Journal of Business Ethics

Journal of Business Ethics
Title	Journal of Business Ethics
Discipline	Business ethics
Language	English
Abbreviation	J. Bus. Ethics
Publisher	Springer Science+Business Media
Country	Netherlands
History	1982–present
Frequency	Monthly
Issn	0167-4544
Eissn	1573-0697

Journal of Business Ethics is a peer-reviewed academic journal covering ethical issues in business practice, corporate responsibility, and organizational conduct. Founded in 1982, the journal has published research connecting ethical theory to applied contexts across multinational firms, nonprofit organizations, and public institutions. It serves scholars, practitioners, and policymakers interested in the intersection of moral philosophy, corporate governance, stakeholder relations, and regulatory frameworks.

History

The journal was established in 1982 during debates following events like the Enron scandal, the Bhopal disaster, and shifts in corporate governance exemplified by cases at General Electric, British Petroleum, and RJR Nabisco. Early editorial leadership drew contributors associated with universities such as Harvard University, University of Oxford, and University of Pennsylvania, and with professional associations including the Academy of Management and the European Business Ethics Network. Over the 1990s and 2000s the journal reflected controversies around the Dot-com bubble, the WorldCom scandal, and regulatory responses like the Sarbanes–Oxley Act and debates in bodies such as the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development and the United Nations Global Compact.

Scope and Aims

The journal publishes research on topics including corporate social responsibility grounded in cases like Nike, Shell plc, and Volkswagen emissions scandal, stakeholder theory informed by work from R. Edward Freeman and comparisons to frameworks used by International Labour Organization and World Bank programs. It addresses governance issues seen in boards such as those of Apple Inc., executive compensation debates like those involving Citigroup and Wells Fargo, sustainability practices exemplified by Unilever and Patagonia (company), and ethical dilemmas arising from technologies connected to Google, Facebook, and Amazon (company). Aims include bridging philosophical traditions from figures such as Immanuel Kant, Aristotle, and John Rawls with empirical studies in markets including New York Stock Exchange, London Stock Exchange, and regulatory regimes like the Securities and Exchange Commission and European Commission.

Editorial Structure and Publication Process

The editorial board has included editors and associate editors affiliated with institutions like Columbia University, Stanford University, London School of Economics, and University of Toronto. Peer review is double-blind and managed through submission systems used by publishers such as Springer Nature and coordinated with reviewers from journals like Business & Society, Academy of Management Journal, and Administrative Science Quarterly. Manuscript decisions consider methodological approaches from scholars associated with Yale University, University of Chicago, and Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and strive to adjudicate work drawing on qualitative methods used in studies of Rio Tinto Group, quantitative analyses applied to datasets from Compustat, and normative argumentation linked to journals such as Ethics and Philosophy & Public Affairs.

Abstracting and Indexing

The journal is abstracted and indexed in major databases and services including Web of Science, Scopus, EBSCOhost, and ProQuest, and is listed in directories used by institutions like Times Higher Education, QS World University Rankings, and national libraries such as the Library of Congress and the British Library. It appears in citation reports produced by organizations including Clarivate Analytics and bibliometric aggregators such as Google Scholar and Publish or Perish, influencing assessments used in promotion committees at universities such as Princeton University, University of Michigan, and University of California, Berkeley.

Impact and Reception

The journal’s impact factor has been cited in ranking discussions alongside titles like Journal of Management Studies, Strategic Management Journal, and Organization Studies. Its articles have been used in policymaking referenced by agencies including the European Central Bank, United Nations, and the International Monetary Fund and debated in media outlets such as The New York Times, The Guardian, and Financial Times. Scholars from centers like the Harvard Business School, Wharton School, and INSEAD have both contributed to and critiqued the journal’s methodological diversity and normative stances, leading to symposia at conferences organized by the Academy of Management, European Academy of Management, and the International Association for Business and Society.

Notable Articles and Special Issues

Notable articles have addressed topics such as corporate social responsibility in the context of Shell plc and ExxonMobil, whistleblowing controversies exemplified by cases at WorldCom and Wells Fargo, and ethical dimensions of supply chains involving firms like Apple Inc. and Samsung Electronics. Special issues have focused on themes tied to events and institutions like the Paris Agreement, the Sustainable Development Goals, the Global Financial Crisis, and technological shifts represented by Alibaba Group, Tesla, Inc., and Microsoft. Contributors have included scholars associated with Oxford University Press publications, prize winners from awards like the Spencer Award and the Grawemeyer Award, and thought leaders who have also published in venues such as Harvard Business Review and Nature.

Category:Business journals