BOARDS OF WISDOM: INTEGRATING PHILOSOPHERS INTO CORPORATE GOVERNANCE FOR ETHICAL DECISION-MAKING AND HONESTY

Abstract

In order to improve stakeholder trust, promote organisational honesty, and strengthen ethical decision-making, this study presents a novel governance model that calls for the appointment of philosophers to corporate boards. The study combines conceptual development with empirical validation, drawing on discourse ethics and virtue ethics. Philosophers play an important role as ethical reasoners, dialogue facilitators, and integrity advocates, according to 15 expert interviews and a survey of 120 governance professionals in India, Singapore, the United Arab Emirates, and the United Kingdom. While barriers like role ambiguity and cultural resistance were found to be manageable through policy reform and ethics training, statistical analysis (R2 = 0.68; β > 0.4) confirmed that these roles positively influence stakeholder trust. The report suggests piloting philosopher inclusion, implementing board-level ethics programs, and revising governance codes.By creating a structural framework for moral reasoning in decision-making and connecting ethical theory with real-world corporate reform, this work adds to the body of literature on corporate governance and business ethics.