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Cybervetting has become common practice in personnel decision-making processes of organizations. While it represents a quick and inexpensive way of obtaining additional information on employees and applicants, it gives rise to a variety of legal and ethical concerns. To limit companies’ access to personal information, a right to be forgotten has been introduced by the European jurisprudence. By discussing the notion of forgetting from the perspective of French hermeneutic philosopher Paul Ricoeur, the present article demonstrates that both, companies and employees, would be harmed if access to online information on applicants and current employees would be denied. Consistent with a Humanistic Management approach that promotes human dignity and flourishing in the workplace, this article proposes guidance for the responsible handling of unpleasant online memories in personnel decision-making processes, thereby following Ricoeur’s notion of forgetting as “kept in reserve”. Enabling applicants and employees to take a qualified stand on their past is more beneficial to both sides than a right to be forgotten that is questionable in several respects.

Despite a large amount of assets under management and a strong influence on the sustainable investment movement, very little is known about what ethical investing looks like from a Christian perspective. We therefore analyzed the ethical investment policies of a unique dataset of Christian-influenced mutual fund providers using a structured–thematic content analysis. In detail, we looked at investment screens, investment techniques, and the public presentation of non-financial investment objectives. We note that, by and large, there is no “Christian investing” in the sense of an ethical investment policy that most fund providers have similarly implemented. The proposed explanation for the diversity is that the policies are determined by differing approaches to interpreting biblical texts and by divergent social and political influence factors. However, we have detected a unifying element among most Christians-influenced mutual fund providers: the intention to positively influence their portfolio companies’ sustainability indicators.

PurposeThis paper measures German customers' label-depending preference and willingness to pay for organic and local food.Design/methodology/approachThe sample covers 325 survey respondents from 12 out of the 16 German federal states. Data was collected through convenience sampling in December 2019. A choice-based conjoint analysis was operated.FindingsCustomers value local food from their federal state most, thereby accepting a price premium of no less than 200%. The label moderates the influence of organic production conditions on price acceptance significantly.Research limitations/implicationsBased on self-reported data from a convenience sample, the demographic distribution of the sample differs from that of the German population. Moreover, the willingness to pay was found to be product-specific, limiting general applicability.Practical implicationsMarketers should focus on local and local organic food in the assortment. Marketing strategies should include information campaigns. Producers may sell their products regionally or cooperate with local retailers. Introducing a separate official “local organic” label is suggested.Originality/valueThe study provides detailed evidence on the preference of German costumers and suggests a significantly higher willingness to pay for organic and local food than previous literatures.

In the late Middle Ages, the canonical prohibition of interest increasingly came into conflict with an ever more dynamic economic practice. The Ingolstadt based theology professor Johannes Eck is better known as Catholic opponent of Martin Luther; however, he also worked more strongly than his academic contemporaries against fundamentalist business ethics theories thereby actively searching public debate. Subsequently, he became forerunner and point of reference for academic theory, which is committed to the struggle of merchants and entrepreneurs to shape their forms of practice responsibly.

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the influences of smallholder farmers’ motivations, opportunities and abilities on their satisfactions of non-certified organic farming practices in Southern China based on the motivation–opportunity–ability (MOA) model. Design/methodology/approach The sample covers 314 smallholders from Nanning region in Southern China who have engaged in non-certified organic farming. Judgmental and convenient sampling are applied to collect data. Data analysis consists of confirmatory factor analysis, structural equation modelling and mediation test. Findings The results show opportunity as dominant impact factor of smallholder farmers’ satisfaction followed by motivation and ability. Also, their commitment to further non-certified organic farming is positively influenced by their satisfactory level. Mediation test reveals that satisfaction partially mediates the relationships between motivation, ability and commitment. Research limitations/implications First, due to the limited sample size in a single region, the findings cannot represent even Southern Chinese farmers as an entirety. Second, the study only limited itself in the scope of the MOA model. Practical implications Apart from providing updated empirical results for existing studies, this study also highlights the importance of farmer association, supporting scheme as well as the relevant training for the smallholder farmers to size the opportunities, promote their motivations and strengthen their abilities. Originality/value As little attention has been given to small-scale farmer who are involved in organic farming practice in China, this paper presents findings based on the MOA framework.

