Advertising and Young Age Children Essay

Of all the â€Å"Big ideas† that have changed how we live in the world only one has achieved total supremacy. Its overwhelming and compulsive allure rob its followers of reason and good sense (Van Boven, 2005). It has created unthinkable unsustainability and inequalities among countries, which now pose a stronger threat to human survival than any other phenomena previous(Assadourian et. al, 2010). It is now more powerful than any religion, reaching into every corner of the western world; this monstrosity of an idea is â€Å"consumerism†. It holds the mentalitythat we should all actively be trying to consume more everyday and every year, with the more we consume leading to better lives and greater happiness. However as we witness the rise in social problems such as child obesity, crime and psychological disorders in the western world we must consider if there is a link, and as numerous studies have now shown the relationship is substantial (Wilkinson and Pickett, 2009). A new â€Å"Big Idea† involving a cultural shift must take place converting people to sustainability and reduction ofconsumption before it is too late for us, and more importantly the environment (Skinner, 1976). Reports now show we are dangerously close to the 2 degree Celsius increase in temperature that will push us over the edge of climate re-stabilization(Meinshausenet al, 2009). Global efforts to reduce carbon emissions and promote sustainability such as the Kyoto protocol are in place however the central problem of consumerism is not being addressed. The next generation will grow up in a world where all they know is how to buy. We are steadily loosing the basic skills that have assured human survival to this day. All our children are learning is how to get the best bargains at Tesco and have life aspirations centered on money and possessions. If consumerism is to be reduced we must promote other substitutesamong the youth and at the very least reduce the current impact of consumerism on their development. Children as targets From a consumerist point of view children are the perfect customers, they have no previous appraisal of other products, they are impulsive and will be loyal for life if hooked young. They are the most susceptible to advertising and promotion and most interested in new products. Children now account directly for an estimated $36 billion in sales annually in the USA, with their indirect purchasing power accompanied by the so called â€Å"nag-factor† (Zelizer, 2002) reaching over $290 billion of economic spending (McNeal, 1992). This is not a coincidence, but a direct result of intense advertising and co existing problems of a consumer society. For example with over 70% of mothers now working more and more, consumer tasks are falling to the children.It is now estimated that by age 10, the average child makes over five trips a week to a shop or shopping center (McNeal 1992). And with over $1 billion being spent every year on child advertising and an additional $10 billion on promo tion in the USA alone, these children have more purchasing power than ever. Over the last decade there has been a dramatic shift in the age of children which marketers target resulting in the creation of the â€Å"Tweens†. From the age of 9 to 14 years children are now considered to be midway between childhood and adolescence and unlike other generations acquisition and accumulation of goods has become a preoccupying behavior (Goldberg, 2003). At this age children are still developing in all aspects cognitively, physically, emotionally, socially most importantly they are gaining values and worldviews. With the new preoccupation of consumerism at this young age children are becoming concerned with material status and money, holding them as central values. Before the age of 8 children do not posses the necessary level of cognitive functioning to understand the persuasive aim of advertising and as a result are under treat from the information received as it causes them to make unhealthy choices about themselves and their relationships. At this age they are still relatively unaware of others perceptions and so are dominated by a self-centered focus (Kilby, 1993). There viewof materialism is therefore a very simplistic one of â€Å"I want this†, â€Å"buy me this†, but as children develop this view becomes more complex as material objects take on meaning and the achieving of these goals become an priority. This view â€Å"you are what you buy† hashugeimplications for the child’s individual development and how they interact with their environment throughout life. Kranner and Gomes (1995) found that advertisements made children feel deeply inadequate unless they had certain products. They suggested this not only affects their self-esteem but also is likely to encourage negative behaviors such as stealing to obtain such goods. The views and values of today’s youth are very different than the generation previous. Postman (1994) pointed out how childhood is not an immutable phenomenon but simply a sociocultural creation, which just as its been created can be undone. He argued that