Advantages and Disadvantages of Deontology and Discourse Ethics - Case Study Example

Scenario Evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of deontology and dis ethics. Use these approaches to evaluate how they could be used by the manager in making a decision as to whether BASF should go ahead with building the factory at Beaufort Country Park. Introduction The case explains a situation where a few years back, a certain chemical firm named BASF from Germany, following footsteps of European companies, had decided to have its factory in the US (United States). The requirements of BASF included 1800 acres of land, pool of affordable labours, about 5 million gallons of fresh water per day and a no-zone to operate along with railway and ocean port situated nearby. The company picked an appropriate location as per their requirements, near South Carolina called Beaufort and bought land as much as needed. BASF’s decision was welcomed by South Carolina and Beaufort as this location was an economically slow area with people who were desperate to be involved in any kind of employment. Moreover, per capita income of Beaufort was way less than the national average, which would mean inexpensive workforce for the firm. The governor of South Carolina approved BASF’s decision and the firm also got approval from State Pollution Central Authority as they found no problem with BASF’s production plan. However, BASF mentioned that they would dump chemical waste in the local Collection River, but that would not degrade quality of river. The factory set-up plan faced opposition from a resort group, “Hilton Head”, whose clients were large by number and affluent in nature. According to the resort group, presence of a chemical factory nearby would degrade scenic beauty of the area as well as cause water and air pollution. They argued that the Collection River will be polluted as seen in Germany and Belgium before, but they faced rejection. BASF got support and warm welcome from residents of Beaufort and the government. Nevertheless, the manager responsible for BASF’s US operations was confused because he was well-aware of pollution that the plant would cause and its cost; he was in a dilemma because previous experiences were not favouring the decision and from moral point of view, the plant’s discharge will degrade the environment. The following sections of this paper focus on advantages and disadvantages of techniques like, deontology and discourse ethics and their application in order to decide whether BASF should go ahead with the decision to build the plant at Beaufort. Deontology The term deontology was derived from Greek words meaning duty (Deon) and study of (logos) (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, 2014). Deontological ethics are mainly duty based ethics, which advocate that everyone is morally bound to behave in accordance with certain set of propositions without considering its outcome. It does not deal with consequences of the action. According to deontological ethics, one needs to focus on doing the right thing without considering the result (Seven Pillars Institute, 2014). For example, it is right to say the truth or it is wrong to harm innocents and so on and so forth. As per contemporary philosophy of moral science, deontology is a type of normative theory that explains choices should be considered from moral perspective as permitted or forbidden (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, 2014). Advantages of Deontological ethics The deontological ethical system emphasises on treating every human being with respect. It basically instigates righteousness in one’s deeds and forms a base for human rights. Deontology provides for certainty in a person’s duty and does not let consequences influence the person’s decisions. Deontological ethics are focused on intentions and motives. This theory does ensure whether an action is intended to harm anyone. It takes good and bad intention into account (BBC, 2014). Disadvantages of Deontological Ethics Duty based ethics are extremely strict with the moral factor. According to these, a particular duty can be either good or bad. This believes that there is no situation where a good situation changes into a bad one like, a conflicting situation. Since deontology does not account for consequences, it often results in reducing overall happiness in the surroundings (BBC, 2014). Implication of Deontology in context of the case In context of the BASF chemical plant in Beaufort, if deontological theories are to be applied, then the plant must be established. As by constructing the plant, BASF is creating employment in the economically depressed area and providing a source of income to locals. Logic says that consequences of establishing the plant will affect its surrounding environment by polluting air and water sources, but as deontological ethics does not consider consequences of an action even it is harmful, the outcomes must be rejected. Discourse Ethics The theory of Discourse ethics was first proposed by German philosopher, Jurgen Hubermas. According to him, only the better argument prevails (Finlayson, 2000). Discourse ethics, also known as argumentation, is a normative theory based framework that works best in a diversified environment, when moral issues emerge. The theory believes that in any environment, where a number