After completing this chapter you should be able to:

• Describe salient business ethics issues in precapitalist civilizations.
• Summarize the ethical foundation of capitalism as argued by Adam Smith in the 1700s.
• Explain ethical issues experienced in the United States since adopting capitalism.
• Assess the strengths and weaknesses of the narrow and broad conceptions of social responsibility.
• Appraise the historical shift back and forth between mandatory business regulations and voluntary ethical enhancements.
• Apply the Optimal Ethics Systems Model to create a high-integrity work culture.