Virtuosity in Business - by Kevin T Jackson (Hardcover)

About the Book

Virtuosity in Business shows how ethics is crucial to every aspect of business. The book applies the philosophical concept of virtue to the competitive realm of the marketplace, and argues that ethical firms are guided by the invisible law of virtuosity, which discourages misconduct and rewards good corporate citizenship.

Book Synopsis

The recent global financial crisis raises pressing issues that are not exclusively economic. The health of the economy, Kevin T. Jackson contends, reflects the moral health of the wider culture: ethics must be considered along with economics to understand world markets, especially now that globalization and other forces have increasingly complicated the regulation of transnational corporate conduct. Virtuosity in Business calls on businesspeople and ethicists to expand their thinking by stressing the profound relevance of philosophy to business and economics.

Virtuosity in Business shows that ethics has been the overriding problem for business and that it is the only enduring solution. Drawing on a variety of philosophical sources, including Aristotle, Thomas Aquinas, and Jean-Paul Sartre, Jackson applies the concept of virtue to the competitive realm of the marketplace. Virtuosity, in all realms of human endeavor, is not merely a display of technical skill or adherence to conventional norms. The invisible law of virtuosity, which discourages misconduct and rewards good corporate citizenship, guides ethical firms and wise entrepreneurs toward greater success by playing a constructive part in the human enterprise.

A pioneering work in the contemporary philosophy of business, Virtuosity in Business revivifies business ethics to address concerns arising from the global financial crisis, such as restoration of faith in the market, respect for human rights, and environmental sustainability.

Review Quotes

"Virtuosity in Business is an important book, particularly in today's troubled economy. Kevin Jackson successfully presents a model for the importance of ethics in business that integrates economics and ethics. Value creation becomes a ubiquitous term that inexorably ties these two seemingly separate modes of thinking together so that virtuosity in business inevitably entails virtue and a commitment to moral standards. A must read."-- "Patricia H. Werhane, Institute for Business and Professional Ethics at DePaul University"

"A valuable contribution to a broader, deeper, and more systematic conception of business ethics. Jackson's emphasis on virtuosity rightly makes the point that business needs to be, and to be seen as, a noble activity."-- "Georges Enderle, University of Notre Dame"

About the Author

Kevin T. Jackson is Professor of Business Ethics at Fordham University School of Business and the author of Building Reputational Capital: Strategies for Integrity and Fair Play That Improve the Bottom Line.