Summary

This timely book is the result of the Stanford/Harvard/Claremont study of "good work"
in business, under the direction of William Damon, Howard Gardner, and Mihaly
Csikszentmihaly. During the course of the study, researchers interviewed 48 men
and women who have achieved success in business. The interviews revealed the
surprisingly strong role that morality can play in successful business careers.
Based on this information, William Damon developed a set of principles for
using the moral advantage in business. Damon's book describes the
principles and illustrates them with cases drawn from the study.

These principles include "moral imagination" — creating a business concept that
serves a larger purpose without losing profits; forthright communication that inspires
trust; cooperative strategies that build teamwork and community; uses of the Golden
Rule for managing complex relationships; philanthropic efforts that express compassion;
and a public commitment to ethical standards. The book shows how and when business
people can most effectively draw on these principles and explains how to develop the
personal capacity to do so throughout a career.