Foundations of scholarship&research - Essay Example

This paper examines the basis for business ethics and zooms in to examine the realities in the international markets and why organisations fail to honour the high ethical standards they observe in their home countries (especially in Europe and North America) when they operate in poorer nations like Latin America, Africa, Eastern Europe and Southeast Asia. The paper examines the history of international business from colonial times. It looks at the elements of colonialism that discouraged ethical behaviour in international trade and also traces this to business in the modern era.

It then goes to critically evaluate the reasons why ethical behaviour varies across the globe. This is followed by a practical analysis of how non-ethical acts are perpetrated by multinationals in the real world. The paper ends with recommendations for improvements in observing ethical behaviour amongst international businesses. Every human being and entity has two inalienable rights: the rule against bias and the need for fair hearing in judicial matters (Harris & Partington, 1999). This concept has become the basis on which constitutions and judicial systems around the globe have been founded.

It is now the basis of best practices in most transactions and operations of entities around the globe. However, the way it is practised around the globe varies considerably. People and entities are required in all situations to treat other people with fairness and equality. When other people are accused of doing the wrong thing, they have the right to a fair trial and this is a two-way thing. With organisations and businesses being entities, they are expected to observe these laws of natural justice in all aspects of their operation.

Organisations are legal entities that have the right to sue and be sued (Harris & Partington, 1999). Effectively, organisations/businesses take inputs from the society, process them and sell them out to external parties (Johnson, Scholes & Whittington,