The Germany economic development after World War II represents a stunning success. Generally, its—in hindside rather astonishing—growth is attributed to the ‘Social market Economy’, the institutional system emerged from the disastrous experiences of the predatory Nazi regime. One of its less known but rather important elements is the participative practice of ‘indirect administration’, namely if public authority is delegated to self-administrative public governance mechanisms. The German chamber of industry and trade is endowed with obligatory membership of all business organisations of a certain region. As an elected representation of the business sector, it facilitates collective action for the provision of local public goods. The prestigious ‘Dual Vocational Education and Training (VET) system’ represents its most important achievement in this respect. Bringing about one of the lowest youth unemployment rates worldwide and contributing substantially to the global reputation of German industrial products, the dual VET system cannot be understood without reference to the chamber system and the network of participatory structures surrounding it. This chapter explains the history, organisational logic and legal foundation of the Chamber’s role in the system. Finally, it indicates how participatory self-governance shapes important decision-making processes in the German state structure in other ways as well.

Previous research has underlined the significance of practical wisdom pertaining to corporate sustainability (CS). Recent studies, however, have identified managing opposing but interlocked tensions related to environmental, social, and economic aspects as one of the most crucial future challenges in CS. Therefore, we apply the established link between wisdom and sustainability to the pressing topic of managing tensions in CS. We commence with a literature overview of tensions in sustainability management, which manifests our basic work assumption concerning the need for practical wisdom in CS. We then discuss the threefold, mutual interconnectedness between practical wisdom and tension management in CS, which we illustrate in a conceptual model. Thereafter, we develop a set of propositions on how a practical wisdom approach influences CS in practice and how it differs from a business-case approach. In recognition of the conceptual character of our paper, we conclude by outlining potential practical applications and theoretical implications of the model and of the propositions. Limitations and avenues for further research are discussed.

This paper portrays the contribution of Wilhelm Röpke (1899-1966) to business ethics and social responsibility of entrepreneurs. First, Röpke’s critique of liberalism and his concept of social market economy are emphasized. Afterward, we analyze the normative foundations of Röpke’s concept of the entrepreneur. He called for the moral responsibility of business actors and perceived it as “moral capital.” Moreover, we discuss the relevance of Röpke in the contemporary context of international business practice. Finally, the role of entrepreneurial morality for the emergence of institutional frameworks for international business is discussed.

The purpose of this study is to explore how the implementation of Responsible Supply Chain Management (RSCM) of SMEs as buyers in the international markets differs from the approach of MNCs. The study is based on a cross-sectional qualitative case-study research of ten German companies. We find compelling evidence to identify important size-related differences in key dimensions like competitive pressure, compliance, company ethos and personal motivation. Based on these findings a genuine company typology approach to RSCM is designed. Our research has significant implications as it compares strategic approaches and highlights through which practitioners from companies of different sizes apply to implementing RSCM.

In management literature, practical wisdom is increasingly perceived as a necessary resource for excellence in judgment. However, so far, little effort has been devoted to provide substantive guidance on how to apply practical wisdom into day-to-day managerial decision-making processes. In order to close this gap, we develop an item-based guideline for self-guided decision-making, which explores the specific aspects a practically wise decision-making process inherently entails. To do so, we introduce the concept of practical wisdom, highlight its recent adaptions in management, and draw a link to self-guided decision-making. Then, we explain our methodological framework and procedure. Based on these considerations, we develop the particular items by transdisciplinary unfolding and synthesizing the main dimensions and features of practical wisdom. Finally, we discuss suggestions of application, theoretical implications, limitations, and propose avenues for further research.

