Ethics of change

1
Ethics of change

• Innovation, change, decision-making in
  international organisations
• SoSe 2004, Prof. Dr. Beneke
• Faye Surayan
• Tanja Mackensen
• Wiebke Keuneke

2
Ethics of Change

• Ethics and Philosophy
• Ethics and Innovation
• Ethics and Entrepreneurship
• Ethics and Culture

3
Ethics and Philosophy Plato

• the good
• virtuous habits of behaviour
• mental powers
• ideal society
• Criticism
• absolutism
• Aristotles (348-322 BC) Doctrine of the Mean.

4
Ethics and Philosophy Aristotle

• The good life for man is a life of happiness.
• to achieve happiness, men must act moderately
• virtues of moderation
• the golden mean courage, liberality, pride
• Criticism
• Cases of telling the truth or keeping a promise

5
Ethics and PhilosophyEpicurus

• Hedonism
• pleasure is the sole good
• dynamic pleasures vs. passive pleasures
• Criticism
• Doing as one pleases World of Chaos

6
Ethics and PhilosophyBentham Mill

• Utilitarianism Principle of Utility
• Many parallels towards the idea of democracy
• -gt each man counts equally before the law
• -gt rule by the majority
• Criticism
• some people are inherently more important than
  others, and that their happiness or unhappiness
  counts more than that of the average man
  (Nietzsche)

7
Ethics and PhilosophyKant

• presence of an obligation ones duty
• absence of an obligation matter of inclination
• Categorical Imperative
• one should always act as if every action were to
  become a universal law
• Criticism
• neglected the conflict of duties

8
Ethics applied
Computer science
?
Artificial intelligence
?
Genetic engineering
Nuclear energy
?
Stemcell research
Euthanasia
?
?
9
Ethics and Innovation I

• Schumpeter, Joseph A. (1883-1950)
• Innovations new combinations that
• devalue/degrade older combinations and
• replace them
• creative destruction

10
Ethics and Innovation I

• Schumpeters Unternehmer
• a leader (Führerschaft) in the field of
  economics
• Someone carries out new combinations
• decision maker
• Motivations Power Influence rather than duties
  (Siegerwillen, Erfolghabenwollen)

11
Ethics and Innovation I

• Schumpeters Unternehmer
• What are the consequences of carrying out new
  combinations and creative destruction?
• Who is affected by the consequences?
• Criticism on Schumpeter Ethical questions are
  not
• mentioned

12
Ethics and Innovation II

• Ethics A hindrance for innovations
• vs.
• Ethics A motivator for innovations

13
Ethics and Entrepreneurship

• Ethical skills knowledge practise
• Influence on innovative
• entrepreneurship
• Economical performance of an achievement-oriented
  society

14
Ethics and Entrepreneurship

• Different statements to those questions
• Daoists Finding the way (dao) by indefatigable
  practise
• Aristotle Gap between knowledge and action
• NietzscheDer Moralität geht der Zwang voraus,
  ja sie selber ist noch eine Zeitlang Zwang, dem
  man sich, zur Vermeidung der Unlust, fügt. Später
  wird sie Sitte, noch später freier Gehorsam.

15
Ethics and Entrepreneurship

• Two faces of ethical practise
• Explicit ethics
• norms, rights, laws
• Implicit ethics
• private ethics, virtues, reflections about
  moral
• What kind of person do I want to be?

16
Ethics and Entrepreneurship
Entrepreneurial actions
Competence- Virtue
Motivation- environment
Rights- Morals/laws
Ethics
17
Test

• Do you think it is okay to evade taxes?
• Having insider information, would you consider
  doing stock exchange business?
• (staying 100 anonymous)
• As the CEO of a company, would you accept a
  hundredfold salary than a normal employee earns?
• Your company wants to release a new product that
  would drive your competitor bankrupt and leaves a
  lot of people unemployed,
• To do or not to do?

18
Ethics and Culture I

• Klon des Erfolgs
• Stemcell research in Asia
• Private sponsors, Donation of eggcells
• Korea 3 of the Gross Domestic Product for
  education and research
• Liberal laws concerning research
• Asian Ethics of Medicine Healths of patients
  value more than the embryos
• Die haben keine Hemmungen vor neuen
  Technologien , Die sind hoch innovativ

19
Ethics and Culture II

• Openness towards innovation
• Example Asian Countries
• Values behind the openness
• Confucius knowledge as the highest good
• Cultural Dimensions
• Collectivism vs. Individualism
• High Context vs. Low Context Societies

20
Ethics and Culture III

• 10 commandments
• Human rights
• Ethikrat des Bundestages
• European Group on Ethics of Sciences and New
  Technologies (European Commission)
• World Commission on Ethics of Sciences and New
  Technologies (COMEST)

21
Ethics and Discussion

• Do you think it is possible at all to have
  universal/global ethics/morals/values in the form
  of rules?

22
Ethics and End

• Thank you very much for your attention and
  participation!

23
Bibliography

• Comission of the European Commmunities,
  Commission Working Document Science, Society and
  the citizen in Europe, Brussels (14.11.2000)
• URL http//europa.eu.int/comm/research/area/scie
  nce-society-en.pdf (23.Juli 2004)
• Hall, Edward T. The Dance of Life, Anchor
  Books, New York (1983)
• Hofstede, Geert Cultures and Organiszations,
  HarperCollinsBusiness, London (1994)
• Lenk, Hans (Hrsg.)Wissenschaft und Ethik,
  Reclam, Stuttgart (1991)
• Leube, Kurt R. (Hrsg.) The Essence of J.A.
  Schumpeter Die wesentlichen Texte, MANZ, Wien
  (1996)
• Precht, Folkert Nachhaltige Entwicklung,
  Wissenschaftsethik und Gestaltung des sozialen
  Wandels aus unesco heute online, Ausgabe 11-12,
  November / Dezember 2003
• URL http//www.unesco-heute.de/1103/gksc.htm
  (30. Mai 2004)
• Röpke, Jochen Der ethische Unternehmer Ethik
  und Innovation in einer unternehmerischen
  Wissensgesellschaft
• URLhttp//www.wiwi.uni-marburg.de/Lehrstuehle/VW
  L/WITHE03/documents/unternehm.pdf (24.März. 2004)
• Sentker, Andreas Klon des Erfolgs, DIE ZEIT
  Nr.9 (19.Februar 2004)
• Weber, Susanne Innovation und schöpferische
  Zerstörung, Fragen zu einem Leitbegriff moderner
  ökonomischer Strategien
• URL http//www.fernuni-hagen.de/PRPH/webinn.pdf
  (28. Mai. 2004)