Comparing ethical attitudes across cultures

Purpose – The current study aims to continue the investigation of cross-cultural differences in attitudes towards business ethics. Design/methodology/approach – The current study compares the results of the attitudes towards business ethics questionnaire (ATBEQ) reported in the literature for samples from Israel, South Africa, Turkey, the USA, and Western Australia with a new sample from Jamaica and West Indies (n=139). Findings – The result indicate that, while there are some shared views towards business ethics across countries, significant differences do exist between Jamaica and three of the other countries in the study. Research limitations/implications – This study is limited by the use of respondents who are employees as well as students and the use of secondary data that limit the selection of statistical testing. Practical implications – As researchers continue to collect information concerning the ethical opinions of business people from varying countries, one's understanding of these cultural differences increases. This knowledge will help in reducing misunderstanding, aid in negotiation, and build trust and respect. This is especially important, given the continued growth of international business opportunities. Originality/value – This paper specifically compares the attitudes of employees using the same survey instrument across six nations.