The effects of cultural dimensions on ethical decision making in marketing: An exploratory study

As more and more firms operate globally, an understanding of the effects of cultural differences on ethical decision making becomes increasingly impor tant for avoiding potential business pitfalls and for designing effective i nternational marketing management programs. Although several articles have addressed this area in general, differences along specific, cultural dimens ions have not been directly examined. Hence, the purpose of this study was to examine differences in ethical decision making within Hofstede's cultura l framework. The results confirm the utility of Hofstede's cultural dimensi ons and place ethical decision making within an overall theoretical framewo rk. Sales agents from a high power distance, uncertainty avoidant, Confucia n, collectivist culture (i.e., Taiwan) placed more Value on company and fel low employee interests (vis-a-vis self interests) than did managers from a masculine, individualistic culture (i.e., the United States). American and Taiwanese managers did not differ in their deontological norms or on the im portance that they placed on customer interests. The theoretical and manage rial importance of these findings are also discussed.