BKBEETNO.RVW 20071118 "Better Ethics Now", Christopher Bauer, 2005, 978-0-9765863-3-3, U$21.99/C$29.99 %A Christopher Bauer chris@bauerethicsseminars.com %C 1604 Burton Ave., Nashville, TN 37215 %D 2005 %G 0-9765863-3-9 978-0-9765863-3-3 %I Aab-Hill Business Books %O U$21.99/C$29.99 615-385-3523 %O http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0976586339/robsladesinterne http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0976586339/robsladesinte-21 %O http://www.amazon.ca/exec/obidos/ASIN/0976586339/robsladesin03-20 %O Audience n Tech 1 Writing 2 (see revfaq.htm for explanation) %P 171 p. %T "Better Ethics Now: How to Avoid the Ethics Disaster You Never Saw Coming" A note on the title page of the book states that the text is intended to educate and entertain in regard to ethics, and that the material is neither comprehensive nor tested. (It is ethical to let the reader know that, although my initial reaction was that the "entertain" aspect might have been a bit of an abdication of the author's responsibilities to the readers.) The introduction asserts that the focus of the work is on how a lack of personal responsibility creates the foundation for corporate ethical disasters, and that having individuals improve their own ethical standards will enhance the integrity of the company. There is, of course, something to this, although it does fly in the face of a great many studies identifying the "tone at the top" as the major determinant of corporate ethical standards. Chapter one notes that ethical breaches in companies have serious financial ramifications, and reiterates the position that assessing your own morals will improve those of the company, primarily by forcing you to determine if the normal business behaviour you are asked to follow is ethical. (This does tie back to the issue of "tone at the top": if your ethics stand up to scrutiny and you feel comfortable in your working environment, the tone is probably OK.) Ethics are guiding principles, chapter two tells us. It isn't just following (or even breaking) rules, says chapter three. Chapter four seems to repeat this last, in slightly different wording, properly taking issue with the subject of "compliance," which has become something of a buzzword and panacea in recent years. Using cute expansions of "ethics" as an acronym, chapter five tentatively introduces the idea of personal responsibility and decision. A simple tool for personal assessment is described in chapter six. Chapter seven examines the issues of reporting or otherwise dealing with ethical violations that you discover. Chapter eight moves the discussion to the corporate level, noting the importance of policy statements, processes, and procedures. Ethical behaviour involves achieving positive actions, we are told in chapter nine, rather than merely avoiding negative ones. Chapter ten does promote the importance of the "tone at the top," noting that sometimes you, as an employee, may need to walk away from an intolerable situation. Chapter eleven suggests that those in management and leadership need to communicate ethics directly and openly. The idea that the moral standards of each employee are important is again stressed in chapter twelve. Proper ethics are not always easy, says chapter thirteen. Chapter fourteen repeats encouragement to be proactive about promoting ethics, and suggests various procedures for the corporation. There are other books on ethics, and business ethics as well. Johnson's "Computer Ethics" (cf. BKCMPETH.RVW) is a classic and Tavani's "Ethics and Technology" (cf. BKETHTCH.RVW) adds depth and intellectual rigour. Bauer's work is very different: there is little academic or conceptual background, but the brevity and practicality of the work may make it more suitable for the general work environment. While it doesn't add much to the debate, it could certainly be used for training and the promotion of ethical standards, and is probably more accessible for the general population of employees and managers. copyright Robert M. Slade, 2007 BKBEETNO.RVW 20071118