1 / 26

Business 303 Sheppard

Business 303 Sheppard. Business Society & Ethics, Week 10: Global Ethical Dilemmas. BUSINESS ETHICS WEEK 10: MAIN QUESTIONS. Why & how are ethics different internationally? What is the Relativism vs. Universalism debate?

elroy
Download Presentation

Business 303 Sheppard

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. Business 303 Sheppard Business Society & Ethics, Week 10: Global Ethical Dilemmas

  2. BUSINESS ETHICS WEEK 10: MAIN QUESTIONS • Why & how are ethics different internationally? • What is the Relativism vs. Universalism debate? • Donaldson’s Hypernorms: A solution to the Relativism vs. Universalism debate? • What is the UN Global Compact? Wk. 9-2

  3. 1. Global: International diplomacy • International diplomacy at the Global Level • Influencing other countries • Sending peacekeepers • Canada's P.M. Lester B. Pearson led negotiations that established the U.N. Emergency Force in Nov. 1956. • Pearson won a Nobel Prize for convincing the world that putting neutral military forces between the 2 opposing sides would be a way to ensure that a negotiated ceasefire held.

  4. 2. Organizational: Globalization • Globalization & outsourcing • International HR practices • Internationally influencing govern- ments / being influenced by them. • Shell in Nigeria ~1997: complying with brutal government • Starbucks: branding includes international aid • Microsoft: from evil giant corp. to international philanthropist? • Blood Diamonds?

  5. 3. Individual: Ethical decision-making • Bribery • Consumer choices • Negotiation • Ethical decision-making • Intellectual property

  6. 4. What Drives Global Differences in Ethics? Culture Economic Development

  7. 4b. Cultural effects on ethics (1 of 2) Geert Hofstede’s Cultural Dimensions of International Bus. • Individualist vs. collectivist approaches to deciding who to hire? • ‘feminine’ vs. ‘masculine’ approaches to the environment? • High vs. low power distance approaches to responsibility for ethical decisions?

  8. 4b. Cultural effects on ethics (2 of 2)Kohlberg’s Model of Moral Development across Cultures ? • 1 - Obedience & Punishment • 2 - Individualism & Reciprocity • 3 - Interpersonal Conformity • 4 - Social System/Law & Order These work in almost all cultures • 5 - Social Contract • 6 - Universal Ethical Principles These don’t Individualist, Western values.

  9. 4c. Economic Development & How it affects Ethics • Higher levels of econ. development  higher standards of ethics • Maslow’s hierarchy of needs

  10. 5. Universalism vs. Relativism (1 of 3) • Big debate: • Are there Universal rules & Ethics • Or are all ethics relative to culture? • Answer: something in the middle Tom Donaldson

  11. 5. Universalism vs. Relativism (2 of 3) • Most readings centre on this debate. • Midgley’s argument against relativism: • Results in an inability to judge anything, including relativism, since relativism is a judgment against making condemnations of other cultures. • It’s Internally inconsistent: • If one culture believes it’s okay to condemn others cultures, by relativist standards, there’s no way to tell them to stop.

  12. 5. Universalism vs. Relativism (3 of 3) • Donaldson’ arguments against absolutism (his term for universalism): • Not respectful • Ignores local context (e.g. economic development) • Assumes one set of concepts overrides all others.

  13. 6.Donaldson’s Hypernorms Model Moral Free Space • From a Corporate Perspective: • Allow local units to adapt to local standards • Support efforts to decrease corruption All Ethical dilemmas or problems Hypernorms • Corporate standards as absolutes • Conditions of acceptance of buyers/ suppliers • Support efforts to decrease corruption

  14. 7. Donaldson’s Hypernorms (1 of 4) (aka core human values) • Respect for human dignity • Respect for basic rights • Good citizenship More specifically…

  15. 7. Donaldson’s Hypernorms(2 of 4) • Respect for human dignity • Treat people as ends in themselves • Eg. corporate culture that respects customers & suppliers • Eg. safe products, services & workplace

  16. 7. Donaldson’s Hypernorms(3 of 4) 2)Respect for basic rights • Support & protect rights of employees, customers & community • Avoid relationships that violate human beings’ rights to health, education, safety & adequate standard of living

  17. 7. Donaldson’s Hypernorms(4 of 4) 3) Good citizenship • Support essential social institutions, eg economic system, education system • Work with host government / other organizations to protect the environment. Now that we know that universal principles may exist, let’s look at a plausible source:

  18. 8. U.N. Global Compact (1 of 7) • UN Global Compact– the ten universal principles fall within four categories: • Human Rights • Labour Standards • Environment • Anti-Corruption Source: http://www.unglobalcompact.org/

  19. 8. U.N. Global Compact (2 of 7) • Founded in 1999 by Kofi Annan • International ethics guide managers should know it. • Currently 2,900 firms signed in over 100 countries: • Eg. Bayer, BMW, BP, Cadbury, eBay, HP, Microsoft, ING, Nokia, Starbucks, Sun Microsystems, Unilever, VW • Vision:a more sustainable & inclusive global econ. • Companies use it as a platform to develop their own specific codes of conduct. • Companies publish how they are promoting the ten principles in annual report. • Non-enforceable Bluewash or a first step for UN to reach into world of business?

  20. 8. U.N. Global Compact (3 of 7)Sample Companies… • HP (USA) • Cosco (China) • Tata Motors (India) • Volkswagen (Germany)

  21. 8. U.N. Global Compact (4 of 7) Human Rights • Principle 1: Support & respect the protection of internationally proclaimed human rights; and • Principle 2:Do not comply with others in human rights abuses.  

  22. 8. U.N. Global Compact (5 of 7) Labour Standards • Principle 3: Uphold freedom of association; • Principle 4: Eliminate forced labour; • Principle 5: Abolish child labour; and • Principle 6: Eliminate discrimination in employment. 

  23. 8. U.N. Global Compact (6 of 7) Environment • Principle 7:Support a precautionary approach to environmental challenges; • Principle 8: Promote greater environmental responsibility; and • Principle 9: Encourage development & diffusion of enviro-friendly technologies. 

  24. 8. U.N. Global Compact (7 of 7) Anti-Corruption • Principle 10: Work against all forms of corruption, including extortion & bribery. 

  25. 9. Applications • Yahoo in China • Nestle infant formula • The latest version of Wal-Mart • What else… ?

  26. B y e B y e

More Related