Curves in the high road A historical analysis of the development of American business codes of ethics Stephen B. Knouse, Vanessa D. Hill and J. Brooke Hamilton III Department of Management, B. I. Moody III College of Business Administration, University of Louisiana at Lafayette, Lafayette, Louisiana, USA Abstract Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to trace a history of American codes of business ethics as they evolved from religious bases to legalistic bases to an international emphasis. Design/methodology/approach – The paper describes the evolution of business codes of ethics over the twentieth century in relation to the development of social issues. Findings – It is found that ethical codes are influenced by the prevailing ideology of the time regarding the social responsibility of business. The earlier part of the twentieth century emphasized religious values governing the treatment of customers and competitors and the responsibility of businesses for the well-being of their employees by directing their private as well as business conduct. The latter part of the twentieth century stressed legal compliance as government regulation sought to control business behaviors that were harmful to society and to the environment. Entering into the twenty-first century, we are seeing an increase in international emphases in codes of ethics. We discuss these trends in terms of evolving approaches to corporate social responsibility. Practical implications – Organizations writing (and rewriting) codes of ethics should move beyond reactive legal compliance and proactively examine values associated with their stakeholder relationships as well as relationships to corporate social responsibility issues. Originality/value – While there have been histories of medical and legal codes of ethics, to the authors’ knowledge, this is the first exploration of a history of American business codes of ethics. The paper examines the development of codes of ethics in the context of business needs and social values prominent during those times. Keywords Business ethics, History, Corporate social responsibility, United States of America Paper type General review Introduction There have been many attempts throughout history to balance the relationship of the economic interests of business with the changing expectations of society (Pusateri, 1988). One ongoing means of articulating this relationship has been through business codes of ethical conduct. These codes of conduct were first written in an institutional context by professional associations. One of the first was published in 1803 by the British medical profession to “guide the conduct of the hospital.” The first American code of ethics was developed in 1846 at the first meeting of the American Medical Association to enhance the declining status of the medical profession. The first Canon of Ethics for the American Bar Association was adopted in 1908 based largely on Judge George Sharwood’s “Legal Ethics” written in 1854. The canon focused upon the duty of the lawyer to his client, fee schedules, and not allowing advertising or solicitation. The rules of professional conduct of the American Association of Professional Accountants The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available at www.emeraldinsight.com/1751-1348.htm JMH 13,1 94 Journal of Management History Vol. 13 No. 1, 2007 pp. 94-107 q Emerald Group Publishing Limited 1751-1348 DOI 10.1108/17511340710715197