Business Ethics

Business ethics examine the ways in which conflicts between a society’s moral demands and economic requirements can be solved.

Date | Relevance |

Dominik Enste / Julia Wildner / Lucia Nafziger ·
IW-Report Nr. 1 ·
1 January 2021

Going green with behavioural economics: How to combine business and ethics

This paper calls for an increased discourse between Fridays for Future and representatives of business. Fridays for Future play a key role in educating the public and raising awareness of scientific reports, such as the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) assessment, which demonstrate the urgency with which we must tackle climate change.

Dominik Enste / Jennifer Potthoff ·
IW-Report Nr. 55 ·
28 October 2020

The Business Ethics of the Corona Crisis

This research work is intended to analyze the economic consequences and ethical challenges that are caused by the coronavirus pandemic and to predict whether one can find a balance within the arising conflict of interest between economy, health and ethics. The solution strategies of Germany, Sweden and South Korea will be compared in order to evaluate different types of crisis management and to finally derive possible lessons from the crisis.

Dominik Enste / Christina Heldman ·
IW-Report Nr. 2 ·
25 January 2017

Causes and Consequences of Corruption

Corruption is a main threat in many countries around the world. Therefore, the causes and consequences of corruption are analyzed in various empirical studies. Since the results are quite mixed, we have summarized the findings of the central empirical literature from the last two decades for a comprehensive overview.

IW Trust Index ·
Press Release Nr. 42 ·
27 July 2015

Lack of trust in crisis countries

Crises like the ones in global finance markets and in the European monetary union tend to have one thing in common: they are caused, or at least aggravated, by a lack of trust. This is also evident when looking at the current Greek crisis, as indicated by the new trust index developed by the Cologne Institute for Economic Research (IW).

Business Ethics

Business ethics examine the ways in which conflicts between a society’s moral demands and economic requirements can be solved.

Behavioral Economics and Business Ethics

Behavioural economics shows that people act more morally than the model of homo economicus would suggest. Nevertheless, conflicts between morality and economic interests do frequently occur and in many cases they can be resolved with the help of business ethics.

According to the theories, markets and morals do not have to disagree: Because of the market’s “invisible hand”, the sum of individual economic choices increases the overall welfare. A baker for instance does not primarily bake for altruistic reasons, but in order to make a living.

Instances exist in which conflicts arise between entrepreneurial pursuit of profit and a society’s legitimate interests. However, these can be resolved in a constructive manner. The government can intervene with regulations (systemic ethics), companies can act responsibly (corporate social responsibility) and individuals can act morally (individual moral).