GENERAL CAUSAL-MODELS IN BUSINESS ETHICS - AN ESSAY ON COLLIDING RESEARCH TRADITIONS

The construction of causal models for research in business ethics has become fashionable in recent years. This paper explores four recent pr oposals, comparing and contrasting their views. The primary purpose of this paper is to expose several confusions inherent in such models an d to account for these errors in terms of a failure to distinguish bet ween "models as theories" and "models as representing a research tradi tion. "We conclude with a brief set of recommendations for linking two major research traditions in business ethics: empiricism and ethical theory.