Skip to main content
  • Book
  • © 2020

Business Ethics from the 19th Century to Today

An Economist's View

Palgrave Macmillan
  • Studies American and British business ethics from the nineteenth century until today
  • Places business ethics within a historical context
  • Follows the book Business Ethics from Antiquity to the Nineteenth Century: An Economist's View

Buy it now

Buying options

eBook USD 89.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book USD 119.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book USD 119.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Other ways to access

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check for access.

Table of contents (13 chapters)

  1. Front Matter

    Pages i-xiii
  2. Labor Resists

    • David George Surdam
    Pages 1-41
  3. Early Nineteenth-Century Changes

    • David George Surdam
    Pages 43-69
  4. Rise of Industrialization

    • David George Surdam
    Pages 101-124
  5. Ethics of the Firm and Strategic Behavior

    • David George Surdam
    Pages 125-157
  6. John D. Rockefeller and Standard Oil

    • David George Surdam
    Pages 159-176
  7. Rise of the Big Retail Merchants

    • David George Surdam
    Pages 177-211
  8. Early Twentieth-Century Aspects

    • David George Surdam
    Pages 213-251
  9. Anxiety Over Product Safety

    • David George Surdam
    Pages 253-273
  10. Get-Rich-Quick and Ponzi Schemes

    • David George Surdam
    Pages 275-297
  11. Distributions of Income and Wealth

    • David George Surdam
    Pages 299-329
  12. What About the Children?

    • David George Surdam
    Pages 331-360
  13. Twenty-First-Century Situations

    • David George Surdam
    Pages 361-365
  14. Back Matter

    Pages 367-397

About this book

This book combines elements of economic and business history to study business ethics from the nineteenth century to today. It concentrates on American and British business history, delving into issues such as slavery, industrialization, firm behavior and monopolies, and Ponzi schemes. This book draws on the work of economists and historians to highlight the importance of changing technologies, religious beliefs, and cultural attitudes, showing that what is considered ethical differs across time and place.

Authors and Affiliations

  • Department of Economics, University of Northern Iowa, Cedar Falls, USA

    David George Surdam

About the author

David George Surdam is Professor of Economics at the University of Northern Iowa, USA.

Bibliographic Information

  • Book Title: Business Ethics from the 19th Century to Today

  • Book Subtitle: An Economist's View

  • Authors: David George Surdam

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-37169-2

  • Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan Cham

  • eBook Packages: Economics and Finance, Economics and Finance (R0)

  • Copyright Information: The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2020

  • Hardcover ISBN: 978-3-030-37168-5Published: 30 January 2020

  • Softcover ISBN: 978-3-030-37171-5Published: 30 January 2021

  • eBook ISBN: 978-3-030-37169-2Published: 29 January 2020

  • Edition Number: 1

  • Number of Pages: XIII, 397

  • Topics: Economic History, Business Ethics, Business Ethics

Buy it now

Buying options

eBook USD 89.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book USD 119.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book USD 119.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Other ways to access