Preface Acknowledgments Introduction: How Cognitive Science Changes Ethics 1: Reason as Force: The Moral Law Folk Theory 2: Metaphoric Morality 3: The Metaphoric Basis of Moral Theory 4: Beyond Rules 5: The Impoverishment of Reason: Our Enlightenment Legacy 6: What's Wrong with the Objectivist Self 7: The Narrative Context of Self and Action 8: Moral Imagination 9: Living without Absolutes: Objectivity and the Conditions for Criticism 10: Preserving Our Best Enlightenment Moral Ideals Notes Index

Philosophical Applications of Cognitive Science.Moral Imagination: Implications of Cognitive Science for Ethics

This paper assesses the role of knowledge economy (KE) in African business in 53 countries for the period 1996–2010. The four KE components of the World Bank are employed, notably: education, innovation, economic incentives and institutional regime, and information and communication technology. The business indicators are classified into starting, doing, and ending business. Principal component analysis and panel instrumental variable fixed effect approaches are employed as empirical strategies. The findings which are broadly consistent with intuition and the predictions of economic theory suggest that KE policies will substantially boost the starting and doing of business in Africa. This is relevant in fighting unemployment and improving African competitiveness in global value chains. Policy implications for the relevance of each specific KE dimension in African business are discussed with particular emphasis on the theoretical underpinnings of the study. The investigation is original in its contribution at the same time to the scarce literature on African KE and the growing challenges of improving the business climate of the continent by means of KE.

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The Role of Knowledge Economy in African Business

The availability of capital for microenterprises has grown rapidly due to microfinancing platforms such as Kiva. The investment decisions of microlenders are challenged due to the limited information about the microenterprises' characteristics and behavioral intentions. Extending signaling theory, we suggest that microenterprises' narratives on microfinancing platforms are an important means to signal valuable characteristics and behavioral intentions to prospective lenders. Results indicate that microenterprises, which signal autonomy, competitive aggressiveness, and risk-taking, are more likely to receive funding, and to receive it more quickly. Microenterprises that signal conscientiousness, courage, empathy, and warmth are less likely to get funded. Rhetorical signaling proactiveness, conscientiousness, courage, warmth, or zeal is negatively associated with loan repayment.

https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/Delivery.cfm/ETAP_ETAP12110.pdf?abstractid=2545629&mirid=3

The Effect of Virtuous and Entrepreneurial Orientations on Microfinance Lending and Repayment: A Signaling Theory Perspective:

https://pure.uva.nl/ws/files/19549106/How_global_is_international_CSR_research.pdf

How global is international CSR research? Insights and recommendations from a systematic review

As effective organizational decision making is a major factor in a companys success, a coherent, comprehensive account of current available research on the core concepts of the decision support agenda, is in high demand by academicians and professionals alike. The Encyclopedia of Decision Making and Decision Support Technologies presents a critical mass of research on the most up-to-date research on human and computer support of managerial decision making, including discussion on support of operational, tactical, and strategic decisions, human vs. computer system support structure, individual and group decision making, and multi-criteria decision making.

/pdf/encyclopedia-of-decision-making-and-decision-support-303ar6s2jh.pdf

Encyclopedia of Decision Making and Decision Support Technologies

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to describe the application of scenario planning methods to: identifying disruptive innovations at an early stage, mapping out potential development paths for such innovations, and building appropriate organizational capabilitiesDesign/methodology/approach – A combination of scenario planning with technology road‐mapping, expert analysis and creative group processes The techniques described can be integrated with traditional tools of strategic technology planning The paper presents a short illustrative case study and examples from practiceFindings – Scenario techniques can be successfully applied to analysing disruptive innovationPractical implications – Scenario techniques help guide managers to more effective decision making by preparing for a wide range of uncertainty and by counteracting typical biases of over‐optimism and decision “framing” The techniques presented can be used in executive development and in strategic planning for innovative and high‐tech 

Building technology foresight: using scenarios to embrace innovation

Do foreign direct investment (FDI) and international business ventures promote positive social and economic development in emerging nations? This question will always prove contentious. First, the impacts differ according to context. Second, the social consequences and spillover effects of knowledge diffusion and technology-sharing may be limited and hard to measure. Third, contributions to enhancing social responsibility and improving living standards in host countries are delayed in effect, causally complex, and also hard to measure. Outcomes often critically depend on collaboration of governments, international institutions, the business world, and non-governmental organizations (NGOs). Research in this area is challenging and requires interdisciplinary collaboration between economists, financial experts, sociologists, ethicists, and other specialists. This paper explores: (1) the evidence to support the proposition that FDI and international business improve social conditions in less-developed countries, and: (2) how these improvements are linked to strategies of corporate social responsibility (CSR) and ethical business practice. The paper draws insights from development, FDI, poverty alleviation, and bottom-of-the-pyramid (BOP) literature. Applications are demonstrated using examples from poverty-stricken areas of Sub-Saharan Africa. The paper attempts not only to argue theoretically but also to provide practical evidence. The approach is simultaneously descriptive, analytical, and prescriptive in order to address a wide audience. It also highlights issues and trends for further academic research and presents the viewpoint that some limitations lie in the nature of ethics frameworks widely referenced in business and that these often fail to consider the compatibility of ethical constructs with relevant incentives. In this vein, we explore the application of Homann’s framework for advantage and incentive-based ethics.

Foreign Investment and Ethics: How to Contribute to Social Responsibility by Doing Business in Less-Developed Countries.

Engaging Boards in Corporate Direction-Setting: Strategic Scorecards

Many capstone strategic management courses use computer-based simulations as core pedagogical tools. Simulations are touted as assisting students in developing much-valued skills in strategy format...

Team Culture and Business Strategy Simulation Performance

International sales team development and support increasingly require attention to knowledge management processes and cross-cultural factors. Modern technologies for group collaboration and distance learning can be employed for increased efficiency and effectiveness to support traditional methods of classroom instruction and training. This article describes an application of a learning management system (ANGEL) (ANGEL Learning, Indianapolis, IN, USA) in a global professional services and software solutions firm with headquarters in the US and presence in over 70 countries. Data was collected to assess the acceptance and successful application of the new learning management system (LMS) in a wide-scale international environment. For analytical purposes, this study utilized the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) to examine factors that influence employee acceptance of the system. The research questions that were addressed in the investigation included (i) whether an LMS is an effective platform for commercial application as a knowledge management system in an international environment; and (ii) whether the TAM holds up in assessing the acceptance of a knowledge management system in an international context. The results indicated very favorable acceptance and use of the LMS for sales team training and support. Although traditional relationships of the TAM were upheld, results indicated that the relationship between perceived ease of use and perceived usefulness was moderated by whether users were located in the head offices or in various international locations. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Stephen A.W. Drew

Papers

Building technology foresight: using scenarios to embrace innovation

Foreign Investment and Ethics: How to Contribute to Social Responsibility by Doing Business in Less-Developed Countries.

Engaging Boards in Corporate Direction-Setting: Strategic Scorecards

Team Culture and Business Strategy Simulation Performance

Application of a Learning Management System for Knowledge Management: Adoption and Cross-cultural Factors