advertising and marketing of products once aimed at older teens to younger and younger children is leading to the disappearance or at least alteration of childhood. Effects of advertising on children The effects of childhood materialism are still a relatively new area of study however its impact is starting to be seen as children are becoming impacted at a younger age. Childhood obesity has become commonplace in many western countries, kids are now smoking, drinking and taking drugs younger than never before, and they are suffering from more emotional and mental health problems than any generation previous (Schor, 2004). These findings highlight the change that has occurred over the last 20 years with the wellbeing of youth dramatically declining.Schor (2004) found connections between increased consumerism and anxiety, fear, happiness, depression and social withdrawal. He found continually that consumerism came first and then the suffering followed, not the other way around like some try to suggest. Many studies have now shown that this heightened focus on materialism changeschildren’s values and worldviews. Langer (2005) stated, â€Å"Global commercial culture, is an important source of symbolic material for children as they put together their concept of self†. Children now define themselves through material possessions, as opposed to ethical views or community values. Skafte (1989) demonstrated the affects consumerism has on children’s concepts. He showed a group of â€Å"tweens† a picture of a youth who was either poor or wealthy and asked them what they thought of the person. The wealthier youth was perceived as being more intelligent, getting better grades and making friends more easily. In a later study Dittmar& Pepper, (1994) replicated this using short written paragraphs describing either a rich or poor youth through consumer goods. The richer youth described as having more material possession was also perceived by the â€Å"tweens† as being more hard working, intelligent and successful, but less warm. The extent to which materialism and consumer goods are seen by these youths to be central to a person’s success in all other aspects of life is quite revealing, showing us how ‘stuff’ now dominates over any other trait. The physical health of children is also greatly affected as children growing up in consumer cultures have relatively sedimentary lifestyles, leading to the problem of obesity and often unhappiness (Klanie, 2005). Others argue that advertising and the wide availability of electronic media have taken the power of control away from the parents about what their children learn. The dangerous adult world (particularly sex drugs and violence) is openly available for viewing by minors. All the evidence points to the conclusion that the valuing of wealth over other things is making children less healthy both physically and mentally (Kasser& Ryan, 1993). This is a case for public concern as its affects are filtering up the population as children who watch more TV, movies and videos are shown to have poorer school performance yet be over focused on wealth and consumer goods (Rideout, Foehr, Roberts &Brodie, 1999) creating a gap in expectations and reality. Research has also shown that parents transmit their values to their children(Carlosn&Grossbart, 1988), so if this generation grows up not valuing family and the welfare of the environment and society then the next generation is unlikely to either. For example just as the children of the great depression of the 1930’s related to money in a certain way, usually being very cautious of it, todays youth will irrespectively act in the opposite way becoming carefree and unknowing to the act of â€Å"delayed aquisition† (Gorn, Peracchio, Bamossy, 2003). This is beginning to be seen in the huge level of individual house hold debtacross the western world as people wish to obtain the same level of wealth as everyone else around them without the correct access of means to do so. It is therefore vital that this orientation towards consumerism in youth is addressed through public policycreating a culture shift. Howconsumerist views can be changed. In order for consumerism to be reduced the mentality and views surrounding consumerism must be altered. From birth the hundreds of advertisements and marketing campaigns now shape us to hold the mentalityto attain â€Å"stuff† which in return will shape who we are and bring happiness. La piere (1934) concluded that for change to take place three elements were needed, the person must feel they can do it, have access to memories of action and feel that by not doing anything they are damaging themselves. Under this assumption education and awareness are not enough, they may be helpful in teaching people the dangers of over consumption but will not convince them they can do anything about it or give them access to memories of action. Therefore actions on behalf of the policy makers and educators are vital in making people act and creating change. Under the policy of the American Psychological Association (APA) it aims to work to â€Å"mitigate the causes of human suffering, improve