Philosophy 2074F/G Study Guide - Cultural Relativism, Thomas, Business Ethics

• School: Western University
• Department: Philosophy
• Course: Philosophy 2074F/G
• Professor: Dean Proessel

Document Summary

Even the best-informed, best-intentioned executives must rethink their assumptions about business practice in foreign settings. What works in a company"s home country can fail in a country with different standards of ethical conduct. Such difficulties are unavoidable for businesspeople who live and work abroad. According to cultural relativism, no culture"s ethics are better than any other"s; therefore there are no international rights and wrongs. In many countries, the combination of ineffective enforcement and inadequate regulations leads to behavior by unscrupulous companies that is clearly wrong. Cultural relativism is morally blind: there are fundamental values that cross cultures, and companies must uphold them. At the other end of the spectrum from cultural relativism is ethical imperialism, which directs people to do everywhere exactly as they do at home. The japanese define business ethics in terms of loyalty to their companies, their business networks, and their nation. Some practices that are unethical in one setting may be acceptable in another.