The ancient virtue of practical wisdom has lately been enjoying a remarkable renaissance in management literature. The purpose of this article is to add clarity and bring synergy to the interdisciplinary debate. In a review of the wide-ranging field of the existing literature from a philosophical, theological, psychological, and managerial perspective, we show that, although different in terms of approach, methodologies, and justification, the distinct traditions of research on practical wisdom can indeed complement one another. We suggest a conciliatory conception of the various features of practical wisdom in management. This we take as a point of departure for a discussion of the significant implications of the subject for the theory and practice of management and for the direction of further research in the field.

The dawning of the digitalization era has placed diversity into an entirely new light. Beyond the traditional cultural, age, and gender-specific sensitivities, “inter-creational” differences will require business leaders and HR managers to address the prospect of humans working together with artificial intelligence on a day-to-day basis. This essay demonstrates that practical wisdom as espoused by Aristotle is not only applicable to winning chariot races but drawing on modern fairy tales such as George Lucas’ Star Wars, shows its relevance to finding synergies in “inter-creational” teams in SMEs, and challenges businesses to design a suitable environment for realizing their potential.

Happiness is attained by realizing one’s potential as a human being through social interaction, the harmonization of the intellect and the emotions, the application of moral values, and the fulfilment of public and private duties.

Cultural values and social capital are important parts of the context that determines countries’ innovation performance (and, hence, economic development). This paper investigates the culture–innovation relationship in a European context, as well as the mediating role of the national-level trust in this connection. Data are used to test the hypotheses that a country’s innovation performance is influenced by its cultural value emphases and societal trust, and that the culture–innovation relationship is mediated by societal trust. Based on data from the Global Innovation Index and the European Social Survey covering 27 European countries, we find that innovation at the country level is positively correlated with the level of societal trust and with three cultural value dimensions: “Autonomy versus Embeddedness”, “Egalitarianism versus Hierarchy”, and “Harmony versus Mastery”. A multivariate SEM analysis reveals that when “Autonomy versus Embeddedness” is controlled, the two other cultural value dimensions are no longer significant. Further, a SEM path analysis confirms that the relationship between cultural values and innovation performances is completely mediated through the level of trust in a society. Overall, “Autonomy versus Embeddedness” has a stronger total effect than societal trust on a country’s innovation performance, but most of this effect is indirect, mediated through societal trust. Implications of our findings for the corporate level (i.e., entrepreneurs and managers) as well as for the institutional settings (i.e., policy makers) are discussed. It is suggested that for successful innovation to blossom, the actors on both levels should aim at strengthening the cultural emphasis on individual autonomy, institutional integrity and mutual trust.

Implementing sustainable policies in supply chains is a significant challenge for businesses. Recent evidence has shown that failure to manage supply chains responsibly can have significant impacts on firms' reputation and financial performance. In this paper, we develop a conceptual framework, which focuses on organizational learning, and outline specific channels through which firms can generate learning processes and build appropriate capabilities to successfully implement social and environmental supply chain policies. Drawing on 57 in-depth interviews from a cross-sectional sample of seven UK and nine German companies, we empirically assess our conceptual framework in accordance with a grounded, in-depth case study analysis approach. We find compelling evidence to suggest that organizational learning is an important factor for a successful implementation of sustainable supply chain management. Organizational learning is often established as a result of training, knowledge acquisition, stakeholder engagement and collaboration between intra-organizational and inter-organizational partners, including suppliers and NGOs. Nonetheless, our results also emphasize that firms often have few systematic processes through which organizational learning is developed, and that such learning processes are often ad hoc at best, which in turn has significant implications for the responsible supply chain practices. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment

The structure between economic, social and environmental dimensions has to be rebuilt and rebalanced since China has been entering an accelerative transforming period. CSR is perceived as an effective way to achieve sustainable development, and regime actors’ engagement in CSR practices is essential and influential. We thereby evaluate the engaging extent of large enterprises and main industries in CSR practices. Also, the role of ownership in CSR practices is revealed.