conditions of both the individual and society† and â€Å"Help the public in developing informed judgments†(Commercail Alert, 1999). Over the last 20 years there has been a growing amount of research done in the area of youth and advertising much of which has concentrated on how to exploit children’s emotions to increase consumption. Corporations use psychological findings on children’s needs, cognitive abilities, changing attitudes, and relationships with parents to sell their products (Youth Marketing Services, 2004). Thework of Psychologists in these corporations needs to be carefully monitored. The APA has now made recommendations and now research and investigations must concentrate on helping to counter act â€Å"the potential harmful effects of advertising on children, particularly children ages 8 and younger who lack the cognitive ability to recognize advertisings persuasive intent†(Dittmann, 2004, p.58). By changing how advertising is conducted we can change the message of consumerism being forced upon young children and hopefully reduce consumerism as a result. First and foremost for this to occur Psychologists’ must stay informed, knowing about the relationship between a consumer culture and psychological disturbance (De Angelis, 2004). This will better equip them to deal with questions placed to them, dealing with clients and corporations. Being able to communicate effectively with the greater public and corporations helps keep the public informed to the type of research being done, removing the perception of deception and also enables parents to teach their children how to not fall victim to the commercial culture (Kramer, 2006). By using innovative means of reaching out to the community through schools, policy and counter advertising we can begin to rebuild a level of trust between psychology and the public, whist on the other hand teach the greater population to be wiser consumers and protect their children from its dangers. This could be implemented through systems already in place, for example â€Å"Tidy towns† in which Irish towns and cities compete for the title of â€Å"Tidy town†. A further dimension of sustainability could be added to this, in which town allotments, community trade and car pooling are also rewarded. Schools remain key in the reduction of consumerism as they have long been linked to advertising and marketing (Spring, 2003). The development of a curriculum in which children learn about the persuasive nature of advertising and the risks of over consumption in all areas of life will work to bring such issues to their attention. This is somewhat in place in Ireland with the green schools initiative where school children are encouraged to recycle, compost and plant in their local area with the goal of attaining a green flag. This brings environmentally friendly ideas into action and uses a level of competition to make it more emotive. Also teaching elders about the harmful effects of consumerist aspirations and how they are developed could also help. However there needs to be a removal of all commercial advertising in schools as this should be one place children are free from the bombarding messages(Kramer, 2006). Universities and schools are natural sources of ideas, energy, and info rmation, which should not consist of product placements but items that promote creativity and humanistic values. There are now plans in place to change the laws and governmental policies surrounding child advertising. Up until 1990 there were laws in place prohibiting the direct advertisement to children under a certain age however with the realization of its benefits to sales in the 90’s it was abolished. Now with APA’s proposal on the ethical implications of child advertising hopefully it will be illegal to advertise to children under the age of 8 due to their incapability of understand its intentions (Dittmann, 2004). Psychologists can also help to reduce the problem of consumerism by using their skills to develop advertisements that counter act the messages of consumerism. There should be public service ads, such as for road safety (which have reduced road deaths from 640 in 1972 to just 376 in 2002 (Road Safety Authority, 2012). They could concentrate on alternative sources for self-esteem and peer acceptance, such as showing kindness or humor. They could also promote the values and rewards that can come from family and community interaction such as volunteering or participation in sport (Easterling, Miller, & Weinberger, 1995). These alternative messages of social orientation could shift the future goals of the youth and alter their values away from materialistic items, therefore protecting them from dangers of consumerism and reducing the world’s consumption. Conclusion We can see the harmful affects consumerism is having on our environment as we exhaust our natural resources and pollute those we have left, as we come dangerously close to the â€Å"tipping point† (Lenton et al, 2008). The only way to resolve this global problem is to act now, the resolution starts with us as individuals highlighting the heavy implication of present detrimental government policies. This generation must put in place the tools that are needed to ensure the survival of the planet. At present we are doing the opposite in creating a more consumerist world through our children. We must act now to educate them to the faults of how we live and create a world in which we can exist without the false comfort of consumerism. References Assadourian, E. (2010).Editing Out Unsustainable Behavior. State of theWorld: Transforming Cultures, From Consumerism to Sustainability. Newton & Co: New York Commercial Alert.