Ethics has become a fundamental part of business success, but textbooks for students have often been either too practical or too theoretical.
UW-Whitewater Management Professor K. Praveen Parboteeah has written a textbook titled "Business Ethics" that links practicality and theory.
"We created a balance between the two," said Parboteeah. "Also, there was not a large enough emphasis on global and environmental scenarios. Those are huge ethical factors that need to be emphasized and taught correctly."
Parboteeah incorporated information from his lectures into his textbook. He teaches business ethics, international management and strategic management in the College of Business and Economics.
"Writing the textbook was a perfect way for me to write down all of my thoughts from lectures and shape them into a balanced outlet of information," he said.
The textbook gives students a real-life look into business ethics. Scenarios presented have been shaped to be relevant to the reader, such as a lower-level employee witnessing a manager perform unethical behavior.
"The end of each chapter leaves the student with a situation," said Parboteeah. "These situations can be something like a student stealing answers for an upcoming exam. They are very relatable."
With his co-author, Washington State University Management Professor John B. Cullen, Parboteeah has created a textbook intended to prompt students to analyze ethical issues.
Parboteeah's international perspective on business ethics has been shaped by his own experiences. He grew up on the island of Mauritius, off the southeast coast of Africa, and graduated from the University of Mauritius. He also holds an MBA from California State University-Chico and a doctorate from Washington State University.
"The island where I grew up was a very diverse island," said Parboteeah. "It was once a British and French colony, but once slavery was abolished, Indian and Chinese individuals migrated to the island. I hope I can bring some sort of international approach to the table for UW-Whitewater students."
Parboteeah is also judge for the International Better Business Bureau Torch Award, which recognizes ethical businesses and individuals.
"It's so much fun," said Parboteeah. "I get to see the most ethical businesses and then share them with the students here, so they are aware of what is out there."
For more information about "Business Ethics," visit the Routledge Publishing website at http://www.routledge.com/u/businessethics.