Strategy and ethics: an organising framework

The vast literature dealing with the relationship between business strategy and ethics is classified into sixteen distinct sub-themes (e.g. market limitations, trust, performance, etc.). An organising framework is then set out, based upon the classical idea of a dualism that also has several components (involving values-priorities, ethical theories, language usage, etc.). Experience so far suggest that a simple framework based upon dualism is very helpful indeed for contemporary researchers and students as they encounter a growing and controversial literature in areas such as sustainable business, business and society, globalisation, stakeholder management, strategic management, critical management and business ethics.