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BUSINESS ETHICS

The websites discussed in this guide offer a variety of resources on business ethics issues and topics. These resources include “gateways,” professional associations/organizations, institutes/“think tanks.” Some sites are devoted to specific aspects of business ethics: case studies, corporate governance, corporate social responsibility, online ethics codes, socially responsible investing, advice on creating an ethics code. It is also important to remember that there are links to business ethics resources included in many general business “gateways” and other comprehensive sites.


Behind the Label

• “Behind the Label.org is a multimedia news magazine and on-line community covering the stories and people of the global clothing industry – the hidden stories of the millions of workers around the world who make our clothes, the people who care how their clothes are made and the multinational corporations behind the labels”
• “Behind the Industry” links to sites for analysis/education of issues involved in “fair trade” practices and to relevant public interest organizations
• Also includes “In the Media” (news), “op-ed” articles (featuring archived articles, videos), “Sweatshop Companies,” message boards
• Also available in Chinese, French and Spanish
• Excellent educational site dealing with the unsavory side of the apparel industry and international efforts to end abusive industry practices


BUBL LINK: Business Ethics

• Short, annotated directory of links to some of the most authoritative business ethics websites
• Each link’s annotation includes a brief description of content, author/sponsoring body, resource type
• Sites are international in scope, but primarily from the UK and USA
• Great place for an overview of the field, but not for in-depth research


Business Ethics

• Compiled and maintained by Sharon Stoerger, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
• Links to websites for the following business ethics resources: articles/publications, case studies, corporate codes of ethics, professional associations/organizations and research centers
• Also links to comprehensive ethics sites which contain significant business ethics content
• Annotations/commentary accompanying links are outstanding
• Links for case studies, professional organizations/associations, and research centers are especially useful
• Links to additional ethics websites produced by Stoerger for anthropology, art, bioethics, history, journalism, plagiarism, research, social sciences, sociology
• Last updated December 2004
• Outstanding; this site is comprehensive, well-organized and easy-to-navigate; it’s one of the best - if not the best - business ethics sites currently available; excellent in all regards and useful for research at all levels


Business Ethics

• Sub-page of the Markkula Center for Applied Ethics, Santa Clara University
• “Online Resources” include 60 articles, case studies, message boards
• “Links” provide access to over 50 websites, which include academia, corporate sites, global business ethics issues, professional associations/organizations, research institutes/”think tanks”; includes brief annotations
• Feedback welcomed
• Includes information on the Center’s initiatives, programs, publications, resources, services
• Outstanding; this site offers a great introduction to business ethics; frequently updated, it offers a solid grounding and should be of use to users at any level


Business Ethics in the Movies

• Created and maintained by Carolyn Johnson, Arizona State University West Library
• This is a directory of over 70 movies concerned with business ethics released between 1932 and 2001; the vast majority are from the 1970s onward
• Movies are categorized by primary content: unethical career advancement, workers’ rights, individual/corporation conflict, satire, whistleblowing
• May be browsed by title, release date, category (theme), business/industry type, book (factual or fiction), original screenplay, play
• Excellent resource for researching cinema’s contribution to this topic


Business Ethics Resources

• Maintained by Peter Stevens, Foster Business Library, University of Washington Libraries
• Discusses the print, database and Internet resources available in the library
• Print resources include dictionaries, encyclopedias, handbooks, industry ethics statements, journals; many of these resources may be found in academic libraries or large public libraries
• Databases are restricted to the University of Washington community; they may be found in academic libraries or large public libraries
• Internet resources include links to “gateways,” professional associations/organizations
• Annotations accompany print citations and web links
• Includes research tips for researching resources on the online catalog
• Updated January 2006
• Excellent; another great library “general guide” to the business ethics field


Business Ethics Resources on the World Wide Web

• This is a sub-page of Ethicsweb.ca, an ethics website directory maintained by Chris MacDonald, St. Mary’s University (Canada)
• This page was formerly known as “Applied Ethics Resources on the WWW” and was … “funded, developed and maintained for nearly a decade as a project of the W. Maurice Young Centre for Applied Ethics” at the University of British Columbia (Canada)
• Links to business ethics websites for the following: institutes/”think tanks,” consultants, topics/issues, codes of ethics, publications
• While not extensive, this site does an admirable job of presenting some of the most authoritative Internet resources currently available; great place to begin research


Center for Business Ethics (CBE)

• “The Center Business Ethics at Bentley College is a nonprofit educational and consulting organization whose vision is a world in which all businesses contribute positively to society through their ethically sound and responsible operations”
• “External Links” connect to over 100 domestic and over 50 institutes/”think tanks” and professional associations/organizations which are dedicated in their entirety or in part to business ethics issues
• Also links to ethics newsletters, consultants
• Provides information about the CBE’s initiatives, programs, publications, services, resources
• “In 1996, the CBE developed for the Bentley McCallum Graduate School of Business the nation’s first MBA degree concentration in business ethics, as well as a graduate certificate in business ethics program”
• Outstanding; the CBE is ambitiously involved in collaboration/training with numerous businesses and organizations; great resource for current information on trends and activities in the field


Center for Ethics and Business (CEB)

• Maintained by Thomas I. White and Justin Goodkind for Loyola Marymount University
• “Aims to provide an environment for discussing issues related to the necessity, difficulty, costs and rewards of conducting business ethically”
• Provides information about the Center’s initiatives, programs, publications, services, resources
• “Links” connect to some of the most prominent professional institutes/organizations (including international ones) and academic sites
• “Toolbox” offers information on practical methods/strategies for dealing with ethical dilemmas in business
• Outstanding; one of the best academic sites; “Toolbox” feature is especially useful