of individuals exist with conflicting moral ideas, potential confrontations are unavoidable. In such a situation, they need to develop a theory, which serves the collective need. This discipline does not exactly stress on the ethical aspect, rather it focuses on development of an ethical norm considering openness, sincerity and respect, so as to satisfy every participant of the environment (Finlayson, 2000). The discourse ethics comprises three governing principles: 1. Cognitivism: The discipline assumes that regardless of the situation, every problem can be solved rationally and in a cognitive manner, even if it is a moral one. Cognitivism is a belief that logic is applicable on ethical issues. Hence, according to discourse ethics, a moral issue does not need to be judged based upon pre-written concepts or theories. Reasonable deductions can be feasibly drawn using rational thoughts and logical process. 2. Justice versus Good: According to this principle, anything that is good is not always justifiable. The term ‘justice’ is more valid than the term ‘good’ in the real world. So, an ethical norm will be considered valid only if its outcome does justice to those involved. 3. Universalization: The principle of universalization assumes that every participant of the discourse is a rational thinker and is able to reach the same decision while accepting consequences of a particular problem for satisfaction of the common interest. Advantages of Discourse ethics The main advantage of the discourse ethics is its ability to connect personal interest with the collective one and morality to justice. Secondly, the theory endows every participant with equal rights to voice their thoughts. In other words, everyone is treated with equality and has the freedom to express (Martino and Marques, 2011). Disadvantages of Discourse ethics The only drawback of the discourse ethics theory is that it is more appropriate in a pluralistic environment (Martino and Marques, 2011). Implication of Discourse ethics In order to apply the theory of discourse ethics in the given case study, the manager of BASF responsible for US operations needs to discuss clearly with the Pollution Board and the governor of South Carolina about consequences associated with plant set-up. The case suggested that the officials of South Carolina are ready to relax their pollution norms for the firm as the project will generate more employment for people residing there and the local residents have supported the same. Nevertheless, they all need to have a clear picture of the scenario or consequences of dumping of chemical by-products in the Collection River. The “Hilton Group” is also an interested party in this situation so their interest shall also be considered and following that, a conclusion should be drawn, that is of collective interest. In such a situation, the manager should speak to higher authorities of BASF and meeting should be held between the government of South Carolina and BASF authorities so as to choose upon the most ethical course of action. Conclusion In order to draw conclusion on the given case study, the situation needs to be analysed from point of view of both the theories. The theory of deontological ethics suggest that the plant should surely be established as that will create employment opportunities for Beaufort’s economically backward people and also lower overall costs of the firm due to availability of all relevant resources. Although the consequences are not clearly predictable, they need not be entirely rejected for initial good that the project is causing. Hence, the theory of discourse ethics should be considered. It says that in a pluralistic environment like this case, where at least three parties--the firm, the government and people of South Carolina and the “Hilton group”--are interested with the factory set-up, a collective decision should be taken to satisfy everyone. As a result, if the firm chooses to continue with the factory in Beaufort, then in order to avoid pollution related issues that have been raised by the “Hilton Group”, they need to find an alternative way to discard the waste. The firm must disclose all details to the government and collaborate to find a solution to the pollution issue; if the government and residents of Beaufort agree to permit construction of the chemical plant, despite its impact on the environment, then the firm should continue with the same. Scenario 4 How the ethics and values in different countries can be reconciled when doing business with each other? Introduction The case study aims to throw light on cross-cultural differences in management. There are various areas in management, where differences related to behaviours, communication and cultural implications can be observed. The cross-cultural difference stems from dissimilar cultural backgrounds. In contemporary business world, cross-cultural interaction can be easily witnessed in workplaces as several firms are turning into multi-nationals (Kawar, 2012). For a management to function successfully, it is important for employees to be able to communicate among themselves without considering each other’s background, culture, religion and language. Cross-cultural approach is not new in the current scenario. A very successful example of the same is several multi-national companies that are operating in the Middle East