Virtuous bankers? Banking, reputation and regulation in nineteenth century England and Wales

Newton, L. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1453-8824 (2016) Virtuous bankers? Banking, reputation and regulation in nineteenth century England and Wales. In: Akrivou, K. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2212-6280, Akrivou, K. and Sison, A. J. G. (eds.) The Challenges of Capitalism for Virtue Ethics and the Common Good:. Edward Elgar Publishing Ltd, Cheltenham. ISBN 9781784717902

Abstract/Summary

In this chapter, we investigate the motivations of bank directors and the mechanisms to ensure their virtuous behaviour. In particular, by drawing on two contrasting case studies, this chapter establishes what role the community played in determining behaviours of bank directors. Overall, we find that it was in the interests of joint-stock banks to govern themselves responsibly and honestly/virtuously in order to gain a trust and serve the wider community in which they operated in.