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The Status of Contemporary Business Ethics Research: Present and Future

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Abstract

This study provides a general overview of contemporary business ethics research of the last 10 years (1997–2006) and discusses potential future research directions in business ethics based on the overview. Using citation and co-citation analysis, this study examined the citation data of journal articles, books, and other publications collected in the Social Sciences Citation Index (SSCI), wherein key research themes in business ethics studies in 1997–2006 and correlations between these themes were explored. The results show that major research themes in business ethics have shifted in the last decade from research on ethical decision making and on the relationship between corporate social responsibility and corporate performance to research on stakeholder theory in business ethics and on the relationship between consumer behavior and corporate social responsibility. The results of this study help map the invisible network of knowledge production in business ethics research and provide important insights on future business ethics research.

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Acknowledgment

Zhenzhong Ma is grateful to Kuo-Hsun Yu, Chang Jung Christian University for his assistance in data collection and analysis.

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  1. Odette School of Business, University of Windsor, 401 Sunset Ave, Windsor, ON, N9B 3P4, Canada

    Zhenzhong Ma

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  1. Zhenzhong Ma
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Correspondence to Zhenzhong Ma.

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Ma, Z. The Status of Contemporary Business Ethics Research: Present and Future. J Bus Ethics 90 (Suppl 3), 255–265 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-010-0420-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-010-0420-6

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