The tradition of Catholic social thought (CST) has been of crucial importance for the development of “Rhenish Capitalism” and “Social Market Economy” in Europe. However, its origins and basic principles have no longer been much remembered, recently. This essay describes the emergence of CST in the context of industrialization, which also represents a source of major cultural transformations. After a brief overview on the pre-modern Jewish-Christian social tradition, 19th century schools of thought like Social romanticism and secular modernism are characterized as reactions towards the intellectual challenge of industrialization. Taking that background into account, the path-breaking role of Christian entrepreneurs like Leon Harmel (France) and Franz Brandts (Germany) becomes obvious. Their practically wise engagement and exemplary leadership paved the way towards a new paradigm of (Christian) social ethics. Moreover, their ample civic engagement strongly influenced contemporary discussions in church and society—thereby fostering the emergence a genuine Central European business culture. Being exposed to a completely new socio-economic environment, they nevertheless struggled to live up to their values. Beyond reducing it to Papal documents, CST rather emerged from the innovative social and economic practice of believing Christians. Their innovative practical wisdom succeeded to “inculturate” the faith: a program, which was described by theologians only a century later. Looking ahead, the emergence of CST as one of the most important wisdom traditions may serve as a blueprint for other spiritual and religious traditions confronted with industrialization as well.

In this article we consider how the virtue of practical wisdom (prudence) rooted in the Aristotelian philosophy helps to develop a value-based media management in today’s age of digitalization. We argue that the integrative and the normative dimension of practical wisdom contribute to a wisdom-based, multi-dimensional perspective of media management which might counteract the information-based, one-dimensional perspective of a digital rationality. We proceed, first, by identifying the main challenges for value-based media management in the age of digitalization. Second, we introduce the concept of practical wisdom recently rediscovered and adapted in economics and explore its transformative potential for management practice. Finally, we conclude by suggesting the scope of possible applications.

2009 begann an der Katholischen Universitat Eichstatt-Ingolstadt (KU) eine koordinierte mehrjahrige Forschung zu den zentralen Themen Nachhaltigkeit, Migration und Bildung. Die institutionelle Form der Forschung waren Graduiertenkollegs. Mit diesem Band werden die Ergebnisse des Graduiertenkollegs „Nachhaltigkeit in Wirtschaft , Umwelt und Gesellschaft “ vorgelegt. Naturgemas dominieren die Beitrage der Stipendiat_innen, die die Ergebnisse ihrer Forschung in dieser gesammelten Form vorlegen. Der einleitende Beitrag der Projektleiter_innen problematisiert im ersten Kapitel den Begriff der Nachhaltigkeit anhand verschiedener Vorstellungen inter- und transdisziplinarer Zusammenarbeit. Im zweiten Kapitel wird die Forschungslage zur Nachhaltigkeit in den beteiligten Disziplinen resumiert. Das dritte Kapitel spricht ausblickend Konzepte an, die nach praktikablen alternativen Modellen okonomischen und sozialen Austauschs fragen und dabei auf konkrete Beispiele fur eine tatsachlich mogliche Nachhaltigkeit hinweisen.

The role of the institutional context in the pattern of the implementation of responsible procurement management (RPM) has been object of very limited previous research, although it has been found that it affects the approach to both CSR and supply chain management. The article presents the results of an in-depth comparative study drawing on 47 interviews with managers of 13 companies in Italy and Germany, which have been previously related to different national institutional settings. The analysis demonstrates that the perception of factors influencing RPM implementation differs between Italian and German companies, and suggests that the institutional context affects not only the overall CSR behavior of the company, but also its institutionalization into a specific function. Results show that the institutional context mainly determines the boundaries within which practitioners are able to operate, whereas the ability to effectively bring about changes in their activity mainly depends upon organizational environment. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment

