internet resources Anita Cannon Business ethics From oxymoron to defining issue of 21st-century business usiness ethics is not a new concept, but professional organizations and associations, Bsince the Enron and WorldCom scandals resources, and centers. Access: http://www. of 2002, more attention has been paid to web­miner.com/busethics.htm. ethics in business (or the lack thereof) than • BusinessEthics.ca: The Canadian ever before. Although minor changes were Resource for Business Ethics. Adminis­ subsequently legislated regarding corporate tered by Chris governance, disclosure and accounting pro­ MacDonald, a cedures, it has been generally recognized that philosophy pro­ business ethics is more than compliance with fessor at Saint the law and requires a major shift in corporate Mary’s Univer­ culture. Business ethics now means conduct­ sity in Canada, ing all aspects of business and dealing with this site provides all stakeholders (employees, partners, clients, links to Canadian and international busi­ shareholders, suppliers, the communities, ness ethics organizations, case studies, and natural environments in which busi­ articles, and consultants. It is part of his nesses operate), in an ethical manner. The larger EthicsWeb.ca site, which links to broad term business ethics thus includes the other ethics­related sites. Access: http://www. concepts of corporate social responsibility businessethics.ca/. (CSR), corporate sustainability, and corporate • CSR Directory. Available on the citizenship. CSRwire Web site, this directory provides con­ Since a separate article could cover ethics tact information and links to more than 1,000 in each area of business practice (account­ organizations concerned with CSR, searchable ing, human resources, marketing, etc.), the by organization name, type, contact name, resources selected here are some of the best and location. Also on the CSRwire site are general sites with an international focus and corporate CSR reports, news releases, job op­ significant free content of interest to students, portunities, and events. Access: http://www. researchers, practitioners, and the general csrwire.com/directory/. public. Informational sites Gateway sites These sites by nonprofit organizations go These sites provide mainly links to online beyond lists of links to provide signifi cant resources in business ethics. free content, such as background information, • Business Ethics. Created by Librarian practical tips, etc. Sharon Stoerger, this starting point, although not recently updated, still provides useful Anita Cannon is a reference librarian and subject annotated links to business ethics resources specialist for business at Mount Allison University in New Brunswick, Canada, e-mail: [email protected] organized by type: articles and publications, case studies, corporate codes of ethics, © 2006 Anita Cannon June 2006 367 C&RL News • Business & Human Rights Resource links to other ethics sites, articles, books, and Centre. This is an independent, international, other publications on organizational ethics, nonprofit organization—in partnership with including the ERC newsletter “Ethics Today” Amnesty International and academic institu­ and summaries of ERC’s most well­known tions—working to promote greater awareness research project, the National Business Eth­ of issues relating to business and human ics Survey, which examines workplace eth­ rights. The site has information on thousands ics from the employee’s perspective. Access: of companies, more than 160 countries, and http://www.ethics.org/. 150 issues. It links to thousands of publica­ • European Corporate Governance tions, reports, and guides, including reports of Institute (ECGI). An international nonprofi t corporate misconduct and examples of “best research association disseminating research practice.” It also has extensive annotated lists and promoting best practice in corporate of related sites. Access: http://www.business­ governance issues, the ECGI Web site in­ humanrights.org/Home. cludes links to corporate governance codes, • Business for Social Responsibility principles, and recommendations by country (BSR). BSR is a global nonprofi t organiza­ (not just European). A database of working tion that helps promote corporate social papers, searchable by title, author, keyword, responsibility. The resources available on and year is available in full text via the Social their site include more than 50 free Issue Science Research Network eLibrary. Access: Briefs on CSR­related issues. Each publica­ http://www.ecgi.org/. tion has a summary of the issue, its business • GreenBiz.com. This is an information­ importance, key developments, external rich resource intended to help companies standards, steps for implementation, leader­ integrate environmental responsibility into ship examples, sample policies, awards and their business practices. GreenBiz.com is a recognition, and well­annotated links to program of the private, nonprofi t National further resources. An excellent, informative Environmental Education and Training Foun­ site. Access: http://www.bsr.org/. dation. The Web site provides a wealth of information, including daily news feeds, newsletters, briefing papers, reports and • Canadian Business for Social Re- sponsibility (CBSR). A globally recognized source for CSR expertise in Canada, CBSR is how­to guides, an organization directory, a nonprofit, peer­to­peer learning organiza­ a database of sites selected as the best on tion. The Web site includes information use­ business and the environment searchable by ful for any company wishing to improve its topic, sector and environmental issue; a direc­ CSR. A 14­page summary of the publication tory of U.S. awards and recognition programs; GoodCompany Guidelines includes checklists and a link to the GreenBiz Leaders database, for companies to assess, improve, and report which has hundreds of examples of corporate on their social, environmental, and fi nancial environmental practices and reports, listed by performance. Other CSR papers, reports, company and searchable by keyword, sector, speeches, and presentations are also avail­ and type of initiative. Access: http://www. able. Access: http://www.cbsr.ca/. greenbiz.com/. • Ethics Resource Center (ERC). This • International Business Ethics In- nonprofit organization works to strengthen stitute. This is a nonprofit, educational ethical leadership by providing research, organization that promotes global business education, training, and consulting services. ethics and corporate social responsibility. The Web site includes the Ethics Toolkit, Through its Web site, the institute provides C&RL News June 2006 368 selected articles from International Business • Corporate Accountability Interna- Ethics Review (its flagship publication), tips tional. Formerly known as Infact, this is a and guidance in FAQs, a “Top 10 Mistakes” membership organization that challenges list, a brief business ethics primer, and a irresponsible corporate behavior around the good selection of annotated links to other world. The Web site includes news releases, business ethics sites. Access: http://www. fact sheets and more in­depth reports on the business­ethics.org/. issues of their major campaigns, the group’s standards of political conduct for corpora­ Watchdog / advocacy sites tions, and information on how to get involved. These groups play a vital role in exposing Access: http://www.stopcorporateabuse. and researching corporate abuses, educating org/. the public, and encouraging companies to • Corporate Research Project. This is improve their ethical behavior. a nonprofit center that assists activists in re­ • Better Business Bureau (BBB). A searching corporations to encourage business private, nonprofit membership organization to behave in a socially responsible manner. created in 1912 to monitor and infl uence The Web site has several online publications, business ethics in the marketplace, BBB acts including a helpful guide, How to do Corpo­ as an intermediary between businesses and rate Research Online, and the newsletter “Dirt consumers in the United States and Canada Diggers Digest” (edited by the Director of the to resolve disputes and provide information Corporate Research Project, Philip Mattera, on ethical business practices. The business archived from 2002 on), and the “Corporate ethics section of their site has the BBB Research E­Letter,” archived from 2000 on. standards and codes of practice. Users can Articles are on sources of information for cor­ also search for more than 2.5 million com­ porate research and trends in corporate and panies or national charities and receive the government disclosure policies and practice. “BBB Reliability Report,” a brief report on a Access: http://www.corp­research.org/ company’s record in dealing with customer • Corporate Watch. A small, indepen­ complaints and government actions against dent, nonprofit research organization based the company, or the “Charity Report,” which in the United Kingdom, which examines the shows whether a charity meets the BBB stan­ social and environmental impact of large dards for accountability and provides details corporations, especially multinationals. The on the charity’s programs, governance, etc. Corporate Watch Web site has detailed pro­ Complaints against companies and charities files of some of the world’s largest corpora­ can also be fi led online. Access: http://www. tions, overviews of major industry sectors, bbb.org/. news, research reports, and other informa­ • Business Ethics Network. A