and western countries with employees from different parts of the globe (Kawar, 2012). However, before discussing the cross-cultural approach extensively, it is important to define ‘culture’ in an appropriate manner. Culture is defined as a blend of customs, values, inheritance, languages, traditions and life style that are shared by same social group. Culture can be of two kinds: generic culture and local culture. Generic culture is the one shared by all human being; whereas, local culture is shared among people of a specific social group (Kawar, 2012). The concept of culture gets imbibed within one during his/her childhood from one’s surroundings, parents, teachers, playmates and other sources. Culture teaches a person ways to survive in his/her respective social circle. Hence, culture plays a very important role in everyone’s life. Even though culture plays a vital role in our life, there is no substantial theory in the field of cross-cultural management that can specifically define role of culture in organisational behaviour. The various sections of this study evaluate the impact of a cross-cultural environment on functioning of business, along with various conflicts and their associated solutions. Cross-culture in multi-national firms Increasing globalisation has stimulated several organisations to operate at a global level and undertake expansion activities in different countries. This has resulted in increase in workforce and involvement of people from different parts of the world. Globalisation has resulted in rise in movement of human capital worldwide by many folds. The implication of cross-cultural approach lies in growing presence of companies in different countries, where problems may surface due to close interaction of diverse cultures (Kawar, 2012). Human beings acquire culture through communication. So, language or communication plays a major role in cross-cultural management. There are several multi-national organisations, whose products have failed in different countries because they could not communicate their product and concepts to the consumers effectively. One such example is the exit of Wal-Mart from Germany; Wal-Mart had tried to implement American style of shopping in Germany, but had to exit because Germans prefer short and quick shopping and the shops have limited timing, which was not Wal-Mart’s concept (HSBC, 2012). Despite of issues related to cultural differences, it is important for corporations to have an exposure of cultural diversity. In absence of this diversity, they cannot expand their business. Intermingling in different cultures helps firms to gather knowledge and skills. Culture and communication are inter-linked. If one is exposed to a certain culture, then one must understand their ways of communication. Communication does not mean only language; it can be expression, gesture, body language and posture (Kawar, 2012). A wrong communication can cause huge blunders. For example, the upbringing of a woman born in an Islam-influenced country is completely different from that of a British woman; so when a British woman visits an Islam-influenced country on business purpose, she needs to understand the culture, behaviour, gestures, attire and acceptable or non-acceptable norms of people, especially women, before she starts operating there. Operating in a culturally diverse environment is always a challenge and it is not a surprise that lack of cultural knowledge often leads to failure for expatriates (Kawar, 2012). When an organisation initiates its operation in a different country, the organisational communication can take shape of either inter-cultural communication or international communication. Inter-cultural communication can be defined as the communication between two individuals from dissimilar cultural backgrounds working in the same organisation. On the other hand, international communication is the communication that happens between governing bodies of nations. Thus, it is very important to have knowledge of both types of communications for an individual, working in a culturally diverse environment (Kawar, 2012). Cross-cultural training- objective and methods In international business, cross-cultural competencies present a practical perspective of the cross-culture management. These facilitate intercultural interactions, knowledge transfer and learning, that provide competitive edge to the corporation (Hånberg and Österdahl, 2009). To develop cross-cultural competencies, it is important to impart appropriate training to expatriates. Cross-cultural training is imparted to provide employees with a comfortable environment in the host country so as to enhance their abilities to understand and blend among multiple cultures. Another reason of imparting such training is to reduce the expatriate failure cost and enable employees to manage work environment transition, manage cultural gap and responsibilities within a different cultural environment. Corporations employ variety of methods to impart cross-cultural skills among expatriates. An overview of the types of trainings is given below. 1. Didactic training: Didactic training is more of an informal briefing, which can be imparted in a less unstructured format through conversation with experts. Such trainings are usually provided before departure or post-arrival. The training content mainly comprises factual information about the location, such as, living and working conditions, general cultural overview and culture specific details about the host country. 