Mexico

Not understanding the cultural aspects of doing business overseas can jeopardize the success of international negotiations, entry strategies, joint ventures, technology transfer, marketing, and human resources. This article reports a study of the perceptions of U.S. and Mexican executives concerning the importance of 15 cultural dimensions of doing business in Mexico (our second largest trading partner). It found that, whereas Mexican executives believed more strongly than U.S. executives that the cultural dimensions of doing business in Mexico were more important than the product or service offered and the accompanying terms of sale, the U.S. executives, surprisingly, assigned higher levels of importance to the 15 cultural variables. Both Mexican and U.S. executives strongly agreed on which of the 15 variables were most important. All eight subgroups of U.S. executives assigned higher levels of importance to the 15 cultural aspects of doing business in Mexico than did their Mexican counterparts. When four comparisons of the executives of the eight subsets of U.S. companies‐large vs. small, border location vs. nonborder location, doing business in Mexico vs. not doing business there, and doing business there more than 5 years (pre‐NAFTA) vs. doing business there 5 years or less (post‐NAFTA)—were made of the level of importance they attached to the cultural variables, no significant differences were found. Based on the study's findings, implications for doing business in Mexico are indicated. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

"Business Responsibilities in a Divided World": The Cold War Roots of the Corporate Social Responsibility Movement

Both business executives and management scholars have, in recentyears, focused a great deal of attention on the theme of corporatesocial responsibility (CSR). Calls for business leaders to expendresources on behalf of "social good" tend to downplay, if notignore, what is fundamentally an ideological question: justwhat is a "good" society and who defines "goodness"? The ideologicalunderpinnings of social responsibility and its relationshipto the "good" society can be explored through an historicalperspective. The roots of the CSR movement trace back to theearly years of the Cold War. Led by Donald K David, Dean ofthe Harvard Business School and supported by other academicsand executives given voice on the pages of the Harvard BusinessReview, advocates urged expanded business social responsibilityas a means of aligning business interests with the defense offree-market capitalism against what was depicted as the clear-and-presentdanger of Soviet Communism. Today's enthusiastic calls for businessto "do well by doing good" could benefit from a similar criticalanalysis not just of the goals of CSR but also the ideologicalassumptions, often unacknowledged, that underlie those goals.     

Corporate political activity: The good,the bad,and the ugly

Many executives mix business with politics, but to what end? Over the past 30 years, researchers have examined whether this practice leads to increased business performance, and have found conflicting results. Via meta-analysis, we reexamined these results and condensed them into one meaningful package. The good news is that businesses which mix business and politics generally receive handsome returns. The bad news is that engaging in political activity has risks and can hurt performance. The ugly news is that risks can be mitigated; however, the methods for doing so are likely to offend some firm stakeholders. Overall, we conclude that mixing business with politics is beneficial, although executives must pursue the practice with a hint of caution.     

Piracy in China

In a global marketplace, doing business in China is inevitable. Companies that conduct business in China, especially manufacturing and distribution, are particularly sensitive to piracy. It is common knowledge that piracy can be found everywhere in China, and in virtually every industry. This article analyzes Intellectual Property Rights and the business structure in China. Herein, the legal system is evaluated and common problems facing companies operating in China are discussed. We conclude with suggestions for companies currently operating in China, as well as those which plan to enter China in the near future. The opportunities of doing business in China outweigh the threat and fear of piracy.     

The business of ethics and the ethics of business

This is an essay in personal business ethics of executives as distinguished from the institutional ethics of corporations. Its purpose is to give practical moral guidance to executives for the conduct of their lives both as corporate decision-makers and as human beings. The pivotal concept in this model of personal business ethics is a direct appeal to the self-interest of executives in their being moral. Our thesis is that generally there is a twofold return on investment in ethics (ROIE) for executives. The first one is related to employee output: by becoming a self-actualizing moral type, executives indicate commitment to excellence. Accordingly, they so manage employees that the latter can also live up to their full potential and excell. And that would increase corporate productivity and product or service quality. The second payback of morality is personal: fully developed, self-actualized managers are generally happier people than those whose growth has been arrested. In brief, moral self-actualization is the same as commitment to excellence and there is a payback in being the best. Return on investment in ethics and return on investment in excellence can both be abbreviated as ROIE. We accomplish the purpose and establish the thesis of this essay by seeking answers to the following questions: What business does ethics have in business? What business does business have in ethics? Is there a return on investment in ethics for executives? and Does being moral help executives become more effective managers? In sketching answers to these questions, we first show why executives need a personal business ethics especially in today's world. Then, we sketch the nature of ethics and of business. After these introductory materials, the body of the paper argues for a personal business ethics for executives by correlating elements of management theory with ethics. Specifically, it links a theory of employee motivation with a scale of values, management character types with moral types, and management leadership styles with morality. Then, the practical technique of life by objectives (LBO) is explained. It can help executives manage their lives more effectively in both the business and ethical sense. We conclude by explaining ideals of excellence which can guide executives in their work and development both as managers and as human beings.     

