The Role of International Human Resource Management in the Formulation and Implementation of Ethics Programs in Multinational Enterprises

Abstract

Organizations, across the globe, are implementing ethics programs but with mixed results. This issue becomes more complex for multinational enterprises operating in several different economies simultaneously. In this chapter, we extensively review the literature on ethics programs in the US and the international context to suggest ways of better understanding the role of international human resource management in the success of ethics programs in multinationals. We propose that the ethics programs should be fully integrated with the human resource practices for their successful formulation, designing in terms of content, and communication of ethics programs. We also suggest that this integration should be examined along with institutional, industry- and country-level, and organizational forces affecting the success of ethics programs to garner a holistic view of the role of international human resource management in the formulation and implementation of ethics programs in multinational enterprises.