Review

3D Ethics: Implementing workplace values is an ethics primer aimed at business leaders who have responsibility for implementing ethics programs in organ isations. As such, it provides a useful overview of basic concepts such as the main streams of ethics thought and stakeholder capitalism.

For people in organisations which already understand and value acting ethically, and for individuals who want to develop their own ethical awareness, there is a lot of useful material in the form of conceptual overviews, exercises and questionnaires.

However, the use of sweeping statements and a tendency towards lofty language betrays a superficial treatment of the underlying concepts. For example, there is at best only passing reference to the current vigorous debate in Australia regard ing corporate social responsibility. This might suit busi ness students who are looking for an introduction to business ethics and who are already sympathetic to the corporate social responsibility movement, but may grate on those looking for a more criti cal discussion.

The final chapter on doing business in China will be fascinating for readers with little knowledge of the influence of Confucian thought on business ethics in China.

Although there is no material aimed directly at ethics training in legal firms, lawyers responsible for developing ethics programs in their firm may find the book useful in that it provides exercises to encourage people to think about their own values, how they relate to the values of the organisation, and what this means for making ethical decisions at work.

Elizabeth Klein
Corporate Solicitor