Book excerpt: 2008 Best Reference, Library Journal As a field of study, business ethics aims to specify the principles under which businesses must operate to behave ethically. Thus business ethics focuses on such issues as those that have recently attracted so much public scrutiny: executive compensation, honesty in accounting, transparency, treatment of stakeholders, and respect for the environment. These are, in fact, perennial questions that accompany the long history of human economic activity and that will also be present through an indeterminate future. The five volumes of this ultimate resource recognize the inherent unity between business ethics and business and society, that stems from their shared primary concern with value in commerce. This Encyclopedia spans the relationships among business, ethics, and society by including more than 800 entries that feature broad coverage of corporate social responsibility, the obligation of companies to various stakeholder groups, the contribution of business to society and culture, and the relationship between organizations and the quality of the environment. Key Features Embraces commerce in all of its ethical and social dimensions Offers comprehensive and fairly lengthy essays on such crucial topics as justice, freedom, stakeholder theory, and regulation Provides very brief essays that introduce important personages in the field, while other similarly brief entries explain the nature and function of various organizations Includes contributions from respected authorities in the fields of management, psychology, sociology, communication, political science, philosophy, and other related fields Cross-references to other entries in the Encyclopedia and includes a list of references and suggested readings for each article Key Themes Accounting Applied Ethics Corporate Management and the Environment Corporate Powers, Organization and Governance Corporations in the Social Sphere Customers and Consumers Economics and Business Employee Issues Environmental Thought, Theory, Regulation, and Legislation Ethical Thought and Theory Finance Gender, Age, Ethnicity, Diversity, and Sexual Preference Information Systems International Social and Ethical Issues Justice Legislation and Regulation Management Marketing Organizations Political Theory, Thought, and Policy Problematic Practices Rights The Encyclopedia of Business Ethics and Society is the premier reference tool for students, scholars, practitioners, and others interested in gaining knowledge of the role business plays with regard to the environment in which it exists—making it a must-have resource for all academic libraries.