Search results

The purpose of this paper is to explore the experiences of Australian managers in relation to human rights issues and corporate responsibility inherent in their international business operations.

The paper reports findings from a qualitative research study; data were gathered from 70 face‐to‐face interviews with managers in the mining, textile and information technology industries who conducted international operations. The research method used was the critical incident technique, allowing interviewees to recall their observations and anecdotes in dealing with their perceived ethical dilemmas when operating offshore.

Human rights issues represented a serious dilemma for the Australian managers participating in this research. Findings in this study suggest that such issues, and resultant perceived dilemmas around their management, included child labour, hazardous working conditions, discrimination and exploitation of workers. The issues present self‐reported major dilemmas for managers as they challenge human rights concepts that underline their own ethical values in relation to the treatment of others in work environments. Respondents in this study report perceived limitations in dealing with cross‐cultural ethical issues, driven by economic and social reliance on such practices by their international business counterparts.

Understanding the nature of problems faced by Australian business managers in confronting perceived breaches of human rights may assist private and public sector organisations, both inside and outside of Australia, working in international environments. The paper reports insights and solutions offered by respondents encountering global human rights issues in the business context.

Explores the nature and type of ethical dilemmas experienced by western Australian managers engaged in import/export operations. Highlights the strategies used by these managers in terms of what can be done to resolve ethical conflicts in subsequent cross‐cultural business activities. Employs a qualitative research method, the critical Incident Technique, to provide a rich and powerful picture of the challenges and strategies found. Generates a matrix which brings together the manager’s recommendations on essential ethical actions and practices with particular ethical problems.

Globalisation has seen diverse cultures becoming increasingly entwined and interdependent as business organisations operate in a borderless world. When organisations operate internationally they often find that countries differ in what is considered wrong or right. The objectives of the research were to identify cross‐cultural ethical dilemmas confronting Australian managers, and explore the strategies they utilise in dealing with those dilemmas in their international operations. The study raises the questions of whose ethics should be applied, and whether a set of universal ethical norms should be or can be developed. The discussion emanating from such questions also raises important issues for the training and ongoing management of employees undertaking business in the international environment. A total of 70 Australian managers from the mining, textile and information technology industries participated in this research, representing a cross‐section of Australian industry groups from the primary, secondary and tertiary sectors undertaking business in the international arena. The research utilised a conceptual framework that emerged from the moral philosophies represented in the international business arena Thr research utilised a conceptual framework that emerged from the moral philosophies represented in the international business arena, namely ethical relativism (Bowie 1996; Kohls & Buller 1994; Bowie & Duska 1990; Dobson 1990) imperialism (Gopalkrishnan 2001; Donaldson 1996b; De George 1993) and universalism (Beauchamp & Bowie 2001; Donaldson 1996b).

Many innovations have taken place in the teaching‐learning strategies for organisational behaviour (OB), in the School of Management over the past 18 months. This paper describes the impetus for these changes (i.e. budget pressures) and the search for alternative teaching‐learning strategies suitable for organisational behaviour. It documents the journey of lecturers, part‐time staff and students who took part in this adventure. The change process involved a team of eight full‐time and ten part‐time staff members and over 800 students in a multicultural environment. During the first meeting, students had to negotiate their roles, desirable group norms and the gradations of penalties they would use if these ground rules were not adhered to. Each week the roles of facilitator, facilitator’s buddy, time‐keeper and scribe were rotated. Students learnt to work with “dominators”, “quiet members”, “social loafers”, “poor timekeepers”. Some learnt to confront conflict, others decided to ignore it. Student assignments included a creative learning log and a report describing in depth what they learnt themselves and working in groups and relating their experiences to models and theories of organisational behaviour.