Responsibility in World Business consists of sixteen chapters divided into four parts. In Parts I and IV, the editors provide an ‘Introduction’ and ‘Conclusion’, respectively. A ‘Theoretical discussion’ of five chapters comprises Part II. Nine ‘Case studies’ follow in Part III.

There are no explicit statements about the intended readership. The subtitle, Managing Harmful Side-effects of Corporate Activity, provides potential readers with the key thrust of the content, and is more than sufficiently engaging to attract potential environmental and business readers. While the theoretical section of the book is largely aimed at an academic audience, it is likely that activists in environmental organizations and managers in businesses would find the arguments and information compelling reading from their respective points of view.

The key concept articulated in the theoretical discussions and case studies is the principle of double effect. This concept, treated as a moral principle, is about the unwanted side-effects businesses can have in the conduct of their operations; hence, there is need for corporate responsibility. The editors note that the extent of this responsibility falls somewhere between corporate citizenship, in which business is part of a community and has duties analogous to those of other citizens, and narrow legal compliance. Given this setting, their aim is to specify a minimum moral duty requirement which businesses can adhere to and comply with. To this end, they rely on casuistry as a context-sensitive method for dealing with moral problems when the moral solution for ‘what one ought to do is not clear’. The underlying theory of the double effect, explored in detail in the theoretical discussion, and tested in the case studies, is that there is an analogy between the principles of a ‘just’ war and a ‘just’ business. Given harmful side-effects, responsibility for business ethical purposes is based on criteria involving (1) stakeholder consultation with affected parties, (2) avoiding beneficial complicity (any kind of involvement in the wrongdoing of others), (3) assessing proportionality (justifying side-effects as reasonable and proportionate to stakeholders), (4) preventing or minimizing side-effects and (5) operating (or withdrawing) whenever it is not possible to proceed with fewer or no side-effects.

The theory and the tests ensure that the book has a central thesis, methodology and practical examples. Each case study provides a wealth of information about business activities and moral problems including the Union Carbide Bhopal catastrophe, Shell in Nigeria, Del Monte in Kenya, BP in Columbia, Levi Strauss and Motorola in China and ExxonMobil in Chad and Cameroon. Authors point to both analogies and disanalogies in theoretical and case study appraisals. In this regard, the material is well selected and organized and the arguments are for the most part logically presented. For an edited collection, the accounts are clear and readable. Indeed, a key strength of the content is that the editors have worked on a project with a very specific thesis which contributing authors have supported or expressed reservations about. Two shortcomings, however, do come to mind. Comparing and contrasting the double effect with discourses on negative externalities and counter productivity theory may have drawn out some additional points about the value of the ‘just’ war tradition. The inclusion of an expert from another ‘responsibility’ initiative such as the Global Reporting Initiative might have produced some additional and beneficial challenges to consider.

Judgements about whether the editors have achieved their stated aim or not will vary with the perspective one brings to the book. While many business actors may indeed see the analogy between the ‘just’ war tradition and an emerging ‘just’ business tradition as extremely pragmatic, environmentalists are likely to judge it as perverse. From my perspective, similarities between the morality of war and the morality of business immediately call into question the morality of business from a sustainability perspective. It is important to note that the ‘just’ business tradition does not address pressing questions of sustainable production and consumption. In addition, the ethical framework is neither performance based nor auditable through a third party verification process raising questions about its objectivity. What standard of reporting is expected?

Although short on references, the book is professionally produced and has a fine general appearance. Those teaching in the area of corporate sustainability will find this volume an essential addition to their collection. Environmentalists engaged in debates with companies may also find this volume an enriching source of information on business thinking.