Corporate social responsibility and codes of conduct : the noo-ethical perspective

Abstract

The need for Codes of Conduct, which is a self-imposed ethical guidance for businesses, is a spin-off of the larger issue of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). The latter gains significance with every passing day in view of the challenges and opportunities posed by sustainable development and the three fundamental pillars it is based on: the generation of economic wealth, environmental unprovement and social responsibility. It was no other than Kofi Annan who has voiced, back in 1999, the heavy burden of an ethical choice faced by the global business community: 'lVe have to choose between a global market driven by calculation of short-term profit, and one which has a human face. Between a world which condemns a quarter of the human race to starvation and squalor, and one which offers everyone at least a chance o prosperity, in a healthy environment. Between a selfish free-for-all in which we ignore the fate of the losers and a future in which the strong and successful accept their responsibilities, showing global vision and leadership.'