Multiple strains of research are currently claiming to bring back normative perspectives into business analysis. In line with a series of publications from different disciplines we refer to the traditional concept of Practical Wisdom for that purpose but link it substantially with narrations from religious and spiritual traditions. Aware of potential resistance against such a project we discuss some basic objections, which might be provoked inside of the business education community. Critics question religious and spiritual traditions as such but also their relevance for modern business practice. Referring to to Paul Ricoeur’s concept of metaphorical language we critically sketch a practical wisdom-based approach that employs religious and spiritual traditions as point of reference for responsible management practices but avoids the trap of fundamentalism or normative reductionism. Finally, we will conclude by suggesting the scope of possible applications and the direction of further research.

The contributions in this volume in multiple ways represent an innovative approach towards a more integrated concept of business education. ‘Practical Wisdom’—basically reflected by the Greek philosopher Aristotle (2004)—served as the crucial point of reference of Western medieval and early modern moral educational philosophy. For centuries not only in the West but in cultural traditions all over the World, the personal character of leaders has been formed in the context of spiritual and religious traditions (Bay et al. 2010; Dyck 2012; Tracey 2012; Tracey et al. 2014; Weaver and Agle 2002; Zinbarg 2001). Thus, spiritual traditions served as cultural capital for handing over basic normative orientations throughout history. The goal of chasing Practical Wisdom connected knowledge acquisition with personal fulfillment (Naughton et al. 2010; Lenssen et al. 2012). Only with the advent of Enlightenment philosophy had Practical Wisdom lost its role as an integrating educational concept and was gradually replaced by Human reason (Bachmann et al. 2014). During this process, Practical Wisdom saw itself reduced to a term describing merely technical skills. Ultimately towards the modern age, spiritual contents are gradually suppressed from Leadership education (King 2008; Roca 2008).

Referring to the hermeneutical concept of Paul Ricoeur, in what follows, we prepare the ground for the empowerment and inculturation of spiritual wisdom traditions into contemporary business culture and management practice. Addressing a lack of normative orientation and professional ethos in the global business world of the twenty-first century we will proceed by discussing the (mostly implicit) reasons for the systematic sidelining of cultural roots, spiritual beliefs, and intrinsic motivation by mainstream economic paradigms. Moreover, in disproving objections we sketch a Practical Wisdom-based approach that employs spiritual traditions as point of reference for values-based management practices. For that purpose we develop a methodological framework by adapting Paul Ricoeur’s concept of metaphorical language including concrete, application-oriented criteria. Finally, we will conclude by suggesting the scope of possible applications and the direction of further research.

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of the special issue on practical wisdom for management from the Islamic traditions.Design/methodology/approachThe guest editorial introduces the papers in this special issue, focusing on practical wisdom for management from the Islamic tradition.FindingsUsing multiple levels of analysis as well as both academic and practitioner‐oriented perspectives, this special issue demonstrates that the Islamic tradition offers valuable practical wisdom insights in multiple areas including leadership, human resource management, action learning, knowledge transfer and business ethics.Originality/valueThis issue represents the first exploratory contribution to the research on practical wisdom from the Islamic tradition, opening a new focus of research and contributing to management development.

Purpose – The purpose of this issue is to provide an overview of the special issue on practical wisdom for management from the Jewish traditions.Design/methodology/approach – The guest editorial introduces the papers in this special issue, focusing in practical wisdom for management from the Jewish traditions.Findings – The question on the relationship between the Jewish tradition and practical wisdom for management is answered in two different ways: first, providing a particular Jewish answer to managerial problems and second, presenting how Judaism can be a field of reflection learning for managerial praxis at both organizational and individual level.Originality/value – The paper shows that the special issue offers insights into the value of practical wisdom of the Jewish traditions, from two particular points of view, as a guide for action and as an ethical approach to management.

