Ethics Away From Home Limitations

Running Head: ETHICS AWAY FROM HOME
Ethics Away From Home Limitations
Name
Institution

ETHICS AWAY FROM HOME 2
Executive Summary
The report will go in depth to introduce key introduction points on the international ethics
subject. It will try to launch the basic understanding of relativism and absolutism both at an
individual and corporate level. Companies operating away from home have a hard time
understanding and implementing universal cultural values. The body will explain limitations the
global corporate brands have in observing universal ethics in some countries. The paper will
attempt to offer recommendations for the above limitations and ensure there is a balance between
cultural relativism and absolutism.
Introduction
We live in a world where international corporations are expanding their operations across the
globe (Javalgi & Russell 2018). Big brands are globalizing their products to different countries
and cultures. Smooth globalization requires a clear understanding of cultures and values in
different regions. Human societies are different meaning the general knowledge of human right
and principle is different. The debates seem to revolve between adopting a western culture in
non-western culture and adopting present cultural values. The international organizations
running businesses in these countries are in a dilemma whether to stand by their universalism or
relativist beliefs.
Relativism is the belief that there is no defined truth and way while absolutism is a general
understanding that there are an absolute right and wrong. When a firm is operating in a
nonwestern culture, it has to decide on specific policies; when to adopt a relative attitude or
absolute way on controversial issues. It has to draw the line when to intervene in the specific

ETHICS AWAY FROM HOME 3
conflict and how to balance the two ideas. From hiring, management, operations to corporate
social responsibilities organizations must be prepared to handle all this (de George,2017).
How does a human resource manager operating in Middle East judge the role of a female
employee? Based on his cultural understanding or the culture he is operating in? Different human
resource managers would handle situations differently. One manager may choose to hire an
excellent female driver in Saudi Arabia based on his universal ethical conscience while another
may decline that based on his respect toward the environment he is operating in.
Limitations to Ethics Away from Home Approach
Ethics away from home means maintaining universal values and understanding in all regions of
operation. Companies that decide to use this approach in nonwestern regions are always met with
challenges and cultural dilemma. Cultural absolutism seems to be the human way to treat people,
whether employees or customers but this may be counterproductive in some regions. Workers in
some countries like Japan believe in hard work and loyalty to their employers. They believe and
love in staying loyal through hard times; this is however different in Western Europe and the
USA where people are more about freedom and career advancements.
Ethics away from home idea may meet challenges for the following reasons;
• Different countries have different histories; different history backgrounds make different
ethical interpretation. What might seem inhumane and unethical may be ethically allowed
and accepted.
• Cultural diversity-it means that a corporation that does not understand and understand
cultural diversity will have a hard time trying to implement its universal ethical ideas.