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Exploring the ethical behavior of managers: A comparative study of four countries

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Abstract

Donaldson and Dunfee's (1994) social contracts theory of economic ethics was subjected to empirical scrutiny to determine whether it can explain differences in behavior between cultures. Data collected utilizing a series of vignettes developed by Fritzsche and Becker (1984) were examined for differences in indicated ethical behavior among American, Japanese, Korean and Taiwanese managers. Rationale for the behavior was classified according to hyper and community norms which were supported or violated. The results suggest that the three East Asian countries do not neatly cluster together in relation to the U.S. in terms of their patterns of ethical behavior. Nonetheless, when we examined the specific rationale for the decisions provided by the managers, the effects of Asian cultural characteristics became more notable. We also found that the social contracts theory provided a much needed bridge between ethical universalists and relativists. The specific reasons underlying their decisions are discussed in the light of cultural and social differences.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Florida International University, USA

    David J. Fritzsche (Professor Of Management And International Business)

  2. The Hong Kong University Of Science & Technology, China

    Y. Paul Huo (Associate Professor Of Management)

  3. Tokyo International University, Japan

    Sakae Sugai (Professor Of Business Administration)

  4. National Sun Yat-Sen University, Japan

    Stephen Dun-Hou Tsai (Chairman And Professor Of Business Management)

  5. Kangweon National University, Korea

    Cheong Seok Kim (Professor Of Industrial Engineering)

  6. University Of Portland, USA

    Helmut Becker (Professor Of Business Administration)

  7. Department of Management and Systems, Washington State University, 99164, Pullman, WA, USA

    Y. Paul Huo (Associate Professor Of Management)

Authors
  1. David J. Fritzsche
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  2. Y. Paul Huo
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  3. Sakae Sugai
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  4. Stephen Dun-Hou Tsai
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  5. Cheong Seok Kim
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  6. Helmut Becker
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Additional information

This research project was partially supported by a research grant from the School of Business and Management, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology.

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Fritzsche, D.J., Huo, Y.P., Sugai, S. et al. Exploring the ethical behavior of managers: A comparative study of four countries. Asia Pacific J Manage 12, 37–61 (1995). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01734385

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