The Ethics of International Business (The Ruffin Series in Business Ethics) (Paperback)

~ (Author) "In August of 1987 in Geneva, Switzerland, a group of 3,000 delegates from 141 of the world's developed and developing nations reached a surprising agreement..." (more)
Key Phrases: compatibility proviso, extraordinary moral horrors, fundamental international right, South Africa, United States, Union Carbide (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review

"[A] classic in the field....one of the few book-length treatments of moral issues in international business...for the international manager who wants a basic framework for resolving ethical issues, Donaldson provides an in-depth understanding."--Ethical Management

"Very helpful and in-depth look at the complexities of international business."--Scott B. Rae, Talbot School of Theology

"An excellent overview of an area of ethics which is emerging as one of the most vital concerns of our era. It is a welcome addition to the literature."--Albert A. Anderson, Babson College

"Perfectly suitable for my course and the only one that I have found of its kind."--Joseph M. Bearson, Eckerd College

"Maximizes the possibilities of social contract theory to locate corporations in a context of moral discourse....An appropriate blend of analytic and prescriptive moral reasoning."--Ronald Stone, Pittsburgh Theological Seminary

"Recommended for all my students and particularly for international business and business policy courses. Students need to integrate business ethics into their management frame of reference, and this book helps to do that!--Louis L. Moon, Eastern Oregon State College

"Accessible to an audience possessing little familiarity with contemporary moral theory, but it is also worth the time of moral philosophers....Provides a valuable opportunity to think about the normative impmlications of relativism."--Ethics

"Very helpful in thinking through the complex world of international business practices and cultures."--Walter D. Scott, Kellogg Graduate School of Management

"Very useful."--Robert S. Inglis, Palm Beach Atlantic College

"Well-written, very good."--Rotgert E. Drive, Houston Baptist University

Product Description

When standards for pollution, discrimination, and salary schedules are lower in an offshore host country than they are in the home country, should multinational corporations insist on home country standards? Would using home standards imply a failure to respect cultural diversity and national integrity? What obligations, if any, do multinationals have to the people they affect indirectly? In this study, business ethicist Thomas Donaldson offers three concepts for interpreting international business ethics: a social contract between productive organizations and society, the notion of a fundamental international right, promulgated by ten specific international rights, and a moral "algorithm" to help multinational managers make tradeoffs between conflicting norms in home and host countries. He then employs these concepts in the analysis of specific problems such as the distribution of hazardous technology and South African divestment. A timely and important text for courses in international business or business ethics.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 200 pages
• Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA (January 1, 1989)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0195074718
• ISBN-13: 978-0195074710
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.1 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #894,094 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Difficult, but rewarding, October 6, 2003

By	Janet K. Marta (Platte City, MO USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I use this book in a graduate class in international business. MBA students struggle with it, and I have to teach pretty actively in order to identify the core argument for them. But they eventually understand it, and many find it the most rewarding book they read in the class.

The structure of Donaldson's reasoning is beautiful, and the algorithm gives useful guidance toward RESOLVING ethical dilemmas in international business. Donaldson believes businesses have ethical responsibilities in international settings, but what they are isn't always obvious. The context matters, for this author; neither transporting American ethics abroad nor "doing what the Romans do while in Rome" works properly.

Besides his ethical algorithm (specific guidance for resolving ethical dilemmas), Donaldson contributes a list of 10 "fundamental international rights" and the duties they imply for multinational corporations. An important book in the field, and very satisfying.