(1999). Letter to Richard Suinn, PhD, president of the American Psychological Association, RE: The use of psychology to exploit and influence children for commercial purposes. http:/www.commercailalert.org/index.php/category_id/1/subcategory_id/21/article-id/68. De Angelis, T. (2004).Consumerism and its discontents.Monitor on psychology, 35(6), 52-54. Dittmar, H.,& Pepper, L. (1994). To have is to be: Materialism and person perception in working-class and middle class British adolescents. Journal of Economic Psychology, 15, 233-251. Dittmann, M. (2004). Protecting children from advertising: APA’s Council of Representatives supports task force’s call for stricter regulations on ads geared to kids. Monitor on psychology, 35(6), 58-59. Easterling, D., Miller, S., & Weinberger, N. (1995). Environmenta l consumerism: A process of children’s socialization and families’ re-socialization. Psychology & Marketing, 12, 531-550. LaPiere, R. T. (1934). Attitudes vs. Actions.Social Forces, 13(2), 230-237. Lemish, D. (2007). Children and Television: A Global Perspective. Blackwell: New York. Lenton, T., Held, H., Kriegler, E. et al. (2008). Tipping elements in the Earth’s climate system.Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 105, 1786-1793. Gorn, G. J., Peracchio, L. A., Bamossy, G. (2003). Understanding materialism amoung youth. Journal of Consumer Psychology, 13(3), 278-288. Meinshausen, M., Meinshausen, N.Hare, W., Raper, S. C. B.,Frieler, K., Knutti, R.,Frame, D. J., &Allen, M. R. (2009). Greenhouse-gas emission targets for limiting global warming to 2  °C.Nature, 458, 1158-1162. McNeal, J. U. (1992). Kids as consumers: A handbook of marketing to children.New York: Lexington. Kasser, T.,& Ryan, R. M. (1993). A dark side of the American dream: Corr elates of financial success as a central life aspiration. Journal of personality and social Psychology, 65, 410-422. Kramer, J. B. (2006). Ethical analysis and recommended action in response to the dangers

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Business Ethics in Brazil Essay In this comparative survey of 126 Brazilian and U.S. business professionals, we explore the effect of national culture on ethical decisionmaking within the context of business. Using Reidenbach and Robin’s (1988) multi-criteria ethics instrument, we examined how these two countries’ differences on Hofstede’s individualism/collectivism Rafik I. Beekun (Ph.D., The University of Texas, Austin) is Professor of Management and Strategy in the Managerial Sciences Department at the University of Nevada, Reno. His current research interests are in the area of strategic adaptation, the link between national cultures and ethics, and the relationship between management and spirituality. He has published in such journals as Journal of Applied Psychology, Human Relations, Journal of Management and Decision Sciences. Correspondence regarding this article should be sent to him at: Managerial Sciences Department, Mail Stop 28, University of Nevada, Reno, NV 89557-0206. Yvonne Stedham (Ph.D., University of Kansas) is an Associate Professor of Management in the Managerial Sciences Department at the University of Nevada, Reno. She has published in such journals as the Journal of Management and Journal of Management Studies. Dr. Stedham’s research focuses on the following areas: CEO performance evaluation, gender discrimination in employment, ethics in business, decision making across cultures, and managing knowledge workers. Jeanne H. Yamamura (CPA, Ph.D., Washington State University) is an Associate Professor of Accounting in the College of Business at the University of Nevada Reno. Her teaching responsibilities include auditing and accounting information systems c ourses. Dr. Yamamura’s research focuses on the management of accounting professionals with a particular interest in cross-cultural differences and her work has been published in accounting and business journals. She has extensive practical experience in the field of accounting through her previous employment in public and private accounting. Rafik I. Beekun Yvonne Stedham Jeanne H. Yamamura dimension are related to the manner in which business practitioners make ethical decisions. Our results indicate that Brazilians and Americans evaluate the ethical content of actions or decisions differently when applying utilitarian criteria. By contrast, business people from both countries do not differ significantly when they use egoistic criteria in evaluating the ethical nature of business decisions. KEY WORDS: Brazil, egoism, ethics, national culture, U.S., utilitarianism