Ebook: Ethics and Consultancy: European Perspectives

The present volume in a series of books produced from European Business Eth­ ics Network (EBEN) conferences in Europe, is a compilation of plenary speeches and papers presented at the 1993 EBEN conference in Oslo, Norway. The theme of this year's conference was "The Use of Consultancy: Ethical Demands and Require­ ments" and there was a special focus on Eastern Europe. Of over 40 papers present­ ed at the conference from 165 participants representing 23 countries, we present here 20 selected by the editors as providing an overview of the latest thinking from both academicians and practitioners on the subject of ethics in consulting. Due to strict constraints on space in this volume, several valuable papers presented at the conference must be published elsewhere. We have also tried to maintain the unique flavor of the papers by authors whose mother tongue is not English. The consulting profession is booming in Europe, both in the West and in the for­ mer Communist Bloc countries. However, it has not previously been subjected to rigorous scrutiny from the ethical point of view. The conference planning commit­ tee thus sought to put the spotlight on the spreading phenomenon of buying and selling consultancy services within the European Union, within Europe and with the new Eastern Europe. The conference addressed several ethical challenges facing either the buyers or providers of consultancy services in both the private and public sectors.

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The role of consultants in business life has increased dramatically, along with the need for ethical guidelines for their behaviour. This volume explores consultancy at many levels, in different fields and in different countries, including Eastern Europe. The focus is on the ethics of consultants be they in government, private enterprises, or are lobbying large organizations. The ethics of the client is not ignored either and recommendations are given as to how the client and consultant roles should function. An entire section of the book is dedicated to consultancy and ethics in Eastern Europe, where definitions are perhaps not as `black and white' as in Western Europe. Additionally, this volume explores the question of teaching business ethics to the next generation of business leaders. Ethics is a complicated, often very personal subject. This book gives readers an insight into just how difficult it can be to behave `properly' in today's consulting world.

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The role of consultants in business life has increased dramatically, along with the need for ethical guidelines for their behaviour. This volume explores consultancy at many levels, in different fields and in different countries, including Eastern Europe. The focus is on the ethics of consultants be they in government, private enterprises, or are lobbying large organizations. The ethics of the client is not ignored either and recommendations are given as to how the client and consultant roles should function. An entire section of the book is dedicated to consultancy and ethics in Eastern Europe, where definitions are perhaps not as `black and white' as in Western Europe. Additionally, this volume explores the question of teaching business ethics to the next generation of business leaders. Ethics is a complicated, often very personal subject. This book gives readers an insight into just how difficult it can be to behave `properly' in today's consulting world.
Content:
Front Matter....Pages i-ix
Introduction....Pages 1-4
Front Matter....Pages 5-5
Reflections on the Suspension of Ethics: Managers and Consultants as Manipulators....Pages 7-26
The Use of Consultancy — Ethical Demands and Requirements....Pages 27-37
Ethics and Interventions in Business Moral Issues in Consulting and Economic Systems Design....Pages 39-47
Consultancy in the EU Arena....Pages 49-52
Ethical Issues in Consultancy....Pages 53-59
Front Matter....Pages 61-61
Management Consultants — The Danish Experience....Pages 63-81
Nepotism, Politics and Ethics in the Purchase of Organizational Consultancy Services — Two European Cases....Pages 83-92
Occasional Ethical Consultancy....Pages 93-107
“Advise Us What To Do; Decide For Us” (Isaiah 16,3)....Pages 109-123
Front Matter....Pages 125-125
Government Agencies and Consultancy — A Norwegian Perspective....Pages 127-133
Ethical Issues in Executive Search Consultancy....Pages 135-148
Organizational Ethics Consulting in the Health Care Environment: A Look at a US Children’s Medical Center....Pages 149-161
Consultants’ Roles and Responsibilities: Lessons From Public Relations in Germany....Pages 163-177
Front Matter....Pages 179-179
Actual Ethical Issues of Consulting Services in Post-Communist Countries....Pages 181-189
Cases Studies on Consultancy Issues in the Age of Economic Transition in Hungary....Pages 191-196
Situational Ethics in Consulting: The Case of Slovenia....Pages 197-213
Front Matter....Pages 215-215
The Dilemmas of Business Ethics Courses....Pages 217-228
Business Ethics versus Ethics in Business?....Pages 229-251
Philosophers as Consultants....Pages 253-260
Back Matter....Pages 281-285
The Consultant-Client Relationship: Personal Autonomy and Development Through Dialogue....Pages 261-279

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The role of consultants in business life has increased dramatically, along with the need for ethical guidelines for their behaviour. This volume explores consultancy at many levels, in different fields and in different countries, including Eastern Europe. The focus is on the ethics of consultants be they in government, private enterprises, or are lobbying large organizations. The ethics of the client is not ignored either and recommendations are given as to how the client and consultant roles should function. An entire section of the book is dedicated to consultancy and ethics in Eastern Europe, where definitions are perhaps not as `black and white' as in Western Europe. Additionally, this volume explores the question of teaching business ethics to the next generation of business leaders. Ethics is a complicated, often very personal subject. This book gives readers an insight into just how difficult it can be to behave `properly' in today's consulting world.
Content:
Front Matter....Pages i-ix
Introduction....Pages 1-4
Front Matter....Pages 5-5
Reflections on the Suspension of Ethics: Managers and Consultants as Manipulators....Pages 7-26
The Use of Consultancy — Ethical Demands and Requirements....Pages 27-37
Ethics and Interventions in Business Moral Issues in Consulting and Economic Systems Design....Pages 39-47
Consultancy in the EU Arena....Pages 49-52
Ethical Issues in Consultancy....Pages 53-59
Front Matter....Pages 61-61
Management Consultants — The Danish Experience....Pages 63-81
Nepotism, Politics and Ethics in the Purchase of Organizational Consultancy Services — Two European Cases....Pages 83-92
Occasional Ethical Consultancy....Pages 93-107
“Advise Us What To Do; Decide For Us” (Isaiah 16,3)....Pages 109-123
Front Matter....Pages 125-125
Government Agencies and Consultancy — A Norwegian Perspective....Pages 127-133
Ethical Issues in Executive Search Consultancy....Pages 135-148
Organizational Ethics Consulting in the Health Care Environment: A Look at a US Children’s Medical Center....Pages 149-161
Consultants’ Roles and Responsibilities: Lessons From Public Relations in Germany....Pages 163-177
Front Matter....Pages 179-179
Actual Ethical Issues of Consulting Services in Post-Communist Countries....Pages 181-189
Cases Studies on Consultancy Issues in the Age of Economic Transition in Hungary....Pages 191-196
Situational Ethics in Consulting: The Case of Slovenia....Pages 197-213
Front Matter....Pages 215-215
The Dilemmas of Business Ethics Courses....Pages 217-228
Business Ethics versus Ethics in Business?....Pages 229-251
Philosophers as Consultants....Pages 253-260
Back Matter....Pages 281-285
The Consultant-Client Relationship: Personal Autonomy and Development Through Dialogue....Pages 261-279
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