Media Release - 25 October 2005

REDEFINING BUSINESS ETHICS: A 3-D PERSPECTIVE

The corporate veil is lifted in our global knowledge economy. Authors Brian Moran and Attracta Lagan will declare the end of the 'public virtue, private vice' business era this month, with the release of their new book - Three-Dimensional Ethics: Implementing Workplace Values.

Published by eContent Management, this book effectively outlines how the three dimensions of ethics - personal, organisational and societal - can be aligned to not only foster a coherent and healthy personal identity, but also ensure that what is good for business is also good for society.

In an era that is witnessing unprecedented waves of corporate collapses, the authors argue that it is time for business leaders to move beyond narrow concepts of business ethics that focus on individual morality to a recognition that organisational contexts themselves can and do corrupt. It is the types of organisational cultures that are allowed to emerge that is the concern of business ethics and for which business leaders will increasingly be held accountable.

'We live in a global world where organisations are simply not responding quick enough to the new expectations of an educated and discerning society', says co-author Brian Moran, industrial ecologist and lecturer at University of Sydney and University of Technology, Sydney.While many organisations are blind-sided to changing societal values, there are enormous pressures to raise the ethical floor below the global marketplace.

Encouraging mutually beneficial relationships between individuals, business and society, Three-Dimensional Ethics offers a framework for business students and professionals at every level in the corporate chain - company directors, CEOs and CSR directors to HR, OHS and environmental managers - to reflect, recognise both personal and organisational values and seek to hone a synergy between these while listening to the needs of others.

Comparable to a physical training program, the authors provide tools to improve the 'ethical fitness' of a business, which include flexible ethical training programs, models for decision making (at all levels of corporate behaviour), with valuable contemporary case studies and examples of best and worst practice of businesses in both Australian and international societal contexts.

Using the metaphor of a tree with a central trunk of 'values', Three-Dimensional Ethics addresses key ethical issues such as the preventable 'ladder of escalation', 'unethical cascades', the cost of 'cheating cultures', whistle blowing and the types of corporate cultures being spawned by boardroom oversight. Exercises tackle questions such as 'when and how is it appropriate to raise ethical concerns?' and 'how do I make ethical decisions that will satisfy myself, the organisation and society's values?'

An increasingly educated and informed global populace demands integrity from the public and private institutions that dominate their lives - determining the type of fuel we burn, the quality of air and water we consume, and the health and education we can afford - the transparency, and ethical accountability outlined in Three-Dimensional Ethics will be paramount for sustainablity.

Three-Dimensional Ethics is available from http://3dethics.e-contentmanagement.com or by calling 07 5435 2900. RRP is $38.50 (individuals) or $77.00 (institutions) - discounts apply for students.

Preview chapters and copies of Three-Dimensional Ethics: Implementing Workplace Values are available. Brian Moran and Dr. Attracta Lagan are also available for media interviews.

About the Authors

Dr Attracta Lagan is Director of Corporate Citizenship and Ethics at KPMG, Sydney. She is an industrial sociologist and is passionate about bringing individual and corporate personalities closer together. She has written extensively in the business press on the ethical dimension of business in 21st Century society. Attracta is a frequent visitor to the boardrooms of Australia, challenging corporate leaders to recognise their new social responsibilities of 21st Century enterprises and skill themselves to respond in new and inclusive ways.

Attracta is on the Sustainability Advisory Council of the Minerals Council of Australia and member of two community boards. She has an honours degree in sociology, master's degree in social ecology and PhD, which reviewed how the organisational context compromises personal values.

Brian Moran is an industrial ecologist and university lecturer. He works inside organisations in the areas of culture, values and ethics. Brian has also developed innovative, experiential learning programs in ethics training. An experienced facilitator, he has applied these skills to strategic planning programs for several government departments and agencies, not-for-profit organisations and many large corporations.

Brian holds a Masters Degree in Social Ecology and lectures in Managing for Sustainability (MBA) at University of Technology, Sydney and in Small Business Management (MComm) at Sydney University.

For related titles from eContent Management see www.e-contentmanagement.com. Recent related books, readings and case studies include Workplace Health and Neoliberalism, Organizational Jazz: Extraordinary Performance through Extraordinary Leadership and Corporate Sustainability.

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Mandy Higgins / Sarah Hawthorn
PINQUE (formerly SHE Public Relations)
02 9360 6166
0410 633 390
mh@pinque.com.au / sh@pinque.com.au

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