Business Ethics...

Business Ethics Development

      The cultural context influences organizational ethics

      Top managers also influence ethics

      The combined influence of culture and top management influence organizational ethics and ethical behaviors.

The Evolving Context for Ethics

      From domestic where ethics are shared

      To international where ethics are not shared when companies:

      Make assumptions that ethics are the same

      Ethical absolutism—they adapt to us

      Ethical relativism—we adapt to them

      To global which requires an integrative approach to ethics

Emergence of a Global Business Ethics

        Growing sense that responsibility for righting social wrongs belongs to all organizations

      Growing business need for integrative mechanisms such as ethics

      Ethics reduce operating uncertainties

      Voluntary guidelines avoid government impositions

      Ethical conduct is needed in an increasingly interdependent world—everyone in the same game

      Companies wish to avoid problems and/or be good public citizens

Ways Companies Integrate Ethics

      Top management commitment in word and deed

      Company codes of ethics

      Supply chain codes

      Develop, monitor, enforce ethical behavior

      Seek external assistance.