Abstract
Utilitarianism, the theory that one should do what will bring about the greatest happiness for the many, is an excellent ethical theory to guide managers. Thoughtful management practices could benefit everyone – not just the shareholders, employees, and the managers but society as a whole. Management directed by utilitarian ethics keeps focused on long-term consequences, and here we will see that it provides a basis for ethics which can apply to all, while providing a basis for meaningful work and teamwork rooted in justice and fairness, respect for individuals and freedom, and the rights of minority groups. Mill’s utilitarianism claims that industrious commerce and fair competition in a well-administered free market economy will bring benefits indispensable to society’s progress.
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Gustafson, A. (2019). How Utilitarianism Can Inform Decent Managers in Plural and Culturally Diverse Contexts. In: Neesham, C., Segal, S. (eds) Handbook of Philosophy of Management. Handbooks in Philosophy. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-48352-8_11-1
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-48352-8_11-1
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