An Ethics of Care or an Ethics of Justice

  • Warren French
  • Alexander Weis
Chapter

Abstract

A conflict within the community of those investigating business ethics is whether decision makers are motivated by an ethics of justice or an ethics of caring. The proposition put forward in this paper is that ethical orientations are strongly related to cultural backgrounds. Specifically, Hofstede’s cultural stereotyping using his masculine-feminine dimension may well match a culture’s reliance on justice or caring when decisions are made. A study of college graduates from six countries showed that Hofstede’s dimension was remarkably accurate in predicating a justice or caring orientation for decision makers from five of the six countries.

Key Words

business ethics caring feminine Hofstede justice masculine 
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Copyright information

© Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht 2000

Authors and Affiliations

  • Warren French
    • 1
  • Alexander Weis
    • 1
  1. 1.Brucks Hall — University of GeorgiaAthensUSA

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