Ethical Issues in International Business: Case Analysis
This paper examines ethical issues arising in international business operations, focusing on a case study involving gender discrimination and workplace harassment at a multinational bank. The paper analyzes violations of fundamental moral principles when a female employee, Sara Strong, is demeaned by her supervisor during an overseas assignment in Mexico. It further discusses direct and indirect workplace discrimination and the role of HR professionals in managing cross-cultural diversity. In its second part, the paper contrasts tipping for personal benefit with bribery to secure business contracts, applying utilitarian reasoning to argue that the two practices differ morally in both intent and consequence.
- Introduction: Ethics and Overseas Assignments: HR challenges and culture shock in overseas postings
- Moral Violations in the Workplace: Leisinger's principles and Sara Strong's harassment
- Gender Discrimination and Sexual Harassment: Direct and indirect discrimination types in Mexico assignment
- HR Responsibility and Cross-Cultural Management: HR's consulting role and managing cultural diversity
- Tipping vs. Bribery: A Utilitarian Perspective: Contrasting tipping and bribery through utilitarian ethics
- Conclusion: Summary of ethical failures and corporate responsibility
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What makes this paper effective
- The paper applies a structured ethical framework — drawing on Leisinger's moral common sense principles — to evaluate specific workplace incidents, grounding abstract ethics in concrete case detail.
- It maintains a clear distinction between two separate ethical problems (workplace gender discrimination and bribery), treating each with its own reasoning before connecting them through the broader theme of corporate responsibility.
- The utilitarian analysis in Part 2 is handled with intellectual honesty, acknowledging the weaknesses of utilitarianism while still applying it to argue a nuanced position on bribery versus tipping.
Key academic technique demonstrated
The paper demonstrates applied ethical reasoning — taking a recognized normative framework (Leisinger's moral principles; utilitarian ethics) and systematically testing whether real-world actions conform to or violate those standards. This technique shows how abstract moral theory translates into practical corporate decision-making and policy evaluation.
Structure breakdown
The paper opens with context on international HR challenges, then applies a moral checklist to the case study's central incidents. It progresses through discrimination typology (direct vs. indirect), organizational hierarchy failures, and recommended corporate remedies. Part 2 shifts to a philosophical contrast between tipping and bribery, using utilitarian logic to differentiate personal-benefit acts from broader ethical compromises. References are cited throughout to support both the HR and ethical frameworks.
Introduction: Ethics and Overseas Assignments
In the present business environment, due to the international nature and global exposure of virtually every company, organizations are increasingly sending employees on overseas assignments. Because of the diversity in beliefs, traditions, cultural values, and practices found in countries other than an employee's home nation, workers can experience culture shock and difficulty coping in their host country. In some cases, prevailing attitudes toward professionals in the host nation can prove harmful to the employee to a considerable degree.
Career advancement is directly affected in such situations, and employee morale declines. The bank has a responsibility to ensure that its personnel are not harmed or limited in their career advancement by the social customs of the host nation. Certain practices of the host country may be demeaning to an employee, causing embarrassment and reducing their ability to perform at their best. As the employing organization, the bank bears a special responsibility for the professional advancement of its employees so that, based on individual merit and competence, employees are promoted to higher grades in the value chain.
As the industry moves into the stream of knowledge management — defining concepts, sharing information, and imparting industry-specific knowledge — HR professionals are dealing with a more knowledgeable and empowered workforce than ever before (Chapter by Rajesh B. Iyer).
References
"Chapter by Rajesh B. Iyer" (12 August 2003). Retrieved from Accessed 12 August 2005.
Leisinger, Klaus M. (2 June 1994). "Corporate Ethics & International Business: Some Basic Issues — Moral Common Sense." Retrieved from Accessed 12 August 2005.
Murphy, Robert. "Is Utilitarianism Viable?" Retrieved from http://www.mises.org/story/698. Accessed 12 August 2005.
"Utilitarianism: Criticism of Utilitarianism." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Utilitarianism. Accessed 12 August 2005.
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