Guest editorial

Citation

Gael McDonald, P. (2010), "Guest editorial", European Business Review, Vol. 22 No. 4. https://doi.org/10.1108/ebr.2010.05422daa.001

Guest editorial

Article Type: Guest editorial From: European Business Review, Volume 22, Issue 4

Ethical values and principles are appropriate to examine with respect to their saliency and application at varying times and in respect to the context at hand. Research and related discussion often tend to overlook consideration of longitudinal and evolutionary dimensions in the exploration of ethical values and principles in business practices. In addition to examining the contrasting dimensions of ethical absolutism and ethical relativism which is most relevant in international business it is hoped that further attention is given to the discussion of durability of ethical values and principles in business practices in the domestic marketplace, and in society at large. The outcome of which may be a stronger emphasis on longitudinal research efforts that explore this variability over time and as contexts evolve.

This special issue contains the following papers:

The first paper is entitled “Ethical decision making – an integrative model for business practice” and is co-authored by J.R.C. Pimentel (University of Canterbury, New Zealand), J.R. Kuntz (University of Edinburgh, Scotland) and Detelin S. Elenkov (Angelo State University, Texas, USA). It proposes a model for elements that affect individuals’ ethical decision-making in business settings.

The second paper is entitled “A longitudinal and contextual analysis of media representation of business ethics” and is co-authored by R. Barkemeyer, D. Holt, F. Figge and G. Napolitano (Queen’s University Belfast, Northern Ireland). It presents an analysis of media representation of business ethics within international newspapers to explore the longitudinal and contextual evolution of business ethics and associated terminology.

The third paper is entitled “Deviance or norm? Exploring corporate social responsibility” and is authored by Ekaterina S. Ralston (Iowa State University, USA). It examines the body of cross-disciplinary literature on corporate social responsibility, organizational structure and organizational culture. The author suggests that the issue of social responsibility is a phenomenon both external and internal to organizations, as it lies on the cusp of organizational culture and social expectations.

The fourth paper is entitled “How does corporate social responsibility benefit firms? Evidence from Australia” and is authored by Jeremy Galbreath (Curtin University of Technology, Australia). It empirically examines three potential benefits of demonstrating CSR, such as reduced employee turnover; increased customer satisfaction; and improved reputation.

The fifth paper is entitled “Towards holding transnational corporations responsible for human rights” and is co-authored by Emily F. Carasco and Jang B. Singh (University of Windsor, Canada). It provides a general review of international efforts to hold transnational corporations responsible for human rights. It tracks the evolution of international conventions related to transnational corporations and human rights and assesses their effectiveness.

The last paper is entitled “Ethical relativism vs absolutism: research implications” and is authored by Gael McDonald (Deakin University, Australia). It undertakes an in-depth examination of ethical relativity and ethical absolutism before concluding with a discussion of which research implications warrant further investigation.

We truly wish that you – the reader of European Business Review – will find the six contributions of this special issue of great intellectual interest and stimulation. We also hope that both scholars and practitioners will find them valuable.

Welcome to the thought-provoking and challenging world of European Business Review!

European Business Review can be found at: www.emeraldinsight.com

Professor Gael McDonald, Professor Göran SvenssonGuest Editors