12.4 Relativism and Points We Can Agree On: Practical advice

Cultural relativism and ethical relativism receive their names from the fact that the standards for judgment are relative to a particular culture. To say that a standard is relative to a certain culture or place means that the standard applies only to that culture, and that it can be judged only by the other standards of that culture.

The term “relative” with this meaning has several opposites: we have already seen the idea of universal ethical principles, or principles that apply everywhere to everyone. But we could also talk about “absolute” or “objective” ethical standards. As far as our analysis in this book goes, those terms mean the same thing as “universal.” They refer to standards or principles that apply to everyone, regardless of their cultural background.

In the previous section we considered the more theoretical question of whether these absolute or objective principles exist. Here we will focus on a more practical aspect of the issue, which is what to do in the face of globalization and relativism about norms and ethical standards.

First, let’s see a few points we can agree on. In his book Competing with Integrity in International Business,1 Richard DeGeorge offered the following ten norms as principles that we can apply across cultures, whether or not they represent truly universal ideas about morality:

  1. Do no intentional direct harm.

  2. Produce more good than harm for the host country.

  3. Contribute by their activity to the host country’s development.

  4. Respect the human rights of their employees.

  5. Respect the local culture and work with and not against it.

  6. Pay their fair share of taxes.

  7. Cooperate with the local government in developing and enforcing just background institutions.

  8. Recognize that majority control of a firm carries with it the ethical responsibility for the actions and failures of the firm.

  9. Make sure that hazardous plants are safe and run safely.

  10. When transferring hazardous technology to less-developed countries, be responsible for redesigning such technology so that it can be safely administered in the host country.

DeGeorge’s list is valuable because he has identified ten points that do seem to apply across cultures, and because all ten points are very practical. They are actionable pieces of guidance that many employees and corporate leaders could use in order to navigate different cultural and ethical norms.

Keep in mind, though, that DeGeorge’s ten points are explicitly for companies with global business operations—they are meant as guides for organizations that do a great deal of work in other countries, including production and manufacturing. That isn’t to say that these points can’t be helpful for others, and while they are practical, not all of them are relevant to every situation.

It may be more common, for example, to be in a situation like the following: suppose you have visited Japan for a business trip. Japanese cultural norms2 tend to be very different from those in western countries, and this is no less true for business. As a country, Japan tends to assume a greater difference than other countries between bosses and subordinates; it’s also a country whose business practices are “masculine” in the sense of being more male-dominated and aggressive. In addition, Japan is more collectivist, more accepting of authority and more deferential to it, and more accepting of force or forceful ways of behaving, at least compared to the United States.

These are definitely major cultural differences, and they lead to various differences in cross-cultural business communication.

Example: Business Customs in Japan

First, silence. Americans and other Western groups, especially upon meeting for the first time, tend to talk a lot in order to get to know each other. The exchange of ideas in meetings and other interactions is also thought to be a good way of working. This is not true in Japan, where it’s not customary for people to fill verbal space all the time.

Second, teams. As a more collectivist culture, Japanese business communication often involves praising an entire group or team, even when it’s known that a single individual made the crucial contribution.

Third, rank. Rank and seniority play a role in business life in the United States, but they’re often in the background. Not so in Japan. Clear and meaningful deference is shown to those with superior rank in Japan, and rank is often associated with age. The proper way to interact with someone of high status is different from how you’d interact with someone else.

Fourth, aggression. In keeping with the more subdued approach to business interactions between business organizations, aggressive sales or negotiating tactics will fail in Japan, even though more forceful ways of acting between individuals in an authority structure would be acceptable elsewhere. Some people in the United States would also find aggressive approaches distasteful, but Japan has a more wholesale rejection of those ways of doing business.

Fifth, meishi. A meishi is a Japanese business card. Many business professionals in America have cards, but these items are much more important in Japan and are accompanied by special rituals for their exchange. In meeting someone for the first time in a business context, it’s not only customary but expected that you will exchange business cards. This is done with the lower-ranking person offering their card first. They extend the card to the recipient with both hands. After a moment the recipient will then extend their card, which you are expected to receive with both hands. You’re then expected to review the card, noting the rank and title. If a meeting follows this exchange, you do not put the card away but instead place it on the table between you and your conversation partner. If you receive more than one card, you are to arrange them in a certain order on the table, preserving the rank relationships among the people to whom you are speaking.

Sixth, bowing. Outside of curtain calls at the end of performances, Americans almost never bow. But bowing is an important part of greeting and showing deference to authority in Japanese culture, and shows an awareness of the power differences between two people.

These are only six aspects of Japanese business culture; there are others. But these are enough to get an idea for how different the communication norms will be when dealing with Japanese audiences. Someone without thorough knowledge of these differences and norms would almost immediately offend Japanese communication partners and torpedo any chance of success with them. Successful business communication in this situation would require both awareness of the cross-cultural differences and a willingness to adapt to another way of doing things.

And, indeed, some of these differences may lead to ethical issues as well. The ten points of agreement may not help us navigate all ethical and cultural issues. To do that we would need the practical wisdom of experience and a knowledge of how ethical principles can change in different contexts.

What ethical problems have you noticed resulting from differences in cultural norms? What points of agreement might we find between different cultures? What underlying ethical principles could guide the way we deal with these differences?

You’ll have a chance to consider these questions and others in the following case study.

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