As business organizations move from domestic to global and transnational competition, they are finding that cultural values vary significantly across national boundaries, and are likely to affect business practices (Husted, 2000). During the past decade, several researchers (Ferrell and Gresham, 1985; Hunt et al., 1989; Abratt et al., 1992; Hunt and Vitell, 1992; Tsalikis and Nwachukwu, 1991; Vitell et al., 1993) have noted the potential influence of national c ulture on ethics within a business context. What obscures the impact of national culture on ethics is that business practices may conflict with ethical values in a manner that medicine, law and government do not (DeGeorge, 1993). Not surprisingly, empirical research investigating the relationship between national culture and ethical decision-making is relatively sparse (Vitell et al., 1993). A primary reason for exploring the effects of culture on ethics is the increased globalization of business. This trend, in turn, is characterized by a diverse array of interorganizational arrangements that require cross-cultural interaction. As a result, cultural misunderstandings are likely to occur. One of the key areas where such mis- Journal of Business Ethics 42: 267–279, 2003.  © 2003 Kluwer Academic Publishers. Printed in the Netherlands. 268 Rafik I. Beekun et al. understandings take place is in the area of ethics, partly because of the influence that national cultures may have upon business ethics (Husted, 2000). Accordingly, in our study, we explore the relationship between national culture and business ethics. We will seek to investigate what process underlies ethical behavior across national boundaries. Understanding this process may help global managers develop tools to promote ethical behavior in their international workforce. In this research, we compare two culturally diverse countries, the United States (U.S.) and Brazil, in order to identify similarities and differences with regard to approaches toward ethical decision-making in a business context. Since culture is a broad concept, it is necessary to specify the values that could be related to behaviors or practices (Husted, 2000). For the purposes of this study, we used a well-established framework of national culture (Hofstede, 1980). Hofstede conducted one of the most important studies that ascertained the relationship between national culture and management. From this study, he identified several â€Å"value† dimensions along which countries differ. Using Hofstede’s (1980) framework, we carried out a crosscultural, comparative survey to assess the relationship between his individualism/collectivism dimension of national culture and ethical criteria. With respect to ethical decision-making, we adopted the instrument proposed and validated by Reidenbach and Robin (1988, 1990). They have generated a set of scales that measure the core dimensions characterizing different perspectives of ethical philosophy. Defining national culture: Hofstede’s dimensions of culture Multiple definitions and conceptualizations of national culture exist (Hofstede, 1980, 1988, 2001; Kluckhohn, 1951, 1962; Kluckhohn and Strodtbeck, 1961; Ronen and Shenkar, 1985; Trompenaars, 1993). Although these frameworks and conceptualizations typically center on values, they differ with respect to the specific values that are included in their respective frameworks. For instance, Trompenaars (1993) focuses on values related to relationships such as obligation, emotional orientation in relationships, and involvement in relationships. By contrast, Kluckhohn and Strodtbeck (1961) emphasize more global values such as people’s relationship to nature and time-orientation. With respect to our study, Hofstede’s framework of national cultures is the most appropriate since he ident ified values related to economic activity (Husted, 2000). Therefore, his framework is germane for the study of business decisions. Focusing on national cultures, Hofstede (1997, p. 260) defines culture as the â€Å"collective programming of the mind which distinguishes the members of one group or category of people from another†. Thus, although the problems faced by groups (whether organizational or national) are universal, the solutions devised by each group may be relatively unique to that group. These solutions then become taken for granted over time, and may suggest why people hold certain beliefs and behave the way they do (Schneider and Barsoux, 1997). Hofstede (1980, 1988) has suggested that five dimensions of national culture underlie differences in the behavior of individuals from different cultural backgrounds. Since these dimensions describe how individuals view and interpret situations and behavior, they are likely to be related to how individuals engage in decision-making in general (Weick, 1979; Adler, 2002). Ethical decisionmaking, too, is likely to be affected by these dimensions of national culture. Hofstede’s five cultural dimensions (1980, 1988) are power distance, uncertainty avoidance, masculinity/femininity, individualism/collectivism, and long-term/short-term orientation. Power distance