Ethics for the Real World: Creating a Personal Code to Guide Decisions in Work and Life - Hardcover

Howard, Ronald A.; Korver, Clinton D.; Birchard, Bill

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1422121062 ISBN 13: 9781422121061

Publisher: Harvard Business Review Press, 2008

Synopsis

We often make small ethical compromises for "good" reasons: We lie to a customer because our boss asked us to. We exaggerate our accomplishments on our résumé to get an interview. Temptation blindsides us. And we make snap decisions we regret.

Minor ethical lapses can seem harmless, but they instill in us a hard-to-break habit of distorted thinking. Rationalizations drown out our inner voice, and we make up the rules as we go. We lose control of our decisions, fall victim to the temptations and pressures of our situations, taint our characters, and sour business and personal relationships.

In Ethics for the Real World, Ronald Howard and Clinton Korver explain how to master the art of ethical decision making by:
Identifying potential compromises in your own life
Applying distinctions to clarify your ethical thinking
Committing in advance to ethical principles
Generating creative alternatives to resolve dilemmas

Packed with real-life examples, this book gives you practical advice to respond skillfully to life's inevitable ethical challenges. Not only can you make right decisions, you can acquire new habits that will realize the best in yourself and transform your relationships.

About this title

Synopsis:

Meet the seven samurai of metaphor in this provocative follow-up to how customers think. Jerry and Lindsay Zaltman explain how and why we use deep metaphors, which the authors define as any form of non-literal representation so deeply embedded in a person's thought processes that the person is unconscious of using it. Focusing on the seven metaphors - balance, connection, container, control, journey, resource, and transformation - the Zaltmans show how deep metaphors unconsciously pervade and shape our lives.If we recognize them and understand their power over us, we can use them more purposefully to improve the quality of customer relationships and market research and to challenge such pervasive business practices as market segmentation. Most important, deep metaphors can help prompt deeper thinking about key issues in business, where much thought is usually shallow, transient, and insight-free. To demonstrate the possibilities, the Zaltmans use an array of everyday stories from their research. The authors also share images collected through, or created by consumers during, their research to reveal insights better expressed through pictures than words.

The book promises to be a memorable and illuminating read and a conversation starter at business meetings and cocktail parties.

About the Author:

Ronald A. Howard is a professor in the Department of Management Science and Engineering in Stanford University's School of Engineering, and the director of the Department's Decisions and Ethics Center. Clinton D. Korver is the founder and CEO of DecisionStreet, which provides Web-based tools to help consumers make important life decisions.

About this edition

• Publisher: Harvard Business Review Press
• Publication date: 2008
• ISBN 10: 1422121062
• ISBN 13: 9781422121061
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 224