Call for Papers:State, Business, Stakeholders - Ethical Perspectives on Balancing Business and Public Interests
Published 03-15-05
Submitted by European Business Ethics Network
In global business new realities for embedding business in society arise. The process of liberalisation, the vacuum of political power on the one hand and the setting of social, ecological and cultural criteria on the other by Non-Governmental Organisations (NGO's) and a multitude of different stakeholder groups, have established a new global arena for balancing business interests and public goods.
For further details of the program structure and invited speakers please see www.eben2005.de
Given this horizon of challenges and new driving forces, the conference intends to analyse, exchange standpoints and develop ethical perspectives on interrelated levels:
Track I: Level of Companies
How can business interests and public goods (social and ecological standards, the primacy of politics, the common good, human rights) be balanced?
What examples of companies and empirical research on best practice should be supported and made widely known?
How are internationally operating SMEs involved in the process?
What examples of fruitful stakeholder dialogue are especially interesting? Which conflicts arise in stakeholder dialogue and how can it be improved?
What does "corporate citizenship" mean and imply beyond traditional approaches of corporate giving and volunteering?
Etc.
Track II: Political Level
What are new projects and experiences of balancing private and public responsibility?
What is the role of the state in a setting that is dominated by liberalized markets and transnational issues and problems?
What are the ethical dimensions of liberalisation?
What implications do recent EU-Policies have on the future of markets?
What is the actual reality of private public partnership (ppp)? What new set of responsibilities do arise for companies due to the lack of political power? Where are their limits?
Etc
.
Track III: Personal Level
What are the challenges in business ethics education, in business schools as well as in management and leadership development?
What role conflicts do exist between the individual as manager, citizen and family member and how can ethics help to their balance?
What are the leadership challenges in achieving an ethically sound business culture?
What leadership competences are required for ethical global business practise?
Etc.
Ethical, Socio-cultural Foundations
What is meant by basic categories such as interests, public goods, freedom, costs, etc.?
Does globalisation demand universal values and common standards? To what extent is socio-cultural diversity threatened by the new realities of common markets and agendas?
What are the intra-cultural and inter-cultural challenges with respect to the ethical and socio-cultural foundations of markets and business?
What are the challenges of consumerism in the newly emerging global players, e.g. China?
What is the role of (global) media?
Etc.
Teaching track papers are also encouraged. As usual, papers on recent research independent of the conference theme by EBEN members are welcome.
Contributions are invited as an abstract (1 page) or full paper in Word format (12-15 pages, 15-max.20 minutes in presentation) until March 31st, 2005 to the program committee via
Martin Buescher (chair)
Dr. Tatjana Chahoud, German Development Institute (GDI/DIE), Bonn
Prof. Dr. Hans De Geer, Stockholm School of Economics
Prof. Dr. Domingo Garcia, University of Castellon;
Prof. Dr. Dr.h.c. Klaus Leisinger, Novartis Foundation for Sustainable Development, Basel
Dr. Thomas Maak, University of St. Gallen, EBEN Executive Committee
Dr. Frank Simon, apetito AG, Rheine
Prof. Dr. Jacek Sojka, University of Poznan
PD Dr. Martin Büscher tel.: ++49 (0) 2371 / 352-170
Institute for Church and Society (Prot. Academy)/ University of St.Gallen
Berliner Platz 12
D - 58638 Iserlohn
email: m.buescher@kircheundgesellschaft.de or g.huckenbeck@kircheundgesellschaft.de Paper presenters will be entitled to a reduced conference fee. Information on the acceptance of papers will be given until May 15th, 2005.