How Strong are the Ethical Preferences of Senior Business Executives?

How do senior business executives rank their preferences for various ethical principles? And how strongly do the executives believe in these principles? Also, how do these preference rankings relate to the way the executives see the future (wherein business decisions play out)? Research on these questions may provide us with an appreciation of the complexities of ethical behavior in management beyond the traditional issues concerning ethical decision-making in business. Based on a survey of 585 vice presidents of U.S. businesses it was found that: (1) there is a distinct set of principles of ethical conduct that is considered favorable as opposed to another set considered unfavorable among a comprehensive list of 14 ethical principles; (2) the executives believed overwhelmingly that their own individual ethical preferences are better than those of other executives; (3) the strength of their preferences for ethical principles is associated with whether the executives are relatively near-future oriented or more distant-future oriented; and (4), there are very few significant differences in terms of gender, age, education level, private/public education, prestigious/other schools, business/non-business academic backgrounds, and length of job experience. Implications of these findings are discussed.     

The Canadian Research Strategy For Applied Ethics: A new opportunity for research in business and professional ethics

InTowards a Canadian Research Strategy ForApplied Ethics, I put forward proposals to advance Canadian research in applied ethics. I focus on the assessment made of Canadian teaching, consulting, and research in business and professional ethics and then on the strategy proposed for advancing work in these areas. I argue for research which is [1] oriented to the ethical needs of those in business and the professions, [2] interdisciplinary, and [3] involves the creation of national and international networks. I then offer some preliminary observations on the first two years of the new research strategy's operation.Michael McDonald occupies the Maurice Young Chair of Applied Ethics at the University of British Columbia, where one of his principal roles is in the establishment of a university-wide Centre for Applied Ethics. He is currently President of the Canadian Philosophical Association and a past Editor of the Philosophical journalDialogue. He has published in ethics, philosophy of law, and political philosophy.     

Understanding the Challenges Facing the Food Manufacturing Industry

Abstract

The Northeast's share of US food processing activity has decreased significantly over the last three decades as many food processing firms have exited the region and located elsewhere, particularly in the South and the West. This decline has been most severe in New Jersey, the state that is frequently cited as having the most stringent business and regulatory climate in the nation. To investigate why food processors have found the New Jersey environment to be so unfriendly, this study organized focus groups of food processing industry executives, trade organizations and researchers. The findings suggest that the area of environmental and other regulation is the most problematic for food processors. Other areas of concern include, in order of importance, taxation and fiscal problems, economic barriers to development and expansion, high cost of doing business, education, training and labor concerns, communication and public relations, and transportation. Policy makers in New Jersey, and in other northeastern states facing similar food processing declines, interested in the retention and economic development of food processing firms need to be cognizant of the impediments currently constraining the industry. Industry-based public policy recommendations for enhancing the business climate for food processors are presented.     

Social ethics and the emergence of advertising in China: Perceptions from within the great wall

While interest in doing business continues to rise steadily, information concerning the evolving social ethics of Chinese managers is sparse. This study reports the findings obtained from intensive interviews with thirty-nine Chinese advertising executives. In general, there appears to be developing a cautious optimism about the role of advertising in the Chinese economy. Findings are compared with earlier studies of American and Hong Kong managers and it is suggested that further research and observation is needed to track the development of business ethics in this largest of the world's developing nations. His most important publication is: ‘The Nature of Importance Perceptions: A Test of a Cognitive Model’,Organizational Behavior and Human Performance (April, 1983).     

Making profits and sweet music

This paper seeks to provide a practical theoretical setting for ethics in business. The perspective is that of the strategic practitioner rather than the moral philosopher. It seeks to take account of the currently dominant business influences of rapid technological development and globalisation and the resultant new form of stakeholder organisation.
From this perspective it is clear that being perceived as trustworthy is seen as vital to long term business success. There are various corporate actions that are taken to ensure that organisations are perceived in this way and this paper reports those which were identified during interviews with executives in leading UK companies.
The research found little support for corporate philanthropy involving firms investing in 'good works' unrelated to their business activities. The main focus was on setting standards of behaviour and achieving a high degree of openness and transparency between stakeholders made subject to independent audit and report. These practical initiatives do not rest on any knowledge and understanding of moral philosophy.     

Market entry barriers in China

Although industrial economists and strategy theorists provide a considerable amount of research regarding market entry barriers in the context of industrialized countries such as those in North America and Western Europe, few studies focus on entry barriers in the business context of China. Consequently, an understanding of the barriers to entry to Chinese markets as perceived by Chinese business executives is limited in the marketing literature. This research, based on the development and administration of a self-completed survey of one hundred and ninety three Chinese executives, attempts to ascertain the dimensions and order of importance of market entry barriers in this context. The findings of the research indicate seven dimensions of marketing entry barriers and show that business executives in China perceive advertising effects as the most important entry barrier and capital requirements as the least important.     

