A Cross-Cultural Study of Ethics: The United States, Romania, Poland, and the Czech Republic

Abstract

Global expansion of business into areas defined by different cultural and national environments creates the need for companies to better understand the impact of culture on business operations. Of particular importance is the role country of residence plays. Researchers argue that many cultural differences are malleable, capable of shifting to fit the corporate culture of an organization. However, additional research aimed at identifying different countries’ cultural values is needed. This paper presents the results of a multi-national survey of business students identifying differences in cultural perceptions of ethical behaviors. Differences in personal versus social decision making are discussed.

KEYWORDS:

• business students
• Central and Eastern Europe
• ethics
• Hofstede
• survey methodology

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

The authors acknowledge and thank the following individuals whose help with data collection was invaluable: Professor Calin Vedges, Academy of Economic Studies, Romania; Professor Zdenek Linhart, University of Life Sciences-Prague, Czech Republic; and Professors Maja Szymura-Tyc and Alexandra Nizielska, University of Economics-Katowice, Poland.