Three employees of Martin Enterprises have flown to China to meet with potential business partners there. The three employees are in a disagreement about whether to give gifts to the potential partners. James is from the U. S. office and he feels it is an ethical violation. Eun Hee (from the South Korean office) and Evan Lee (from the Japanese office) agree that the gift is appropriate given the Chinese culture. Which ethical generalization is this an example of?

a. Individuals have their personal belief system.

b. Individuals from the same cultural contexts will tend to have similar beliefs.

c. Individuals can rationalize behavior.

d. Individuals may not always be consistent with their beliefs.

The answer is A. Individuals have their personal belief system.

Explanation:

This is because, as we can see from the question above, each employee has a different opinion from the others, and this is based on their backgrounds and how they have made the decision with their various cultural beliefs in mind.

Coincidentally, Eun Hee from the South Korean office and Evan Lee from the Japanese office both agree on the same thing. This is not an indication however that their cultures are entirely identical. It only means that their cultures are in agreement when it comes to giving gifts.

B) Individuals from the same cultural contexts will tend to have similar beliefs.

Explanation:

What is considered ethical in one country may be considered unethical in another, at that also applies to broader cultures that include several countries.

Japanese and Koreans do not have identical cultures, but they share several common values and beliefs, while American culture is very different.

First of all, the present can even be considered a crime in the US (Foreign Corrupt Practices Act) depending on who is the potential business partner since Chinese companies are owned both by the government and private individuals.

On the other hand, Asian cultures might consider presents to be respectful, and something necessary in order to engage in negotiations. Maybe they don't see things as right or wrong in the same way as we do and that doesn't mean they are wrong.

You must remember that western civilization and culture is a minority in the world since it includes parts of Europe, both North and South America and Australia ( + NZ), and that is less than 1/5 of the world's population.