Digito

Business Ethics
The Law of Rules

Michael L. Michael
Senior Fellow, Mossavar-Rahmani Center for Business and Government
John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University

March 2006 ⎪ Working Paper No. 19

A Working Paper of the:
Corporate Social Responsibility Initiative

A Cooperative Project among:
The Mossavar-Rahmani Center for Business and Government
The Center for Public Leadership
The Hauser Center for Nonprofit Organizations
The Joan Shorenstein Center on the Press, Politics and Public Policy

Citation

This paper may be cited as: Michael, Michael L. 2006. “Business Ethics: The Law of
Rules.” Corporate Social Responsibility Initiative Working Paper No. 19. Cambridge,
MA: John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University. Comments may be directed to the author.

A version of this paper is forthcoming in 16-4 Business Ethics Quarterly (Oct. 2006).

Corporate Social Responsibility Initiative

The Corporate Social Responsibility Initiative at the Harvard Kennedy School of
Government is a multi-disciplinary and multi-stakeholder program that seeks to study and enhance the public contributions of private enterprise. It explores the intersection of corporate responsibility, corporate governance and strategy, public policy, and the media.
It bridges theory and practice, builds leadership skills, and supports constructive dialogue and collaboration among different sectors. It was founded in 2004 with the support of
Walter H. Shorenstein, Chevron Corporation, The Coca-Cola Company, and General
Motors.

The views expressed in this paper are those of the author and do not imply endorsement by the Corporate Social Responsibility Initiative, the John F. Kennedy School of
Government, or Harvard University.

For Further Information

Further information on the Corporate Social Responsibility Initiative can be obtained from the Program Coordinator, Corporate Social