Radials,Rollovers and Responsibility: An Examination of the Ford-Firestone Case

In August of 2000, Firestone executives initiated the second largest tire recall in U.S. history. Many of the recalled tires had been installed as original factory equipment on the popular Ford Explorer SUVs. At the time of the recall, the tires and vehicles had been linked to numerous accidents and deaths, most of which occurred when tire blowouts resulted in vehicle rollovers. While Firestones role in this case has been widely acknowledged, Ford executives have managed to deflect much of the attention away from themselves, mainly by claiming that the Firestone tires were not its product, and therefore not its responsibility. In this paper, we examine the extent to which Ford can be held morally responsible for the incidents at issue. In so doing, we develop an approach for determining when an item is a product in its own right, as opposed to a component of another product. We argue that such an analysis not only provides a better understanding of this case, but also more properly accounts for the extent to which evolutions in technology and business relationships can affect issues of moral responsibility in business contexts.     

Designing Effective International Business Programmes for Senior Export Executives

In nearly all developing countries, the need to upgrade the marketing management skills of business executives in international trade is increasing rapidly. The capacity of existing training institutions, however, needs to be strengthened in order to meet the future requirements of the business community. To date, most training is provided by business schools, institutes of foreign trade, or other similar training institutes which have limited experience in executive development, particularly in international business. Organizing training for business executives differs greatly from that for business students. Training institutions and trainers involved in providing programmes to experienced target groups must introduce new approaches, methods, tools and structures when organizing such training. Programmes need to be practical and relevant to participants. Trainers of export business executives should regard themselves as training managers accountable for the delivery of effective training programmes enabling participants to apply immediately their newly acquired skills and now-how in their respective organizations.     

Living in the Gray: Lessons on Ethics from Prison

Often overlooked once they are remanded to custody, incarcerated former business executives can provide valuable insight into the inner workings of organizations while also contributing to the dialogue on of business ethics within the undergraduate business curricula. This paper summarizes experiences of white collar offenders obtained through a questionnaire-based research method to elicit lessons on ethics from prisoners and to provide a unique learning experience for undergraduate business students. Data was collected from 12 questionnaire responses (n = 12) which resulted in four major themes involving business ethics: core values, ethical responsibility, ethics training, and ethical culture. Narrative responses, integration of ethical decision-making research and student discoveries are included for each theme.     

Product liability and safety: Perspectives from business versus public policy makers

Product liability and the improvement of product safety are major concerns confronting business executives and public policy makers. This article reports the results of a mail survey that explored some of the major issues surrounding product liability and safety. The survey solicited the opinions of manufacturing executives, insurance executives, and state insurance commissions. Analysis of the data involved comparison of the opinions of the three groups of respondents. In general, the respondents agreed that (1) the increased emphasis on safety has caused prices to rise, but products are safer; (2) the salesforce should be used more as a source of information on the safe use of products; (3) a good safety record is a competitive edge for a manufacturing firm; (4) small businesses should not be treated more leniently than large ones in product liability cases; and (5) the CPSC's activities have generally been favorable. In contrast, manufacturing and insurance executives were more negative regarding the application and enforcement of strict liability than were insurance commission respondents.     

The Dynamics of Guanxi and Ethics for Chinese Executives

This study empirically examines how Chinese executives perceive the role of guanxi and ethics played in their business operations. By factor-analyzing 850 valid replies collected from a comprehensive survey, the present study identifies three distinct ethics-related attitudes and two distinct guanxi-related attitudes for Chinese executives. The cluster analysis of the composite scores of these five attitudinal factors further indicates the existence of three distinct groups of Chinese executives that vary in their ethics and guanxi orientations. The three groups are unethical profit seeker (UPS), anti-governance, guanxi-cultivator (AGGC), and apathetic executive (AE). The three groups are also found to be significantly different in such demographic characteristics as age and the ownership structure of the serving organization. Specifically, the inter-group comparison suggests that younger Chinese executives, and those working for privately-owned firms and joint ventures are more inclined to engage in unethical activities for profits. These findings provide useful insights for international investors to formulate their human resource and negotiation strategies in China.     

CIFIT,More Ways to Cooperation

It is the second time for Chengdu Sacred Optoelectronics Technology Co., Ltd to take part in the China International Fair for Investment and Trade （CIFIT）. The company mainly produces energy saving products-high-power energysaving lamps. During this exhibition, they start their business with businessmen from 11 countries including Italy and Austria. The total number of turnover intention has already reached about 30 million yuan. And this year＇s CIFIT comes to its 13th session, and last for four days, from September 8 to September 11, 2009 in Xiamen, Fujian, China.     

Business Incubators in China: A Financial Services Perspective

The business incubation industry in China has been booming since the mid-1990s. However, the lack of a well-developed financial services sector has become a major bottleneck to the growth of the industry. Based on our visits to 12 Chinese business incubators around the country and interviews with their executives, we present our perspective on the state of the incubator industry in China with special emphasis on incubators' financial services for their incubatees.