Firms as Moral Agents in the COVID-19 Era: Ethical Principles That Shall Guide the Company’s Relationship with Its Stakeholders

Abstract

Progress has been made in the last years concerning the awareness that firms have inescapable ethical obligations with society, especially with their stakeholders. The crisis brought upon by the COVID-19 pandemic enhanced the need to reconsider the paradigms on which the business world has been built. In this context, the requirements of social responsibility are an acknowledgement, both explicit and implicit, of the belief that firms are a moral agent with not only legal but also ethical responsibilities. This chapter seeks to contribute to an ancient, yet current philosophical debate by answering a fundamental question: What are the reasons that allow us to affirm that firms are moral agents? Moreover, as a result of this ethical awareness, the action principles that shall guide the firm in its relationship with stakeholders are presented. The conceptual reflection is complemented by fieldwork in six Ibero-American countries with the participation of 397 people from executive, mid-tier and operational levels.