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Part Four
International Business
Part Four of the text consists of an Introduction followed by Chapter 11 –- Ethical Relativism, and
Chapter 12 –- Business Values Away from Home.
The Introduction to Part Four (pp. 429 - 432) describes Ethical Relativism, and business values away
from home (in foreign countries).
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Chapter 11 -- Ethical Relativism (pp. 433 - 458)
Chapter 11 starts with two case studies (pp. 433 - 438) each is set in a fictional, and apparently third
world, country. In each, an American employer operates a plant in the fictitious country.
In the first, an employee is slapped by one of his fellow nationals for refusing to take proper safety
precautions, suffers some permanent injury, but accepts his countryman’s apology, although the
American company has a policy of termination for physical violence.
In the second, the question of integrity is raised in a hypothetical in which a national is about to be
fired for substandard performance, and his fellow-countryman supervisor is willing to say both that
his work was substandard and that he might be re-employed if the factory expands (although the
company and everyone in the supervisory positions know they will never re-hire him).
Apparently this claim of potential for re-employment would allow the fired employee to save face
with family and his fellow villagers in this culture.
One American supervisor is in favor of firing the man in this manner, while another thinks it violates
the standards of integrity to be dishonest in this way. (As an aside, is it expected that the man will
really think this is a valid offer, or will he know exactly what is going on? Does it ethically matter
what the fired employee understands?)
Article: “The Challenge of Cultural Relativism” by James Rachels (pp. 438 - 447)
Cultural relativism is generally presupposed to be the theory that different societies have different
moral codes, and that these codes are just that -- “different” -- one is not better or worse, they just
seem that way based on which is closer to one’s own beliefs.
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The United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights includes 30 articles, many of which have
more than one point. Again, you should think about how much of this you wish your students to learn
(memorize).
Teaching Hints: It may be very enlightening to ask students to compare aspects of the United
Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights with the U.S. Bill of Rights. It may also be very
enlightening to ask them about some Western cultural practices and their beliefs about them as well as
if they know the history of those practices. If you have students from other cultures who are willing to
contribute ideas about their beliefs or their cultural practices and the beliefs on which those practices
are based, that might also be very interesting.
Discussion Questions
1. Your employer offers you a position in the Middle East. The compensation is twice what you
now earn, and it is exempt from taxation. On top of that you will be given company housing.
However, you are informed that absolutely no alcohol is allowed in the country where you will
be stationed, and that the penalty (for even one drink) is incarceration for up to two years. Do
you take the job? You are further informed that the penalty in this country for sexual relations
outside of marriage (assume that you are not married) is death. Do you take the job?
Moreover, you are told you must wear a long robe whenever you are outside the office or your
home (including while commuting), do you take the job? And one last thing, the country does
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not recognize any type of universal freedom of speech or worship so you must be careful what
you say and do in public lest you end up in jail. Do you take the job?
2. You see a young child about seven years old clowning around and moving from side to side in
the back seat of the car in front of you. At the next red light, the parent/driver gets out of the
car, opens the rear door, slaps the child, exclaims, “I told you that isn’t safe,” picks the child
up, places the child in a booster seat, buckles the child’s safety belt and drives off. The child
sits quietly buckled for the next 20 miles, at which point you have arrived at your destination.
Did the parent do anything wrong?
3. You find yourself unemployed, and happen to be in New York City. You walk over to the
United Nations Headquarters and demand a job, citing Article 23 Section 1 of “The United
Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights” which reads “Everyone has the right to
work, to free choice of employment, to just and favorable conditions of work and to protection
against unemployment.” How do you suppose your demand will be met?
Resources for further study -- Film, Literature, and the Web:
University of San Diego, California, Ethics Updates, Ethical Relativism
http://ethics.sandiego.edu/theories/relativism/index.asp February 7, 2006.
CRO Corp., LLC. “The Corporate Responsibility Officer”
http://www.thecro.com/index.php
