When Starwood Hotels charged Hilton Hotels with industrial espionage, the case hinged on an employment agreement that two executives had violated. The rhetoric of the employment agreement contrasted greatly with that of the corporation’s own code of business conduct. Whereas the private agreement stressed narrow self-interest, the public code emphasized a much broader network of ethical business relationships. This article analyzes the differences between these two types of business discourse in order to help business practitioners align espoused and enacted values.
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18.
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