The literature acknowledges a distinction between immoral, amoral and moral management. This paper makes a case for the employee (at any level) as a moral agent, even though the paper begins by highlighting a body of evidence which suggests that individual moral agency is sacrificed at work and is compromised in deference to other pressures. This leads to a discussion about the notion of discretion and an examination of a separate, contrary body of literature which indicates that some individuals in (...) corporations may use their discretion to behave in a socially entrepreneurial manner. My underlying assumption is that CSR isn’t solely driven by economics and that it may also be championed as a result of a personal morality, inspired by employees’ own socially oriented personal values. A conceptual framework is put forward and it is suggested that individuals may be categorized as Active or Frustrated Corporate Social Entrepreneurs; Conformists or Apathetics, distinguished by their individualistic or collectivist personal values. In a discussion of the nature of values, this paper highlights how values may act as drivers of our behavior and pays particular attention to the values of the entrepreneur, thereby linking the existing debate on moral agency with the field of corporate social responsibility. (shrink)

Much has been written about stakeholder analysis as a process by which to introduce ethical values into management decision-making. This paper takes a critical look at the assumptions behind this idea, in an effort to understand better the meaning of ethical management decisions.A distinction is made between stakeholder analysis and stakeholder synthesis. The two most natural kinds of stakeholder synthesis are then defined and discussed: strategic and multi-fiduciary. Paradoxically, the former appears to yield business without ethics and the latter appears (...) to yield ethics without business. The paper concludes by suggesting that a third approach to stakeholder thinking needs to be developed, one that avoids the paradox just mentioned and that clarifies for managers (and directors) the legitimate role of ethical considerations in decision-making. (shrink)

Bill Gates predicts that by 2050, 50% of the working population will work at home. Even in England in 2000 the DoE recorded 20% of British workers spend a portion of the week working at home... Life in the future - in 2021 - will be CHUNKY. Intense and demanding projects will alternate with 'sabbaticals' - some paid for by organizations, others self-funded. In this new work, Charles Handy, the brilliant social philosopher and management guru, examines the questions that face (...) us at the start of a new age. Using the metaphor of the "Elephant and the Flea he discusses the future of everything from education, work and marriage, to capitalism, management, religion and society. He carefully considers the balancing act that both individuals (fleas) and larger organizations (elephants) will face in the next twenty years. Increasingly technological advances mean the disappearance of the middle - or disintermediation. This means that many careers will radically transform or vanish altogether in the coming decades. If vacationers can go on-line to access all their travel information they won't need travel agents. If a patient can access a diagnosis on the net, and purchase medication through a dot.com drug store, then the need for doctors will plummet. Handy explores the significance of the vast changes we can expect, and those already here, brought about by the democratic power of the internet. He suggests that many people will learn to develop a portfolio career, expecting to change directions dramatically throughout their lives. A multitude of fleas - consultants, suppliers, sub-contractors, and advisers - will support larger organizations, without being full-time employees. Theoffice, Handy predicts, will become more of a club house, with luxurious meeting rooms, gyms, and even overnight accommodations. And that transformation will change even the look of our city skylines. (shrink)