refers to the degree to which less powerful members in a country accept an unequal distribution of power. Uncertainty avoidance depicts a people’s ability to cope with ambiguous situations as well as the mechanisms they have created to avoid such situations. Masculinity exemplifies a focus on material things, such as money, success, etc., whereas femininity refers to a focus on quality of life, caring, etc. Individualism, which will be discussed in more detail later, refers to the tendency of people to consider their interests and those of A Comparative Investigation of Business Ethics their immediate family only. By contrast, collectivism refers to the inclination of people to view themselves as part of a larger group, and to protect the interests of group members. Longterm/short-term orientation describes the time perspective people take when dealing with a situation. Table I represents the scores for Hofstede’s cultural dimensions for Brazil and the U.S. While the scores indicate dissimilarities between the U.S. and Brazil on all five cultural dimensions, by far the largest difference appears in the individualism/collectivism dimension. Brazil scored low on individualism, and hence is considered a collectivistic country; by contrast, the U.S. scored high on individualism and is considered an individualistic country. The individualism/collectivism dimension describes how individuals relate to others and to society, and represents the extent to which they are emotionally and cognitively attached to a particular network of individuals. Individualism describes the inclination of individuals to be primarily concerned with their personal interests and their immediate family’s welfare (Hofstede, 1980). Members of a highly individualistic country view themselves as independent of organizations or institutions, and place a higher value on self-reliance and individual action. Collectivism, in comparison, describes a culture where individuals are viewed as part of a larger group, and look after each other. Collectivistic cultures protect the interests of their members in return for their loyalty. In collectivist cultures, morality is defined in terms of the benefits for the in-group (family, friends, work companies, 269 etc.), implying the maintenance of solidarity (Triandis and Bhawuk, 1997). Hofst ede (1980) noted that the individualism/collectivism dimension carried â€Å"strong moral overtones† because this dimension was reflected in value systems shared by the majority. For example, in a highly individualistic country, individualism is viewed as a strength and the major reason for the country’s accomplishments. By comparison, inhabitants of a highly collectivistic country view an emphasis on self as a negative attribute to be eliminated for the good of society. Competing ethical frameworks for business decisions Ethics are the principles of human conduct regarding either an individual or a group (Shaw, 1999), and represent the moral standards not governed by law, that focus on the human consequences of actions (Francesco and Gold, 1998). Ethics often require behavior that meets higher standards than those established by law, including selfless behavior rather than calculated action intended to produce a tangible benefit. With respect to this study, business ethics describe the ultimate rules governing the assessment of â€Å"what constitutes right or wrong, or good or bad human conduct in a business context† (Shaw, 1999). In the assessment of ethical behavior, perception is critical (Hartmann, 2000). Indeed, ethical decisions may be influenced by our own perception, by others’ perceptions of our actions, and by our perception of â€Å"universal laws†. As a TABLE I Cultural dimensions (Hofstede 1980, 1988, 2001) Dimensions of culture U.S. Brazil Difference Power distance Uncertainty avoidance 40 46 69 76 (29) (30) Individualism/Collectivism 91 38 53 Masculine/Feminine Confucian Dynamism 62 29 49 65 13 (36) 270 Rafik I. Beekun et al. result, our final choices may be determined by the perception tha t is the most salient at the time. Further, Hartmann suggests that cultures may differ not only with respect to the ethical principles underlying decisions but also with respect to which of the three stakeholders – self, society, and universal laws – is emphasized in any given situation. Depending on which stakeholder is emphasized, people from different cultures may vary in their assessment of the ethical nature of a decision. Across most situations, ethical principles that distinguish right from wrong actions are encompassed by several normative theories, e.g., justice, relativism, egoism, utilitarianism, and deontology. These theories can generate potentially conflicting interpretations of what is ethical or unethical, originating from the very nature of the theories themselves. Moreover, prior research (Cohen et al., 1996; Hansen, 1992; Reidenbach and Robin, 1988, 1990) indicates that individuals making ethical decisions do not select a single theory or philosophy by which to make their decisions. In fact, Reidenbach and Robin (1988) found that a varying combination of