Talking about values has become an industry. Best-selling books promote earthly virtues for living and spiritual values for reflecting. Conventional wisdom—and opinion leaders such as the Dalai Lama and the late Basil Cardinal Hume—believe that the decade of greed is evolving into an era in which many people are seeking the meaning of life.

That’s all fine. But the last time we looked, the business world was still engaged in delivering goods and services and making a profit. Does that mean that business ethics are an oxymoron? No. Values have a pragmatic place in the business world precisely because of society’s shifting sands. Name any of the currents that are buffeting organizations today and you’ll find a rationale for values-driven management.

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