Ethics in the enterprise

Over these last few years, we have seen charters and codes of ethics flourish in enterprises and the notion of corporate social responsibility become widespread.

We can delight in this phenomenon, which reflects more than just an awareness of the role and nature of the enterprise: it also shows a time where ideologies have come flooding back, institutions usually full of sense and morality no longer suffice to produce and actualize the value discourse.

Yet, is it so natural, for the enterprise, to get itself mixed up in ethics? Are there not side effects and risks?

In preparation for the development of the axiological procedures (on values) in the enterprise methodology, Dominique Vauquier has published a paper on the Praxeme Institute website.

  • Review: the discourse on values; risks and stakes.
  • Issues: enterprise ethics cannot be taken for granted; it comes up against the fact that, within the enterprise, the individual is considered as a resource, in contradiction with the categorical imperative that a human-being must always be considered as an end in himself or herself, never as a means (Emmanuel Kant). It is a good thing that ethics is developing in the enterprise but it can only ever be sincere if we face up to its problematic nature.
  • Methodology: the paper presents two procedures “Elucidate the values” and “Negotiate the values”, as well as the analytical framework for ethical models.

See: Praxeme Institute web page.

Notice: this document is not an element of the method but the preparatory thoughts on the subject. The procedures will be developed according to the contributions and opportunities that arise.