Frameworks for Teaching and Learning Business Ethics within the Global Context: Background of Ethical Theories

Abstract

In this article, we provide a summary of several major traditional and contemporary philosophical and psychological perspectives on ethical conduct for businesses, along with five different sets of internationally accepted ethical guidelines for corporations operating anywhere in the world. We include examples of corporate codes of conduct from particular multinational corporations. Our orienting framework of ethics theory is expanded to include a discussion of both Western and non-Western frameworks, including those of Confucianism, Buddhism, and Native American traditions, allowing faculty and students to explore ethical problems that honor a wide array of national, cultural, and ethnic contexts and differences.