The muted conscience1996
moral silence and the practice of ethics in business
by Frederick B. Bird
It's not that most businesspeople lack moral convictions. Rather, they tend not to voice them and are inattentive when others do. Dr. Bird sees this behavior as moral silence, deafness, and blindness, and, following this analogy to the senses, he argues that the practice of ethics is a form of communication. Thus, instead of focusing on specific moral issues, Dr. Bird examines the things that stifle communication about moral issues - factors that have a costly impact on business.
His book presents a new, alternative view of ethics, in which ethics can be construed as a practical social activity, not a utopian concept to be contemplated in the abstract. With numerous examples and case studies from business life and a logical, sensible analysis of what causes moral silence, deafness, and...