Codes of Ethics Online

• Maintained by the Center for the Study of Ethics in the Professions (CSEP), Illinois Institute of Technology
• “Index of Codes” consists of 24 code categories (which include general business, finance, management, media, real estate, tourism/travel); “continually updated”
• Includes advice/information on “Using Codes of Ethics” and “Authoring a Code,” a bibliography (books/articles/cases), links to additional codes-of-ethics sites
• Searchable
• Includes information on CESP’s resources, programs, services
• Outstanding; one of the best sites for directories of ethics codes; links to business and corporate codes are especially useful


Collapse of Enron: A Bibliography of Online Legal, Government and Legislative Resources

• Compiled and periodically updated by Stephanie Burke for the Law Library Resource Exchange (LLRX)
• Links to primary documents about the Enron debacle; includes bankruptcy proceedings, federal agency investigations (General Accounting Office, Securities and Exchange Commission, Department of Justice, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission), Congressional investigations; also provides background material, news on Enron
• Last updated June 2003
• Excellent; does an impressive job of examining the complexity and ramifications of the collapse of the corporation which served as a harbinger of recent business scandals and ethical lapses


Complete Guide to Ethical Management: An Ethics Toolkit for Managers

• Created and maintained by Carter McNamara, Authenticity Consulting, LLC
• “This guide is a straightforward and highly practical tool designed to help leaders and managers implement comprehensive ethics management systems in their workplaces – systems to deal with the complex, ethical issues which can occur in the day-to-day realities of leading and managing an organization”
• “Applies to nonprofits and for-profits unless noted”
• This practical guide provides an in-depth discussion of business ethics and offers a series of “Ethics Tools” for conduct/ethics codes, policies/procedures development, training
• Links to relevant websites, including McNamara’s superb “Free Management Library” (http://mapnp.org/library/)
• Outstanding; this guide is extremely well-written and does a thorough job of explaining suggested management techniques for dealing with practical, “real-life” ethical dilemmas and situations; highly recommended


Corporate Governance

• Maintained by James Ritchie for the Corporate Governance NETwork
• Primarily concerned with extensive links to sites which reflect an interest in corporate governance and socially responsible business/investment practices
• Sites are mostly American, although there are some international links
• Topical categories (of which there are 35) include governance centers, public interest groups, research centers, shareholder action groups, proxy voting/monitoring, benefits/compensation, professional associations/organizations, and related issues
• Outstanding; one of the best sites of its kind; an excellent resource for a wide variety of governance-related issues


Corporate Responsibility Group of Greater Chicago (CRGGC)

• The CRGGC “… works to advance the civic involvement of area businesses, strengthen the resources available to public affairs and issues management professionals, and increase the opportunities for dialogue among concerned citizens”
• Provides information about the group’s membership, events, initiatives, programs, services, resources
• “Resources: Organizations” links to many of the best business ethics institutes/organizations (annotations accompanying links are based upon information provided by the site)
• “Work-Life Resources” links to sites regarding family/work issues, a topic for which it’s not often easy to locate readily available information
• Excellent; one of the best sites for aligning the business community’s involvement in civic issues


Corporate Social Responsibility

• Sub-page of Eldis Gateway to Development Information
• Eldis, the Electronic Development and Environmental Information System, is hosted by the Institute of Development Studies (IDS), University of Suffolk (UK)
• “Corporate Social Responsibility” (one of 25 “Subject Resource Guides” to development topics) links to over 170 professional associations/organizations (includes brief description of the site’s focus); also includes news/events, jobs
• Also features “Quick Access” to 15 related sub-pages (child labor, ethical investment, fair trade etc.)
• Includes information on Eldis’s initiatives/events, programs, publications, resources, services
• Searchable
• Also available in Spanish
• Outstanding resource for business ethics issues which deal with international business and globalization


CorpWatch

• “CorpWatch counters corporate-led globalization through education, network-building and activism. We work to foster democratic control over corporations by building grassroots globalization – a diverse movement for human rights and dignity, labor rights and environmental justice.”
• Formerly known as “Corporate Watch”
• An online public interest group offering news and resource links to the economic, environmental and social impact of corporations on a national and international basis
• “Hands-On Corporate Research Guide” outlines procedures for acquiring general company information and how to determine a company’s activities concerning the environment, labor and other issues
• Includes extensive links to activist groups, corporate oversight and specific industry/product issues
• Outstanding; one of the best sites for current news and analysis of corporate activity worldwide; links are especially useful


Ethics on the World Wide Web: Business

• Maintained by Paul Lester, School of Communications, California State University, Fullerton
• This site is a sub-page of the meta-site “Ethics on the World Wide Web”
• Short, annotated directory of links to professional associations, institutes, and “centers” involved with business ethics issues
• Not extensive, but a great place for a basic introduction to some of the more well-known organizations in the field


Multinational Monitor

• Published by Essential Information, Inc., a “non-profit, tax-exempt organization” which “provide[s] provocative information to the public on important topics neglected by the mass media and policy makers”
• “Tracks corporate activity, especially in the Third World, focusing on the export of hazardous substances, worker health and safety, labor union issues and the environment”
• “Links” connect to sites for over 25 topics concerned with corporate ethical issues, both domestic and international; many of these are industry-specific, with several hundred links in all (primarily to public interest organizations, institutes, “think tanks”)
• Also links to sites for environmental, legal, media and human rights issues (regional and national)
• Back issues of Multinational Monitor archived from 1988 to the present
• Outstanding; this is one of the most respected resources for international analysis/commentary on corporate ethical issues; best site feature is its exhaustive directory of links, which is one of the most comprehensive of its kind currently available online


Websites discussed on this page are for informational purposes only. Johnson & Wales University Library is not responsible for the accuracy, content or stability of any website linked to this page.

Compiled by Rick Keogh, 6/01; updated 7/05; links last checked 11/07

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