Ethical Issues in International Management
Ethics is a major concern in international management, and it relates to a set of acceptable practices regarded as wrong or right in a profession which governs the conduct of individuals and companies. Ethical issues and
dilemmas in international business are concerned with deeply rooted facts enrooted in the economic, political, and cultural systems which differ from one country to the other. In this respect, it relates to anything perceived
as wrong or right by a given culture which in most cases replicates from one nation to the other. Despite the numerous types of ethical practices in place, human rights, employment practices, corruption, moral obligation,
and environmental regulations are the key elements acting as ethical concerns in international business.
International companies have to follow the provisions given in the international labor laws and remain ethically responsible throughout their business dealings. Practices occurring in host nations have to match those
in international markets with a small difference allowed in the pricing and payment of workers as long as they compare to the international and local policies regarding employment acts (Gangone 189). In this case, firms are
tasked to act ethically and avoid dilemmas in the process of business engagement. Therefore, ethical considerations must be adhered to by businesses in their organization culture, decision-making process,
leadership activities, and general performance of business.
Employment Practices
Employment practices relate to the day-to-day experience of work and the conditions exposed to workers during a production or service delivery. Ethical issues are concerned with employment practices occurring in other
nations which regularly differ with that present in the host nation (Thomas 42). Working conditions which clearly differ from those offered in the host nation, by a broad degree may be termed as an ethical issue. The concept
refers to issues such as pay differences and working conditions that clearly contravene the standards set in the international labor acts (Gangone 186). For instance, international firms that have workers working over 8 hours on a day with low pay and no overtime risk being convicted of breaching employment acts. Companies ought to remain ethical in their recruitment and selection process and employ the right people who deserve a
post.
On the other hand, employers seeking the services of child labor to cut on costs and underpay practice immoral acts that contravene the provisions in the employment labor acts. Firms that provide poor working conditions for its workers violate the ethical considerations in doing business by subjecting workers to untold suffering at the expense of reducing operating costs while damaging their productivity (Ferrell and Fraedrich 29). Despite making profits, such firms go contrary to the labor provisions that discourage child labor in factories. In this incidence, a firm practices an ethical practice as it contradicts those practiced in their host nation. According to Davies, legal measures can be taken on such a business to align its practices …
