Korean Academic Society of Business Administration
[ Article ]
korean management review - Vol. 51, No. 5, pp.1271-1296
ISSN: 1226-1874 (Print)
Print publication date 31 Oct 2022
Received 03 Aug 2022 Accepted 25 Aug 2022
DOI: https://doi.org/10.17287/kmr.2022.51.5.1271

ESG 도입의 목적론적 체계의 한계, 대안

Jae Kyu Myung
(First Author) Korea University of Technology and Education jaekyumyung@koreatech.ac.kr
Limitations and Alternatives to the Teleological System of ESG


Copyright 2011 THE KOREAN ACADEMIC SOCIETY OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION
This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License 4.0, which permits unrestricted, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Abstract

The interest in whether financial performance, investment performance, and corporate continuity are guaranteed through ESG is based on the teleological values. However, in order to introduce and spread the true ESG where problems such as greenwashing disappear, we must not focus on the current interest and attempts. A change in the way companies and society view ESG is essential. ESG has a deontological value, and Korean society should recognize it. The recent term “stakeholder capitalism” can be evaluated as a term that implies an active transition to a deontological thinking that goes beyond the level that traditional capitalism. It is however, still declarative and does not guarantee concrete execution power. In order for the transition to a deontological system on ESG to be effective, it is necessary to change the way that businesses and social systems operate by introducing the perspective of behavioral ethics. Analyzing the reality in which ethical immunity works, such as spreading responsibility, increasing uncertainty, and expanding justification, will provide concrete solutions. This article is meaningful in that it not only points out the importance of the deontological value of ESG, but also seeks to expand practical ESG management.

Keywords:

Corporate sustainability, ESG, Deontology, Behavioral ethics, Ethical immunity

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∙ The author Jae Kyu Myung is currently a assistant professor at Korea University of Technology and Education. His major research fields include corporate social responsibility, corporate sustainability and business ethics. Recently, he has been studying with interest in explaining corporate behavior through semiotics and critical realism.