Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Google in China: A Manager-Friendly Heuristic Model for Resolving Cross-Cultural Ethical Conflicts

  • Published:
Journal of Business Ethics Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Management practitioners and scholars have worked diligently to identify methods for ethical decision making in international contexts. Theoretical frameworks such as Integrative Social Contracts Theory (Donaldson and Dunfee, 1994, Academy of Management Review 19, 252–284) and more recently the Global Business Citizenship Approach [Wood et al., 2006, Global Business Citizenship: A Transformative Framework for Ethics and Sustainable Capitalism. (M. E. Sharpe, Armonk, NY)] have produced innovations in practice. Despite these advances, many managers have difficulty implementing these theoretical concepts in daily practice. Using the example of recent decisions by internet service providers Google, Yahoo, and MSN regarding censorship requirements in China, we offer six heuristic questions to help managers to resolve cross-cultural ethical conflicts in which the firm’s way of doing business differs from the practice in the host country. Recognizing that companies can take different approaches to law and ethics (Paine, 1994, Harvard Business Review 72(2), 107–117), our aim is to provide a management decision process to deal with demands or opportunities for engaging in questionable business practices in a host country.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Amalric, R. and J. Hauser: 2005, ‘Economic Drivers of Corporate Responsibility Activities’, Journal of Corporate Communications 20, 28–38

    Google Scholar 

  • Arthurs H. W.: 2005. Corporate Codes of Conduct: Profit, Power and Law in the Global Economy, in W. Cragg (ed.), Ethics Codes, Corporations and the Challenge of Globalization (Edward Elgar, Northampton, MA), pp. 51–71

    Google Scholar 

  • Auletta, K.: 2008, ‘The Search Party: Google Squares Off with Its Capitol Hill Critics’, The New Yorker, January 14, pp. 30–37

  • Aurifeille J. M., Quester, P. G.: 2003. Predicting Business Ethical Tolerance in International Markets, International Business Review, 12, 253–272

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bell D. V. J.: 2005. Voluntary Codes and the New Sustainability Paradigm, in W. Cragg (ed.), Ethics Codes, Corporations and the Challenge of Globalization. (Edward Elgar, Northampton, MA), pp. 321–352

    Google Scholar 

  • Bohlander G., Snell S.: 2007. Managing Human Resources, 14th edition (Thomson Southwestern, Mason, OH)

    Google Scholar 

  • Boles, C., D. Clark and P. Tam: 2007, ‘Yahoo’s Lashing Highlights Risks of China Market’, Wall Street Journal, November 7, A1

  • Buller P. F., & Kohls, J. J.: 1997. A Model for Addressing Cross-Cultural Ethical Conflicts. Business & Society, 36(2), 169–194

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Burton B. K., Goldsby, M.: 2005. The Golden Rule and Business Ethics, Journal of Business Ethics, 56, 371–380

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Campbell, T. and S. Miller: 2004, Human Rights and the Moral Responsibilities of Corporate and Public Sector Organizations (Kluwer, Norwell, MA)

  • Carlson P., Blodgett, M. S.: 1997. International Ethics Standards for Business: NAFTA, CAUX Principles and Corporate Codes of Ethics, Review of Business, 18, 20–23

    Google Scholar 

  • Caux Principles for Business: 2008, Available at http://www.itcilo.it/actrav/actrav-english/telearn/global/ilo/code/caux.htm#Section%202.%20General%20Principles (Accessed on 23 January 08)

  • Chao, L. and E. Smith: 2008, ‘Google Aims to Crack China with Music Push’, The Wall Street Journal, February 6, pp. A1 & A16

  • Cordeiro W. P.: 2003. Should Business Ethics be Different in Transitional Economies?, Journal of Business Ethics, 47, 327–334

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • DeGeorge R. T.: 1993. Competing with Integrity in International Business. New York: Oxford University Press

    Google Scholar 

  • DeGeorge R. T.: 1994. International Business Ethics and Incipient Capitalism: A Double Standard? In Donaldson, T., & Werhane, P. H. (eds) Ethical Issues in Business: A Philosophical Approach (pp. 111–124, 5th edition). Upper Saddle River, NJ, Prentice Hall

