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Integrating Pragmatism and Ethics in Entrepreneurial Leadership for Sustainable Value Creation

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Abstract

The relationship between entrepreneurship and ethics has largely been characterized as antithetical. In this article we develop a conceptual model integrating pragmatism, a philosophical approach that emphasizes experimentation and action characteristic of entrepreneurial leadership, with ethics to suggest that the two are not incompatible and that sustaining entrepreneurial leadership for value creation necessitates ethical action to build legitimacy. Case studies from the United States and India highlight the necessity of infusing pragmatism with ethics for sustainable entrepreneurial leadership.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Management, Marketing and Decision Sciences, School of Business, Adelphi University, Hagedorn Hall, Room 307A, One South Avenue, Garden City, NY, 11530, U.S.A.

    Gita Surie & Allan Ashley

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  1. Gita Surie
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  2. Allan Ashley
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Correspondence to Gita Surie.

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Surie, G., Ashley, A. Integrating Pragmatism and Ethics in Entrepreneurial Leadership for Sustainable Value Creation. J Bus Ethics 81, 235–246 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-007-9491-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-007-9491-4

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