The Ethical Imperative: Why Moral Leadership Is Good Business [Paperback]

John Dalla Costa (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 21, 1999

Ethics are becoming the defining business issue of our time, affecting corporate profits and credibility, as well as personal security and the sustainability of a global economy. From price-fixing to bribery to toxic-waste dumping, companies around the world are engaging in unethical practices and chalking them up to the cost of doing business. but in an increasingly transparent global economy, where companies are being scrutinized by the media, private watch groups, government, competitors and their own employees, it is just such unethical practices that deplete profits, jeopardize reputations and, in cases like Barings Bank, risk the entire business. By the most conservative estimate, yearly losses due to unethical behavior equal more than the profits of the top forty corporations in North America. Such economic waste and moral loss require more than a PR Band-Aid.But how does a company and its managers and employees begin to encode an ethical construct into its bottom-line strategies and daily practices? In the Ethical Imperative, John Dalla Costa outlines the process for incorporating, teaching and reinforcing ethical principles to the direct benefit of customers, shareholders, employees and profits. Drawing from the fields of management, theology and the behavioral sciences, Dalla Costa makes clear why corporate ethics must be a fundamental component of any business. He provides a working practical model that business people can use to establish their own “Ethical Orientation” and outlines a new, forward-thinking “global ethic for the global economy” based on respect, honesty, fairness, justice and environmental responsibility. Case examples from a wide variety of industries are used to illustrate the workings of this ethical framework and help managers customize the model to serve the needs and priorities of their own business.As managers and consumers, many people are concerned about such issues as sweatshops, global warming and discrimination in the workplace, and are struggling to integrate their beliefs into their jobs, companies and purchases. The Ethical Imperative links these personal values to business performance. It is a compelling and useful “must-read” for executives and managers, employees and policy-makers, environmentalists, consumers and anyone who possesses an interest and concern over current ethical issues.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Nike's labor practices in the Far East. The Exxon Valdez oil spill in Alaska. Big tobacco and lung cancer. Texaco and employee race relations. More and more, corporations are being evaluated by how they conduct themselves, not just on the numbers they deliver. However, as these and other countless instances of corporate misconduct indicate, instilling a moral sense inside the modern corporation is not so easy. According to John Dalla Costa, author of The Ethical Imperative, not developing ethical standards threatens the survival of businesses trying to compete in the global economy.

Costa contends that most businesses are guided by a rational self-interest that blinds them to the consequences of their actions, thus getting them into trouble. He writes, "The badge of rationality is very important to businesspeople because, against it, there can be no criticism." Costa, himself a former CEO, argues that developing a sense of ethics involves more than following a set of rules: it means developing an ethical orientation at all levels and processes of a corporation--not just because it's the right thing to do, but because it makes for good business. Drawing from an impressive range of subjects and case studies, Costa builds a compelling case for moral leadership in today's corporations. Highly recommended. --Harry C. Edwards --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

Using epigrams from Dietrich Bonhoeffer's Ethics and building on insights derived from Hans Kung's A Global Ethic for Global Politics and Economics (Oxford Univ., 1998), Toronto business consultant Dalla Costa argues that business managers, particularly at multinational corporations, must adopt a strategic ethical orientation?a moral focus more conscientious and universalistic than market dominance and profit maximization. Dalla Costa provides charts of step-by-step procedures to use in implementing a "Strat-Ethic" focus. While stressing that his own book does not simply represent one more management fad, the author feels constrained to show that goodness is good business. He takes the reader through the paces of orientation, lies, costs, contrarieties, impetus, imperative, benefits, alignment, praxis, and conversion, sprinkling his practicum with examples from the likes of Nike and Microsoft. His book is hardly unique; in his Stewardship: Choosing Service Over Self-Interest (Berrett-Koehler, 1993), Peter Block shows the mixture of altruism and hard work needed to succeed and sleep well at night, while Tom Chappell's The Soul of a Business: Managing for Profit and the Common Good (LJ 10/1/93) gives one success story for merging sensitivity and performance. For larger public libraries.?John R. Leech, Brooklyn, NY
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 368 pages
• Publisher: Basic Books (May 21, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0738201308
• ISBN-13: 978-0738201306
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.1 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,046,514 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Optimistically orienting us toward a global ethic., March 30, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Ethical Imperative: Why Moral Leadership Is Good Business (Hardcover)

The author demonstrates the connection between ethical conduct and successful business. He provides a critique of economic assumptions and tackles hard issues head-on. He argues forcefully against the pessimistic, fatalistic view that ethics are the ideal-but amoral behavior is the 'real.' He sees the emergence of a global ethic. To achieve a global ethic Dalla Costa offers a business model for an ethical orientation which includes: manage assets professionally; conduct interactions with humanity; be fair; be honest; strive for justice; and honor the environment.

The author's view is that a global ethic involves the policies of nations and strategies of companies, but at its core is the ethical orientation of the individual. The current stuggle for achieving "transparancy" in financial matters in most parts of the world, however, points up the complex challenges the global economy presents on the most basic level. The ideas in this book are a tough sell, but they are persuasively and clearly presented, leaving one with hope. Dalla Costa is clearly one who sees light at the end of the tunnel. Excellent. Reviewed by Gerry Stern, founder, Stern & Associates, author of Stern's Sourcefinder The Master Directory to HR and Business Management Information & Resources, Stern's CyberSpace SourceFinder, and the Compensation and Benefits SourceFinder.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars For anyone who believes Business needs a conscience, November 1, 1999

By 

Jamie A. Thurman (Savannah, GA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Ethical Imperative: Why Moral Leadership Is Good Business (Paperback)

This book wasn't written to convince anyone that the business community lacks a moral conscience. It was written to help employees, citizens, manager, owners and CEOs deal with the problem. It's a workbook for new and on-going businesses which want to incorporate ethical practices into the company.

Dalla Costa names companies which have acted with a moral conscience and explains how this has not hindered their success, but has even stood them in good stead through a crisis. The words moral and business don't usually go together, in fact many people think they are opposites. It's all about money and many business people will tell you so...until a law suit arises. Then they whip out their ethics policy and blame a "rogue employee".

Dalla Costa doesn't just concentrate on U.S. companies. His imperative for the global economy is global responsibility.

He has the experience to speak knowledgeably and the plan to help us begin to change.

Four stars because it was tedious at times but still worth reading.