Ethics
Ethics
There is a clear difference between ethics and morality. Every society, every organisation, and even every person can have its own morals – the set of standards and norms applying to one’s conduct, one’s organisation or one’s society. 

Ethics is different, however. It concerns the reflection on values, on the good life and the good society and is less concerned with concrete actions, policies, and practices. 

It challenges our preconceptions of how to treat others and our planet as if they are mere instruments to create prosperity for ourselves and those close to us.

In several contributions I have reflected on ethics.

Bloed, zweet, maar samen

Bloed, zweet, maar samen
On 8 March 2022 we published Bloed, zweet, maar samen (Blood, sweat, and cooperation). The book addresses the collaboration between innovative startups and scale-ups and corporations aimed to create a more sustainable, just and inclusive society. We dive into a world of mutual collaborations aimed at changing the economic and social system to make it more just and sustainable.

Planetary Demands - redefining sustainable development

Planetary Demands - redefining sustainable development
In this article Aikaterini Argyrou and I argue that the definition of ‘sustainable development’ provided by the World Commission on Environment and Development (WECD) in 1987 requires an update. We suggest that the definition should be linked to the planetary boundaries. We describe the case of Interface as an interesting and relevant illustration.

Responsible leaders and inclusive leadership

Responsible leaders and inclusive leadership
This contribution to SSIR focuses on the Compact for Responsible Business Leadership that was signed in 2017 at the World Economic Forum. It is an important step forward for corporations operating in a global society, but it needs reworking if it is to truly foster long-term societal value.

Teamwork and morality

Teamwork and morality
Jan de Leede and I wrote this article in the Journal of Business Ethics about the ethics of organising in two different contexts. The paper compares lean production and socio-technology.

Organizing ethics: a stakeholder debate

Organizing ethics: a stakeholder debate
This article in the Journal of Business Ethics summarizes the development of the stakeholder concept in the last decade. The academic debate has been dominated over the last ten years by the managerial version of the stakeholder concept. The case of Shell in Ogoniland is elaborated to demonstrate that the managerial version does not pay sufficient respect to other interpretations of the concept.
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