ethical philosophies or theories is employed when ethical decisions are made. Shaw (1999) draws a distinction between two types of ethical theories, consequentialist and nonconsequentialist. Consequentialist theories suggest that the moral rightness of an action depends on the actual or intended results of the action. What is right is determined by â€Å"weighing the ratio of good to bad that an action is likely to produce† (Shaw, 1999, p. 45). A key issue underlying consequentialist theories is the nature of the beneficiaries of the action under consideration. Should one consider the consequences for oneself or for all involved? The most important consequentialist theories are egoism and utilitarianism. Egoism promotes individual self-interest as the guiding principle whereas utilitarianism advocates that everyone affected by the action or decision must be taken into account (Shaw, 1999). By contrast, nonconsequentialist theories suggest that it is not simply the consequence of an act that matters, but also its inherent character. Although these theories do not deny that con- sequences are morally relevant, they assert that other factors are also important in assessing the moral significance of an action. For example, â€Å"breaking a promise† is wrong not simply because of the consequences that result from breaking it, but also because of the nature of the act itself. In this study, we focus on consequentialist theories for several reasons. First, Hofstede’s individualism/collectivism dimension can be clearly and easily related to the two consequentialist theories. Second, the two theories represent the perceptions of two of the three possible sta keholders identified by Hartmann (2000), namely own perceptions and others’ perceptions. Third, staying within one theoretical category allows for a much more parsimonious, yet thorough, analysis. Ethical perspectives and national culture: hypotheses Whether egoistic or utilitarian principles are employed, ethics are a product of a society’s culture, which includes its traditions, values, and norms. Within a society, ethical behavior is generally agreed upon. Francesco and Gold (1998, p. 40) explain that â€Å"members implicitly understand how relationships, duties and obligations among people and groups ought to be conducted, and distinguish between their selfinterests and the interests of others.† However, when two or more countries interact, they often find that their ethics differ. According to Hendry (1999), these differences may lead to three types of culturally based ethical conflicts. First, there are those conflicts where the ethical values typifying the two national cultures lead to differing conclusions; what is deemed unethical from one perspect ive is considered to be ethical from the other. Second, conflict may arise when businesspersons from one culture consider something morally significant whereas their counterparts from another culture are ethically neutral. Third, business people from two cultures may interpret a common situation differently even when there is some commonality among their national values. A Comparative Investigation of Business Ethics To investigate the relationship between national culture and ethics, we chose two culturally diverse countries, Brazil and the U.S. Given the differences in their respective national cultures, we expect Brazilians and Americans to differ in their assessment of the ethical content of business decisions. Accordingly, we propose the following hypothesis: H1: The assessment of the ethical content of business decisions is a function of national culture. Egoism and individualism/collectivism According to egoism, the only valid standard of one’s behavior is one’s obligation to advance one’s well-being above everyone else’s (Beauchamp and Bowie, 1997). Promotion of one’s own longterm interest is viewed as the only worthwhile objective and the only determinant of whether an act is morally right or not. Nothing is owed to others or to the organization that one works in. Those who abide by this approach to ethics intensely believe that all altruistic efforts by others are really acts of self-promotion since an individual may have to help others in order to advance his/her own interests. Brazil is collectivistic whereas the U.S. is individualistic. As discussed earlier, persons from an individualistic culture emphasize their families’ and their own int erests. H1.a: When applying egoistic criteria to judge the ethical content of an action or a decision, respondents from the U.S. will be less likely than respondents from Brazil to see a decision or action as unethical. Utilitarianism and individualism/collectivism Utilitarianism, in direct contrast to egoism, â€Å"is the moral doctrine that we should always act to produce the greatest possible balance of good over bad for everyone affected by our action† (Shaw, 1999, p. 49). Although utilitarians also 271 evaluate an action in terms of its consequences, an action is ethical if it results in the greatest benefit or â€Å"good† for the largest number of people. Issues of self-interest are not germane since actions are assessed in accordance with one primary standard: the general good. Utilitarianism has long been associated with social improvement and the promotion of actions that are in the best interest of â€Å"the community.