    Google Scholar 

  • DeGeorge R. T.: 2005. Business Ethics, 6th edition (Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River, NJ)

    Google Scholar 

  • Donaldson, T.: 1989. ‘Moral Minimums for Multinationals’, Ethics and International Affairs (Oxford University Press, New York)

  • Donaldson, T. and T. W. Dunfee: 1994, ‘Towards a Unified Conception of Business Ethics: Integrative Social Contract Theory’, Academy of Management Review 19, 252–284

  • Donaldson T., Dunfee T. W.: 1999. Ties that Bind: A Social Contracts Approach to Business Ethics (Harvard Business School Press, Boston)

    Google Scholar 

  • Dudley, B.: 2007, ‘Great Perks: Google’, Seattle Times, June 11, 2007, C1&4.

  • Economist: 2006a, ‘Here be Dragons’, Economist.com/Global Agenda, 1. Retrieved July 26, 2007, from ABI/INFORM Global database. (Document ID: 982170061), January, 2006

  • Economist: 2006b: ‘Special Report: The Party, the People and the Power of Cyber-Talk-China and the Internet’, April 29, 379(8475), p. 28

  • Einhorn, B. and B. Elgin: 2006, ‘The Great Firewall of China’, BusinessWeek, January 23, issue 3968, p. 32

  • Einhorn, B., B. Elgin and P. Burrows: 2006, ‘Helping Big Brother Go High-Tech’, Business Week, September 18, issue 4001, p. 46

  • Eisinger, J.: 2006. ‘Long and Short: Blocking Data at China’s Whim Poses Risky Dynamic for Tech Firms’, Wall Street Journal (Eastern Edition), May 3, p. C1

  • Ethics Resource Center: 2005, ‘National Business Ethics Survey Executive Summary: How Employees View Ethics in their Organizations 1994–2005’, available at www.ethics.org

  • Financial Times: 2006a, ‘A Setback for Free Speech in China Google’s Agreement to Censorship Sacrifices Its Ideals’, January 26, p. 16

  • Financial Times: 2006b. ‘Limit the Freedom to Do Evil Abroad’, February 23, p. 17

  • Grossman, L. and H. Beech: 2006, ‘Google Under the Gun’, Time Magazine, February 13, 167(7), pp. 53–55

  • Hamilton J. B. III, Hoch, D.: 1997. Ethical Standards for Business Lobbying: Some Practical Suggestions Business Ethics Quarterly, 7(3), 117–129

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hamilton J. B. III, Knouse, S. B.: 2001. Multinational Enterprise Decision Principles for Dealing with Cross Cultural Ethical Conflicts, Journal of Business Ethics, 31, 77–94

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hamilton J. B. III, M. S. Smith and S. L. Scheck: 2002, ‘Conoco’s Decision: The First Annual President’s Award for Business Ethics’, Case Research Journal, North American Case Research Association 22(3), 79–95

  • Hill V., Hamilton, J. B. III, & Smith, M.: (2006). Creating an Ethical Culture as a Strategic Advantage for Global Growth: A Conversation with Archie Dunham, Former Chairman of ConocoPhillips Journal of Applied Management and Entrepreneurship, 10(4), 82–89

    Google Scholar 

  • Koslowsky M., Sagie, A., Sashevsky, S.: 2002. The International Study of Work and Organizational Values: Cultural Relativism and Universalism in Organizational Behaviors International Journal of Cross Cultural Management, 2, 131–135

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lane H. W., Distegano J. J., Maznevski M. L.: 2006. International Management Behavior, 5th edition (Blackwell, Malden, MA)

    Google Scholar 

  • Levy, S.: 2006, ‘Google and the China Syndrome; The Businesses Know that Building Censorship into Their Search Engines Violates Their Principles’, Newsweek, February 13, 147(7), p. 13

