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.