What is culture, and what impact does it have on ethical behavior?” This was one of the questions posed by Dr. Lee Radebaugh in his forum entitled “Behaving Ethically in a Global Economy: Does Culture Matter?” Dr. Radebaugh’s forum was presented by the BYU–Hawaii Student Chapter of the BYU Management Society. Dr. Radebaugh is an internationally recognized expert in ethics and leadership, and is the Whitmore Professor of International Business and Director of the Kay and Yvonne Whitmore Global Management Center and Center for International Business Education and Research at BYU in Provo, Utah.
Morals and ethics around the world are viewed differently, according to Dr. Radebaugh. He recently was involved with a company in the United Kingdom that offers international accounting training and certification. The participants in this program are from many countries, but they all receive the same ethics training. A survey was conducted among those who were certified by the program to assess if they had implemented the principles in their workplaces. They were all in different stages of their careers. The purpose of the survey was to find if the country where they lived made a difference, and to see what factors had the greatest influences on their decision making. After participating in this survey, his mind was awakened to differences in moral views depending on culture, and began to apply things he learned there to his teaching and research.
Radebaugh explains that there are many ways to see culture, but the part that affects ethics is specifically the behavior of individuals, which is shaped or framed by their cultural background. Radebaugh said, “Behaviors are things that people say and do, and they are based on values and assumptions. Culture is very broad, but if you think of it in terms of behavior you will begin to understand why people do what they do.”
Instead of making value judgments in multi-cultural situations, he encouraged students to first understand what your own personal set of values are; then to observe and study others in an effort to understand why people behave in the ways that they do. “Great amounts of our cultural values come from our environment – where we live or were raised, our peers, institutions that affect us, etc,” Radebaugh explained.
Recognizing the multi-cultural environment that exists at BYU–Hawaii, Dr. Radebaugh told students that they had an advantage over so many others who seek to do business internationally, because they have already traveled and had to experience a culture different than their own. With that experience comes the ability to assess other cultures more readily.
To finish the forum, Radebaugh asked the question: “What can you do? How will you behave ethically when you work abroad?” He concluded with the counsel that no matter your country of origin, you must have your values firm, but your mind flexible.
The BYU–Hawaii Student Chapter of the BYU Management Society regularly hosts speakers and events to promote ethical leadership. These activities help to fulfill the vision of the society, which is “growing moral and ethical leadership around the world.” The BYU–Hawaii chapter has been recognized for two years in a row at the International Leadership Conference in Aspen Grove, Utah, this year receiving the Dean’s Gold Chapter of Excellence Award, the highest honor awarded to a student chapter.
The next BYU Management Society activity will be on Thursday, December 1, at 7:00 p.m. in the Aloha Center Ballroom. The chapter is joining with Career Services to co-sponsor a presentation by Dr. Lee Daniels on Careers in Asia.
Photo by Bart Jolley.