  • Maich S.: 2006. Yes, Master Maclean’s, 119(8), 24–29

    Google Scholar 

  • McGregor, R.: 2002, ‘China Builds a Great Firewall to Contain Internet’, Financial Times of London, September 14, pp. 22–23

  • Moorthy R. S., DeGeorge, R. T., Donaldson, T., Ellis, W. J., Solomon, R. C., Textor, R. B.: 1998. Uncompromising Integrity: Motorola’s Global Challenge. Schaumburg, Illinois: Motorola University Press

    Google Scholar 

  • Nill A.: 2003. Global Marketing Ethics: A Communicative Approach Journal of Macromarketing, 23, 90–104

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development: 2008, OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises—Revision 2000. Available at http://www.olis.oecd.org/olis/2000doc.nsf/LinkTo/NT0000 2F06/$FILE/JT00115758.PDF (Accessed on 23 January 2008)

  • Paine L. S.: 1994. Managing for Organizational Integrity Harvard Business Review, 72(2), 107–117

    Google Scholar 

  • Pritchard M. S.: 2006. Professional Integrity: Thinking Ethically. Lawrence, KS, University Press of Kansas

    Google Scholar 

  • Raynor M. S.: 2007. The Strategy Paradox: Why Committing to Success Leads to Failure (and what to do about it). Strawberry Hills, Australia, Currency Press

    Google Scholar 

  • Sama L. M.: 2006. Interactive Effects of External Environmental Conditions and Internal Firm Characteristics on MNE’s Choice of Strategy in the Development of a Code of Conduct Business Ethics Quarterly, 16, 137–165

    Google Scholar 

  • Schwartz M. S.: 2005. The Universal Moral Values for Corporate Codes of Ethics Journal of Business Ethics, 59, 27–44

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Smeltzer L. R., Jennings, M. M.: 1998. Why an International Code of Business Ethics Would Be Good for Business Journal of Business Ethics, 17, 57–66

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Srnka K. J.: 2003. Cross-Cultural Marketing Ethics – Development, Concepts, and Empirical Results: A Critical Review, in O. C. Farrell, S. L. True, L. E. Pelton (eds.), Rights, Relationships, and Responsibilities (Coles College of Business, Kennesaw, GA), pp. 153–181

    Google Scholar 

  • United Nations: 1948, Captured on 2-14-08 at http://www.un.org/Overview/rights.html

  • Velasquez M. L.: 1995. International Business Ethics: The Aluminum Companies in Jamaica. Business Ethics Quarterly, 5, 865–882

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Velasquez M. L.: 1998. Business Ethics: Concepts and Cases. 4 edition. Upper saddle River, NJ, Prentice Hall

    Google Scholar 

  • Werhane P. A.: 1999. Moral Imagination and Management Decision Making. New York: Oxford University Press

    Google Scholar 

  • White, A.: 2007, ‘Europe Worries About Google: Key Consumer Group Fears Doubleclick Deal will Damage Privacy, User Choice’, Seattle Times, July 5, C1&4

  • Wood D. J., Logsdon, J. M., Lewellyn, P. G., Davenport, K.: 2006. Global Business Citizenship: A Transformative Framework for Ethics and Sustainable Capitalism. (M. E. Sharpe, Armonk, NY)

    Google Scholar 

  • Woof W., Cragg W.: 2005. The US Foreign Corrupt Practices Act: The Role of Ethics, Law and Self-Regulation in Global Markets, In W. Cragg (ed.), Ethics Codes, Corporations and the Challenge of Globalization (Edward Elgar, Northampton, MA), pp. 112–153

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of Louisiana, Lafayette, U.S.A.

    J. Brooke Hamilton, Stephen B. Knouse & Vanessa Hill

Authors
  1. J. Brooke Hamilton
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Stephen B. Knouse
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Vanessa Hill
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Vanessa Hill.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Hamilton, J.B., Knouse, S.B. & Hill, V. Google in China: A Manager-Friendly Heuristic Model for Resolving Cross-Cultural Ethical Conflicts. J Bus Ethics 86, 143–157 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-008-9840-y

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-008-9840-y

Keywords

Search

Navigation