Dickens, being an astute observer of human behaviour and therein human nature, managed to capture the transference of zeitgeist perfectly in this novel:
"The same opportunity served me for noticing that Mr Pumblechook appeared to conduct his business by looking across the street at the saddler who appeared to transact his business by keeping his eye on the coachmaker, who appeared to get on in life by putting his hands in his pockets and contemplating the baker, who in his turn folded his arms and stared at the grocer, who stood at his door and yawned at the chemist."
People influence people who put pressure on other people to eventually conform to the 'orthodox', or what the spirit of the times dictates...sort of an extreme form of peer pressure.
CEOs' today are influenced by their HR departments, the main stream media, activists and the general rush to 'appearing' virtuous, and given that many are already probably feeling twinges of guilt about the obscene amounts of money that they earn for merely doing a good job (or not!) many of these conflicts are resolved by a desperate need to expiate guilt in some way or another.
In the past it used to be in giving to the church or charity or some other worthy institution, today they feel the need to be SEEN to be 'good'...the hyper visualization of culture has led to extreme superficiality and the expiation of guilt through signalling their virtuous acts through the various forms of media.
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