some of the reasons why ethics is currently on the minds of business men and women. Political conservatism, deregulation, moral pluralism, and globalization emerge as themes that underlie the recent interest in ethics.