† Actions are right if they promote the greatest human welfare. Brazil is collectivistic. Persons from a collectivistic culture focus on actions that lead to the greatest benefit for most members of a group. H1.b: When applying utilitarian criteria to judge the ethical content of an action or a decision, respondents from Brazil will be less likely than respondents from the U.S. to see an action or decision as unethical. To be consistent with prior ethics research (Reidenbach and Robin, 1988), the above hypotheses (H1.a and H1.b) together suggest that Americans and Brazilians rely on more than one ethical criterion when assessing the ethical content of an action or decision. However, we are also suggesting that when each specific ethical criterion they refer to is considered separately, people from different national cultures will vary in their assessment of the ethical content of a course of action or a decision. Methodology Sample Data were collected from 126 respondents – 92 from the U.S. and 34 from Brazil. U.S. participants included MBA students at a regional university as well as business professionals. Brazilian participants were all students enrolled in an Executive MBA program. We used MBA students in our study for two reasons. First, MBA students are a commonly used proxy for business people (Dubinsky and Rudelius, 1980). Dubinsky and Rudelius’ (1980) comparison of 272 Rafik I. Beekun et al. student versus professional evaluations found a high degree of congruence between the two groups. Second, since all students (both U.S. and Brazilian) were currently employed by companies or had recent professional work experience, the sample can be used as a proxy for business professionals in both countries. Data collection The instrument we used was Reidenbach and Robin’s (1988) pre-validated, multi-criteria instrument incorporating the core dimensions that underlie several ethical perspectives. We selected this survey instrument because it is a multi-philosophy and multi-item questionnaire. As a result, it will enable us to assess both ethical dimensions of interest, i.e., egoism and utilitarianism, simultaneously. This instrument incorporates multiple items for each ethical philosophy and, therefore, is relatively more reliable than single item instruments (Kerlinger, 1986). Reidenbach and Robin’s instrument includes an initial set of scales that has shown evidence of high reliability and modest convergent validity with respect to U.S. respondents. The scales correlate highly with a univariate measure of the ethical content of situations. Hence, the instrument can be said to have high construct validity in the U.S. Additional reliability and validation efforts for the wh ole sample and for Brazil specifically are reported below. Using a seven-point Likert scale (1 = ethical, 7 = unethical), respondents were asked to rate the action in three scenarios using the criteria (items) described in Table II. The perception of and the criteria emphasized in evaluating the ethical content of a decision or situation depend on the nature of the decision or the situation. In accordance with previous research, scenarios will be used in this study to provide the contextual stimulus and to motivate the evaluation process (Alexander and Becker, 1978). We adopted the three scenarios developed and validated by Reidenbach and Robin (1988, 1990). Table III presents the three scenarios used in this study. Data were collected by means of the abovementioned instrument administered to Brazilian participants (in Portuguese) and provided via written instrument and website access to U.S. participants (in English). The Brazilian instrument was back translated to ensure equivalence. Efforts were made to establish the reliability and validity of the instrument in this comparative context and are reported as follows. We examined the reliability of the instrument by assessing its internal consistency through the use of Cronbach’s alpha. Since we used three different measures (one for each of the scenarios), we calculated three inter-item coefficient alphas. The Cronbach alpha was 0.81 for the first scenario, 0.75 for the second scenario and 0.86 for the third scenario. All three coefficients indicate that the scale items are internally con- TABLE II Ethics instrument scales Ethical perspective Items (Seven-point Likert scale †“ 1 to 7)* Egoism Self promoting/not self promoting Self sacrificing/not self sacrificing Personally satisfying/not personally satisfying Utilitarianism Produces greatest utility/produces the least utility Maximizes benefits while minimizes harm/minimizes benefits while maximizes harm Leads to the greatest good for the greatest number/leads to the least good for the greatest number * Generally speaking, in the above bipolar scales, 1 = fair or just or efficient (ethical) whereas 7 = unfair, unjust or inefficient (unethical). A Comparative Investigation of Business Ethics