Ethics in Finance

This book, the recipient of a bronze medal from the US Axiom Business Book Awards in the Business Ethics category and shortlisted for the Business Book Awards 2022: International Business Book, comprises multiple finance and ethics case studies. The purpose of the book is twofold. First, the case studies teach readers how to evaluate and determine resolutions to ethical issues in finance. Second, the reader will enjoy a journey with the author, a woman, over her years working in finance, through the use of case studies.

These studies focus on ethical issues in finance which the author encountered over nearly a 30-year career in the industry. There are 10 case studies extracted from different sectors of finance. This broad range is a consequence of the author’s experience from almost all sides of the business: the buy side, the sell side, equity research in Asia, equity sales, mutual funds, hedge funds, the finance academy, and consulting.

Each case study has an engaging narrative describing the background, transactions, players, and ethical issues. The ethical issue is analyzed and resolved using the appropriate theories of moral philosophy. Descriptions and analyses are rigorous yet comprehensible, approachable, and entertaining.

Apart from ethics determinations, the material in the book covers and explains a variety of specific, and even complex, financial transactions. In every transaction there is an explanation of the roles of various players involved. In this way, readers will learn about the work of people in different positions in finance from investment bankers and equity traders to portfolio managers and equity analysts. Through these case studies, readers also will get an understanding of major financial transactions and activities such as IPOs, secondary offerings, equity trading, and equity valuations.

The book will appeal to practitioners, college and high school students, and lecturers who can use it to supplement courses in finance or business ethics.

“It’s up to every one of us to bring about the change we want to see, and reading this book is a good way to start.” (Robin Powell, moneymarketing.co.uk, December 2, 2021)

Kara Tan Bhala is the President and Founder of Seven Pillars Institute for Global Finance and Ethics, USA, the world’s only independent think tank for research, education, and promotion of financial ethics. She is an Honorary Research Fellow at Queen Mary University of London, UK. Dr. Tan Bhala has a rare combination of professional training and extensive experience in both global finance and moral philosophy. She has nearly 30 years of experience in global finance, much of which was gained through working on Wall Street. She has been a sell-side equity analyst, a sell-side equity sales person, a buy-side equity analyst, a portfolio manager, and a lecturer in finance. For 18 years she ran her own international financial markets consulting firm. Dr. Tan Bhala has five degrees across three disciplines: a Bachelors (City, University of London, UK) and Masters (Oxford University, UK) in Business, a Masters in Liberal Studies (New York University, USA), and a Masters and PhDin Philosophy (University of Kansas, USA). She has lived and worked in London, Oxford, Singapore, Hong Kong, New York, Washington DC., and currently resides in Kansas City. She is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, USA, and the Royal Society for Asian Affairs, UK.