Enlightened Entrepreneurs: Business Ethics in Victorian Britain

The story of 10 remarkable Victorian industrialists Business ethics are high on the corporate agenda today. Companies are judged not only on the size of their profits but also on the way that they treat their workers and the impact they have on the environment and the community. Ian Bradley tells the story of ten remarkable Victorian industrialists who pursued the twin goals of commercial success and social responsibility so successfully that we continue to benefit from their enterprise and enlightenment today. The businesses which they created 150 or so years ago are for the most part still thriving and include some of the best known companies currently operating in the UK and beyond, companies such as Cadbury, Rowntrees, Colmans, Boots and Unilever. This is the story of 10 remarkable Victorian industrialists who came from relatively humble origins and rose through hard work, inventiveness and application to become among the richest and most influential men of their generation. The businesses they created are for the most part still thriving today and include such household names as Cadburys, Rowntrees, Colmans, Boots, Huntley & Palmers and Unilever. Deeply imbued with the values of Victorian Liberalism and of Nonconformity, they showed an active and practical concern for their employees, providing them with housing, health care, education, recreation and entertainment. They also founded charitable trusts such as The Old Vic Theatre and Royal Holloway College, and model communities such as Saltaire.