Ma, ZZ. 2009. The Status of Contemporary Business Ethics Research: Present and Future. JOURNAL OF BUSINESS ETHICS 90: 255-265, Suppl. 3

[Eugene Garfield]

Ma, ZZ. 2009. The Status of Contemporary Business Ethics Research: Present 
and Future. JOURNAL OF BUSINESS ETHICS 90: 255-265, Suppl. 3.

Author Full Name(s): Ma, Zhenzhong
Language: English
Document Type: Article

Author Keywords: business ethics; citation analysis; corporate social 
responsibility; ethical decision making; knowledge network

KeyWords Plus: CORPORATE SOCIAL-RESPONSIBILITY; DECISION-MAKING; 
FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE; AUTHOR COCITATION; MANAGEMENT; MODEL; LINK

Abstract: This study provides a general overview of contemporary business 
ethics research of the last 10 years (1997-2006) and discusses potential future 
research directions in business ethics based on the overview. Using citation 
and co-citation analysis, this study examined the citation data of journal 
articles, books, and other publications collected in the Social Sciences Citation 
Index (SSCI), wherein key research themes in business ethics studies in 1997-
2006 and correlations between these themes were explored. The results show 
that major research themes in business ethics have shifted in the last decade 
from research on ethical decision making and on the relationship between 
corporate social responsibility and corporate performance to research on 
stakeholder theory in business ethics and on the relationship between 
consumer behavior and corporate social responsibility. The results of this study 
help map the invisible network of knowledge production in business ethics 
research and provide important insights on future business ethics research.

Addresses: Univ Windsor, Odette Sch Business, Windsor, ON N9B 3P4, Canada
Reprint Address: Ma, ZZ, Univ Windsor, Odette Sch Business, 401 Sunset Ave, 
Windsor, ON N9B 3P4, Canada.

E-mail Address: maz at uwindsor.ca
ISSN: 0167-4544
DOI: 10.1007/s10551-010-0420-6
URL: http://www.springerlink.com/content/a411074627x68570/