Business Ethics: A Cross-Cultural Comparison between Hong Kong and the United States

This study examines the impact of business ethics and culture. The authors used the Personal Business Ethical Scores (PBES) questionnaire to evaluate the responses of graduate-level business students in the United States and Hong Kong when they are presented with ethical dilemmas, as well as the National Culture Survey to determine the extent of the association between five cultural dimensions and business ethics in Hong Kong and the United States. Research suggests that in any country, whether one works in the public or private sector, ethical norms exist--religious ethics, social ethics, and business ethics. Yet, despite the existence of ethical norms, ethics can be viewed differently within and among cultures and countries; such differing viewpoints may give rise to conflicts. The degree of conflict varies depending on the issues and the people involved, and whether the conflict is domestic or international.