PurposeCorporate compliance practices are often “coercively” structured, coined by a legal discourse and derived from individualist normative concepts. Drawing on the “logic of the Decalogue”, the purpose of this paper is to design an “enabling” approach based on a covenantal logic present within the Decalogue.Design/methodology/approachThe approach is interdisciplinary analysis summarizing exegetical, social science and business literature.FindingsWithin a covenantal and transcendental perspective, a morally literate community of employees, which have learned to reflect upon their responsibility, form the basis for compliance arrangements. They form a necessary complementary element of functional compliance systems.Practical implicationsThe covenantal logic of the Decalogue can orientate the formulation of corporate compliance programs, which intend to follow an “enabling” approach. Normative claims should be rooted in an analysis of responsibilities towards relevant stakeholder groups. The potential of “spiritual capital” should be taken into consideration.Originality/valueReflecting one of the oldest ethical documents of human civilisation in the context of the contemporary management discussion on “coercive versus enabling control”, the orientating role of practical wisdom from the Jewish tradition becomes tangible.

PurposeThis paper aims to provide an overview of this special issue.Design/methodology/approachThe guest editorial introduces the papers in this special issue, focusing on practical wisdom for management from the Chinese classical traditions.FindingsChinese culture increasingly will permeate international culture and move from peripheral to mainstream status. To ignore this in management education would be a grave oversight.Originality/valueThe issue offers insights into the value of practical wisdom from Confucianism, the origins of Chinese classical trditions and Daoism, and the various streams of thought within the classical Chinese traditions and their contemporary relevance.

PurposeThe notion of compassion is a cornerstone in Chinese as well as western orientations for business practice. Spiritual and religious traditions, philosophical approaches and historical and present business practices outline this notion in a comparative perspective. This paper seeks to address this issue.Design/methodology/approachInterdisciplinary paper, summarizing social science, philosophical and business literature.FindingsWith its focus on compassion, business ethics in the Chinese tradition highlights a notion, which variously resonates within western traditions. Based on this, multiple lines or thought consequences for management development are derived.Practical implicationsIn terms of management development the call for compassionate management can be held as a common denominator of different traditions. Therefore, it will be important to include this aspect in our management development, cultural management as well as international strategy courses.Originality/valueIn a broad interreligious and intercultural overview some basic characteristics of compassionate management can be identified.

The Encyclical-Letter Caritas in Veritate by Pope Benedict XVI suggests to advance towards a new conceptualization of the tenuous relationship between economics and ethics, proposing a “new humanistic synthesis.” Where social encyclicals have traditionally justified policy proposals by natural law and theological reasoning alone, Caritas in Veritate gives great relevance to economic arguments. The encyclical defines the framework for a new business ethics which appreciates allocative and distributive efficiency, and thus both markets and institutions as improving the human condition, but locates their source and reason outside the economic sphere. It places a clear accent on the ontological connectedness of the economic and ethical dimensions of human action. It is the proper ordering of means towards the end of integral human development that allows mankind to leave a vicious circle of consumerism and enter a virtuous circle that applies the creativity fostered by markets. This vision implies a new model of business management that integrates considerations of vocation, purpose, and values at a theological level.

Purpose – This paper aims to indicate how practical wisdom in the western Christian tradition may be introduced into management development. Following recent documents of Catholic social thought, three roads to go are indicated especially concerning: management practice, management education, and the managerial reason.Design/methodology/approach – This is an interdisciplinary paper summarizing economic, philosophical, and business literature.Findings – In his recent social encyclical Caritas in veritate Pope Benedict XVI criticizes a dominating approach of economic thinking that neglects practical wisdom in management. The authors indicate three roads of seasoning management practice with practical wisdom: integrating charity in management theory and practice (by spelling out the economic relevance of reciprocity and gratuitousness for economic theory and for managerial decision making), enriching business school experience (by deepening elements of voluntary engagement and interdisciplinary education) an...

