The Ethics of Organizational Transformation: Mergers, Takeovers, and Corporate Restructuring

(Hardback)

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This volume represents discussion and comments from a conference of academics, corporate executives, and federal officials examining the ethics of mergers, acquisitions, and takeovers. Topics addressed are timely considering the massive restructuring occurring in corporate America as well as the trend to more fully integrate ethics into business school curriculums. . . . This book provides a thought-provoking and wide-ranging survey of the issue of ethics in US business. Highly recommended. Choice This book seeks to relate ethical and philosophical considerations to the pragmatic concerns of business operation. Its audience is corporate executives and financial planners involved in mergers and takeovers. Business Information Alert In the wake of major insider trading scandals on Wall Street and serious debates over the benefits of corporate mergers and takeovers, ethics in business has become a topic of paramount importance--both in the corporate world itself and in the business school community. This volume presents a discussion by a distinguished group of corporate executives and academic specialists of the ethical issues involved in mergers, acquisitions, and takeovers. The result of a major conference sponsored by the Center for Business Ethics at Bentley College, the book seeks to relate ethical and philosophical considerations to the pragmatic concerns of business operation. In their provocative exploration of the issues involved, the contributors address such subjects as employee interests, stakeholder welfare, managerial ethics, the problem of insider trading, and more. Divided into five major sections, the volume begins with several chapters that offer an overview of ethical and moral issues in organizational transformations. The second section presents corporate, labor, and government views of the issues involved and includes chapters by Edward L. Hennessy, Jr. of Allied-Signal; Daniel W. Sherrick of the UAW; and David T. Scheffman of the Federal Trade Commission among others. In the following chapters, the contributors address ethical aspects of the strategies and tactics used to effect mergers and takeovers, paying particular attention to their impact on management and employee interests. Section Four presents some alternative approaches to corporate restructuring, while the final section includes actual case studies of the relationship between ethical issues and practical bottomline business concerns. Must reading for corporate executives and financial experts involved in the business of mergers and takeovers, this book is also an ideal supplemental text for graduate courses in business ethics.

Reviews

As the title states, these essays are concerned with the ethical side of the business world. The focus is primarily on mergers, acquisitions, and takeovers as seen through the eyes of both corporate executives and academic experts. Considering all the discussion of insider trading, etc., that appears in the news daily, this book should get a lot of use.-Library Journal
This book seeks to relate ethical and philosophical considerations to the pragmatic concerns of business operation. Its audience is corporate executives and financial planners involved in mergers and takeovers. In five sections, corporate executives and academic specialists discuss the ethical issues involved in mergers, acquisitions, and takeovers. Corporate, labor, and government views of the issues involved are presented after an overview section. In other chapters, the ethical aspects of the strategies and tactics used to effect mergers and takeovers are addressed. Here, particular attention is paid to the impact on management and employees. Section four presents some alternative approaches to corporate restructuring, while the final section includes case studies and analyses.-Business Information Alert
This volume represents discussion and comments from a conference of academics, corporate executives, and federal officials examining the ethics of mergers, acquisitions, and takeovers. Topics addressed are timely considering the massive restructuring occurring in corporate America as well as the trend to more fully integrate ethics into business school curriculums. The issues analyzed are extensive and involve significant controversy: employee interests, stockholders welfare, managerial ethics, insider trading, plant closings, corporate social responsibility, etc. The book is organized into five sections. Section 1 provides background to the ethical issues associated with these organizational transformations. The next section presents differing viewpoints of labor, management, and the government. In the third section, the ethical aspects of merger tactics and strategies are probed. In many ways, this section serves as the core of the volume, with its broad survey of the complex problems facing the merger participants. Section 4 describes alternative approaches, including proposals for restructuring labor and regulating corporate analysis. This book provides a thought-provoking and wide-ranging survey of the issue of ethics in US business. Highly recommended for both academic and corporate libraries-Choice
"As the title states, these essays are concerned with the ethical side of the business world. The focus is primarily on mergers, acquisitions, and takeovers as seen through the eyes of both corporate executives and academic experts. Considering all the discussion of insider trading, etc., that appears in the news daily, this book should get a lot of use."-Library Journal
"This book seeks to relate ethical and philosophical considerations to the pragmatic concerns of business operation. Its audience is corporate executives and financial planners involved in mergers and takeovers. In five sections, corporate executives and academic specialists discuss the ethical issues involved in mergers, acquisitions, and takeovers. Corporate, labor, and government views of the issues involved are presented after an overview section. In other chapters, the ethical aspects of the strategies and tactics used to effect mergers and takeovers are addressed. Here, particular attention is paid to the impact on management and employees. Section four presents some alternative approaches to corporate restructuring, while the final section includes case studies and analyses."-Business Information Alert
"This volume represents discussion and comments from a conference of academics, corporate executives, and federal officials examining the ethics of mergers, acquisitions, and takeovers. Topics addressed are timely considering the massive restructuring occurring in corporate America as well as the trend to more fully integrate ethics into business school curriculums. The issues analyzed are extensive and involve significant controversy: employee interests, stockholders welfare, managerial ethics, insider trading, plant closings, corporate social responsibility, etc. The book is organized into five sections. Section 1 provides background to the ethical issues associated with these organizational transformations. The next section presents differing viewpoints of labor, management, and the government. In the third section, the ethical aspects of merger tactics and strategies are probed. In many ways, this section serves as the core of the volume, with its broad survey of the complex problems facing the merger participants. Section 4 describes alternative approaches, including proposals for restructuring labor and regulating corporate analysis. This book provides a thought-provoking and wide-ranging survey of the issue of ethics in US business. Highly recommended for both academic and corporate libraries"-Choice

Author Bio

W. MICHAEL HOFFMAN is Professor of Philosophy, Chair of the Philosophy Department, and Director of the Center for Business Ethics, Bentley College. ROBERT FREDERICK is Assistant Professor of Philosophy and the Assistant Director of the Center for Business Ethics, Bentley College. EDWARD S. PETRY, JR., is Instructor of Philosophy at Bentley College and Clark University and the Research Associate for the Center for Business Ethics, Bentley College.