When I think about ethics, I think about doing “unto to others as you would have others do unto you” and then doing the right thing with respect and integrity. Business Ethics for Dummies is written to show us how to consistently reinforce these ethical principles in our daily business dealings.

When you think about it, shouldn’t business ethics be based on courtesy, consideration and common sense? Why then do we need a book to show us right from wrong? Obviously, in today’s business world we need some reminders and lessons about professional ethics. During the last decade of fraud, Ponzi schemes and jailed CEO’s, it seems the business world may need a lesson or two about right and wrong.

The authors Norman Bowie, a business ethics scholar, and Meg Schneider make a good point: “Ethics is about what we should do, not just what we can do.” Business Ethics for Dummies is about (1) Discovering, (2) Exploring, (3) Looking at Corporate Citizenship, and (4) Applying 21st Century business ethics to all our day-to-day business dealings. The authors also believe that all businesses, from large corporations or small mom and pop operations, need to be more accountable and responsible in their ethical dealings and professional behaviors.

Business Ethics for Dummies covers ethics in these areas:
·Religion
·Conflict of interest
·Marketing
·Public Relations
·Discrimination, privacy and safety
·Social responsibility
·Ethics in the 21st Century

I particularly appreciated the “real world” examples that were peppered throughout the book. My favorite chapter, without a doubt, was Chapter 21 – The Ten Universal Ethical Guideposts.

Here’s a caveat: This is not a quick read. This is a good "beginners" guide because Business Ethics for Dummies contains a broad overview of business ethics. Unless you are taking a business course, or preparing to step into management, I believe you’ll find this book most useful by picking and choosing those areas relevant to you and your career.

This book is a good basic ethics reference and go-to guide. I found Business Ethics for Dummies difficult to "just read." Honestly, I’ll need a specific reason or purpose for wanting to study this book in greater detail.

I’ll repeat, it is a well-written basic go-to resource for a specific ethical need or question. If you are in management and know you're going to be faced with ethical issues, then this is very good tool to have near you on your desk or business reference bookshelf.

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Sharon Recommends:

Here is an offsite link to Amazon.com if you’d like to read more about Business Ethics for Business or to purchase it: Business Ethics For Dummies (For Dummies (Business & Personal Finance))


You may prefer to read this book on Kindle: Business Ethics For Dummies (For Dummies (Business & Personal Finance))


Disclosure: I was given this book to read and review. All reviews are solely mine. As an affiliate of Amazon.com I will get paid on any purchase of this product from the links within this article.