PurposeThis paper aims to focus on business education, which should not exclude strains of religious ethical traditions, e.g. Catholic social thought, and the practical wisdom embodied in them.Design/methodology/approachRecent traditions of social Catholicism starting from the Papal Social Message Rerum Novarum (1891) are summarized. Consequences for management development are drawn.FindingsThe recent tradition of social Catholicism developed as a result of a broad cultural process of adaptation of Christians to the emerging social context of a modern society. New types of ethical orientation have been developed, sometimes in strong opposition to contemporary ideological concepts such as socialism, materialism, or elitist capitalism. Even in the globalized environment of the twenty‐first century these orientations are of continuing relevance, e.g. in organizational behavior, in business and society relations, and in basic concepts of corporate responsibility.Practical implicationsReligious ethical traditions embody elements of “practical wisdom” that are threatened by extinction in the global practice of management development. The current financial and economic crisis – also addressed in a recent document of Pope Benedict XVI – should also be perceived in that perspective.Originality/valueA business ethics evaluation of Social Catholicism and its practical wisdom is executed.

Socially responsible business and ethical behaviour of companies have been of interest to academia and practice for decades. But the focus has almost exclusively been on large corporations while small- and medium-sized enterprises (SME) have not received as much attention. Thus, this paper focuses on socially responsible business practices of SME entrepreneurs or owner–managers in Germany. Based on the assumption that decision-makers in SMEs are the central point where all business activities start, members of a German entrepreneurs association were approached in the course of a qualitative and quantitative survey. They were asked to assess in what way their social responsibility is expressed in specific management practices towards selected stakeholder groups. These practices in turn were assumed to result in perceived positive reactions of the respective stakeholders and subsequently to positively influence the firm's financial performance, i.e. cost reductions and increase in profits. In the paper, a research model is presented that elaborates the relationship between an SME executive's social responsibility and the value creation of a firm, i.e. whether (personal) values create (economic) value. It was found that socially responsible management practices towards employees, customers and to a lesser extent society have a positive impact on the firm and its performance. As such, values can create additional value.

Vor dem Hintergrund aktueller gesellschaftlicher Fragestellungen wie Globalisierung, Klimawandel und Finanzkrise wird vermehrt auch grundsätzliche Kritik an der Wertschöpfung von Unternehmen laut. Um Glaubwürdigkeit und Vertrauen in verantwortungsvolles Unternehmenshandeln zurückzugewinnen, sind nachhaltige Geschäftsmodelle unabdingbar. Der Arbeitskreis "Nachhaltige Unternehmensführung" der Schmalenbach-Gesellschaft für Betriebswirtschaft e.V. bietet Ihnen prägnante und praxisorientierte Grundsätze für das wirksame Einbinden der Nachhaltigkeit in betriebliche Entscheidungsprozesse. Erfahren Sie in dieser 2. Auflage des viel beachteten Buchs, wie sich eine nachhaltige Führungskultur überzeugend als unternehmerisches Erfolgsprinzip beweist – sowohl in kapitalmarktorientierten als auch in familiengeführten, mittelständischen und öffentlichen Unternehmen.

"Social capital" can be considered to be the product of co-operationbetween various institutions, networks and business partners. It haspotential as a useful tool for business ethics. In this article weidentify categories pertinent to the measurement of social capital insmall and medium sized enterprises (SMEs). By drawing on three differentsectors, one business-to-business service, one business-to-customerservice, and one manufacturing, we have enabled the consideration ofsectoral differences. We find sector to play an important part inrelation to business practices and social capital. Our inclusion of SMEsfrom Germany and the United Kingdom has called attention to cultural,institutional and economic aspects of two regions of Europe and how theycan influence SME social capital. Social capital is found to beinfluenced by context and, in particular, institutional arrangements. Inanalysing the data we note particular areas of interest from the pointof view of SMEs and social capital as being: formal engagement,networking within sectors, networking across sectors, volunteerism andgiving to charity, and finally a focus on why people engage. We concludethat there is a considerable amount of further research needed on socialcapital, SME's and business ethics.