2. Experiential training: This is one of the most important training methods. Experiential training is more intensive in nature than didactic training. It involves practical training sessions, simulations and workshops and sometimes, real experiences such as, a quick view of the country and work environment. This training is more direct and helps expatriates develop emotional and intellectual bond with the new culture. 3. Attribution training: Attribution training enables the expatriate to think and behave like a host national. It helps the expatriates to have a better exposure of the cultural blend in the host country. Through this training, expatriates begin to understand behaviour of people from host country and the reason behind it. This also enables them to mix easily in the host country. 4. Language training: Language training focuses on teaching expatriates the local language of the host country. This is an important training method since knowing the local language is highly essential in order to survive in a foreign land. While achieving fluency may take long, basic knowledge of the language assists expatriates to comprehend gestures and signs of politeness and express them. 5. Interaction training: Interaction training is used to provide a theoretical experience to the new expatriates by making them interact with expatriates who already had exposure of the local culture. Such interactions provide better information to expatriates related to host country. Yet sometimes, it is difficult to approach an experienced expatriate due to unavailability. 6. Cultural awareness training: The main purpose of cultural awareness training is to make expatriates aware of host country’s culture and related difference within their culture. This provides an insight to the expatriates about various factors associated with host nation’s culture (Hånberg and Österdahl, 2009). Cross-cultural conflicts and strategies to resolve it Various studies show that there can be a number of reasons leading to cross-cultural conflicts and miscommunication. A few of those are: The difference in verbal communication style can be misunderstood. In some culture, speaking loudly expresses clarity of thoughts; whereas in some culture, it is considered rude and inappropriate. The difference in non-verbal communication style such as, facial expression, gesture, posture and eye contact, can also be a reason of conflict. For example, in some culture, avoiding eye contact is a sign of respect; whereas in some culture, it is considered as a sign of hiding. The difference in the style of performing a task can also be a reason for conflict. Some culture follows task-oriented approach, whereas many others prefer relationship-oriented approach (Community door, 2007). Cross-cultural conflicts can be resolved with a strong will, mutual respect and clear communication. Discussions based on common ground and understanding of possible resistances often helps in mitigating conflicts (Community door, 2007). Conclusion To conclude the case study about ways in which business can function while there is a cultural gap among different participating countries, it is important to understand that every culture has its own morals and values and to do business in a completely different culture, the first thing to do is to respect that particular culture. Cross-culture has become the norm of present business world. Cultural diversity is present in any globally recognized organisation. An integration of different cultures creates a kaleidoscope of knowledge, experience, ethics and interpersonal skills. This can also be called cultural competency. Initially, cultural diversity resulted in conflicts. However, with passing time, organisations have incorporated cross-cultural management programs in their practices. These help employees of dissimilar cultural backgrounds to understand each other’s cultural aspects. Organisations have also implemented trainings, simulations and workshops to educate employees the importance of cultural diversity, in terms of personal and organisational growth. Reference list BBC, 2014. Duty based ethics. [online] Available at: [Accessed 28 April 2014] Community Door, 2007. Working effectively with culturally diverse clients and co-workers. [online] Available at: [Accessed 29 April 2014] Finlayson, J. G., 2000. Modernity and morality in Habermass discourse ethics. Inquiry, 43(3), pp. 319-340. Hånberg, C. and Österdahl, G., 2009. Cross-cultural training of expatriates. [online] Available at: [Accessed 28 April 2014] HSBC, 2012. 10 biggest overseas blunders. [online] Available at: [Accessed 28 April 2014] Kawar, T.A., 2012. Cross-cultural Differences in Management. International Journal of Business and Social Science, 3(6), pp. 1-7. Martino, L. M. S. and Marques Â. C. S., 2011. Promises and limits of discourse ethics in communicative interactions. [pdf] Estudos em Comunicação. Available at: [Accessed 28 April 2014] Seven pillars institute, 2014. Kantian Duty Based (Deontological) Ethics. [online] Available at: [Accessed 28 April 2014] Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, 2014. Deontological Ethics. [online] Available at: [Accessed 28 April 2014] Read More