Introduction

Overview

The papers gathered in this volume were first presented for reflection and discussion at a landmark event in March 1992. The International Conference on the Ethics of Business in a Global Economy, held in Columbus, Ohio, brought together over 300 participants from twenty-two nations in six continents. This was the most geographically diverse body of leaders ever assembled to consider issues of ethics in business. Approximately two-thirds of them were business executives; the others came mainly from the fields of education and religion.

Knowing the context from which this book emerged will help readers understand its composition and content. As can be quickly seen, the fourteen authors who have contributed to it come from different areas of the world and from different fields of endeavor. One finds, first, essays on the book’s central theme by business leaders from four nations. Next there are analyses of three key topics by scholars active in the fields of economics and ethics. Then come statements by practitioners of four major world religions on the relevance of their respective traditions to the ethics of business. Finally there are six brief case studies prepared by two business ethicists about specific ethical issues arising in international business.

The authors address different facets of one of the most dramatic new facts of our time: the globalization of business. With many corporations now operating around the world and others planning a significant expansion of markets, this development is destined to accelerate in coming decades.

International operations create fresh opportunities and problems for business executives. Attention must be paid to difficult questions that arise when corporations cross national and cultural boundaries, establishing far-reaching patterns of interdependence. Prominent among those questions are the ones focusing upon development of internationally shared values and standards that are necessary both for economic success and public acceptance. How far can business leaders go toward establishing an international consensus regarding ethical standards for business conduct? How can these standards be effectively implemented by their respective companies? How can the standards constructively influence the quality of global economic competition? The deliberate diversity of geography and perspective among contributors to this volume points to its essential (albeit implicit) thesis: that as business firms around the world increasingly operate in a global economy, moving beyond their accustomed places and practices, it is critically important that insights from different cultures and different disciplines be brought to bear on the development of ethical vision and ethical conduct that fit this new situation.