Ethical Decision-Making for Global Managers

Global managers face increasing pressures from governments and civil society groups to go beyond traditional business roles for the sake of the common good. Ethical issues of human rights, labor conditions, and environmental impacts can pose serious policy dilemmas that involve difficult value choices and management decisions. Should foreign companies try to influence a country’s domestic political process on issues such as democratic elections, religious freedoms, the treatment of indigenous peoples, or the domestic allocation of tax revenue? Should large international retailers enforce ethical practices for their foreign suppliers, such as requiring a “living wage”? Do international marketing practices manipulate vulnerable consumers into making inappropriate purchases or enhance their free choice of products? This program consists of three courses that analyze questions of business ethics using actual cases from around the world. Drawing on established theory and ethical principles, the courses use normative criteria to evaluate “best choice” options for real-world ethical decision-making. The courses also promote awareness of the complexities facing global decision makers caught between competing national laws or cultural practices.