ABSTRACT

A Dutch national newspaper published two articles on January 5 and 9, 2000, wherein two authors debated the necessity for corporate enterprises to develop a “code of conduct” based on ethical principles. Of the two opposing views, the first holds that “as long as corporate enterprises do not violate the law, they are free to act—making profit—as they like …cannot identify any unethical behavior that does not break the law in some sort of way” (Plasterk, 2001, in Dutch). The second viewpoint maintains, “There are great examples that prove that corporate enterprises restrain from certain activities and behavior, other than those which are already forbidden by law, for ethical reasons” (De Haan, 2001, in Dutch).