Resumen

BRITO, Morelba. Business Governance: Ethics, Social Responsibility and Profitability in the “Post-Enron Era”. Revista Venezolana de Gerencia [online]. 2007, vol.12, n.38, pp.183-206. ISSN 1315-9984.

Abstract The aim of this work is to highlight some tendencies, theoretical and practical, observed in the business management area, based on bibliographical and documentary information. Points emphasized are: the re-semanticizing of the construct “corporate government” and the incorporation of the construct “business governance”; the emergence of new interaction mechanisms between businesses and their surroundings; and the strengthening and/or appearance of devices aimed at reconciling profitability with some of the demands for intangible goods made by the contemporary citizen-consumer, such as respect for the environment, transparency, social responsibility on the part of business, and work routines that guarantee respect for human rights. Conclusions are that a new institutional framework is being articulated that transforms established parameters in the corporate world to socially legitimize itself, ensure profitability and determine and minimize operating costs

Palabras clave : Business governance; operating costs; ethics; business social responsibility; profitability.