The Virtue of Integrity through an Individual or Collective Cultural Lens: Ethical Leaders Make Reliable Business

The role and influence of collectivist and individualist cultural values on ethical behavior in business is the focus of this chapter. Both ethical and unethical business practices are grounded in cultural values and norms, which are developed and reinforced long before the business professional first enters the workplace. Today’s savvy business leaders require an understanding of the culturally specific values and business ethics of the countries and cultures in which they conduct business and of the international professionals with whom they work. Global business leaders must understand that substantial cultural context difference exists between collectivist cultures (China, Middle East, etc.) and individualist cultures (North America, Australia, etc.), and that these contextual values influence every aspect of business and business ethics. Research on university cheating behaviors from different cultures will be used to demonstrate the contrast between how a collectivist lens and an individualist lens can view the same behavior. A large body of research indicates that there is a clear correlation between cheating in school and later cheating in the public and professional arena, and that this behavior is simply one aspect of a larger pattern of adult unethical behavior. Research has further determined that university cheating levels are an important indicator of future business ethics, and the lack of business ethics serves as a barrier to a country’s development and economic growth. This cultural value knowledge base will equip business leaders to interpret business behavior through a cultural lens acknowledging that this cultural sieve can result in entirely different perceptions as to what constitutes ethical business practice.