Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

The Ethical Reputations of Managers in Nine EU-countries: A Cross-referential Survey

  • Published:
Journal of Business Ethics Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Mutual perceptions of ethical behaviour among managers in nine EU-countries were quantatively measured and related to perceptions concerning "ease of cooperation". A strong positive correlation obtains: the more ethical a country is perceived to be, the higher it is valued as an international business partner. Germany, however, is a typical exception to this rule: German managers are perceived as the most ethical, but are considered relatively difficult to cooperate with.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Ajzen, I. and M. Fishbein: 1980, Understanding Attitudes and Predicting Behavior(Prentice Hall, Englewood Cliffs).

    Google Scholar 

  • Armstrong, R. W.: 1996, ‘The Relationship Between Culture and Perception of Ethical Problems in International Marketing’, Journal of Business Ethics 15, 1199–1208.

    Google Scholar 

  • Brady, F. N.: 1996, Ethical Universals in International Business(Springer, Berlin).

    Google Scholar 

  • Bigoness, W. and G. Blakely: 1996, ‘A Cross-National Study of Managerial Values’, Journal of International Business Studies 27, 739–752.

    Google Scholar 

  • De George, R. T.: 1993, Competing with Integrity in International Business(Oxford UP, New York).

    Google Scholar 

  • Donaldson, Th.: 1989, The Ethics of International Business(Oxford UP, New York).

    Google Scholar 

  • Dubinsky, A. J., M. A. Jolson, M. Kotabe and C. U. Lim: 1991, ‘A Cross-National Investigation of Salespeople's Ethical Perceptions’, Journal of International Business Studies 22, 651–670.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dunfee, T. and Y. Nagayasu: 1993, Business Ethics: Japan and the Global Economy(Kluwer, Dordrecht).

    Google Scholar 

  • Elfstrom, G.: 1991, Moral Issues and Multinational Corporations(MacMillan, London).

    Google Scholar 

  • Enderle, G.: 1996, ‘A Comparison of Business Ethics in North America and Continental Europe’, Business Ethics A European Review 5(1), 33–46.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ester, P., L. Halman and R. de Moor: 1993, The Individualizing Society. Value Change in Europe and North America(Tilburg UP, Tilburg).

    Google Scholar 

  • Ethics Resource Centre: 1995, Ethics in American Business: Policies, Programs and Perceptions(Ethics Resource Centre, Washington).

    Google Scholar 

  • Fadiman, J. A.: 1989, ‘A Business Traveler's Guide to Gifts and Bribes’, in V. Shaw and W. Barry (eds.), Moral Issues in Business, 4th ed. (Wadsworth, Belmont), pp. 328–337.

    Google Scholar 

  • Frederick, W. C.: 1991, ‘The Moral Authority of Transnational Corporate Codes’, Journal of Business Ethics 10, 165–177.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gadamer, H.-G.: 1960, Wahrheit und Methode(Mohr, Tübingen).

    Google Scholar 

  • Getz, K. A.: 1995, ‘Trans-ideological Business Values in International Codes of Conduct’, International Journal of Values Based Management 8, 117–134.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gupta, J. L. and M. Sulaiman: 1996, ‘Ethical Orientations of Managers in Malaysia’, Journal of Business Ethics 15, 735–748.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hare, A. P.: 1976, Handbook of Small Group Research, 2nd ed. (Free Press, New York).

    Google Scholar 

  • Herskovits, M. J.: 1948, Man and His Works(Knopf, New York).

    Google Scholar 

  • Hofstede, G.: 1981, Cultures Consequences: International Differences in Work-Related Values(Sage, Beverly Hills).

    Google Scholar 

  • Langlois, C. C. and B. B. Schlegelmilch: 1990, ‘Do Corporate Codes of Ethics Reflect National Character? Evidence from Europe and the United States’, Journal of International Business Studies 4, 519–539.

    Google Scholar 

  • Luijk, H. van: 1994, ‘Business Ethics: The Field and Its Importance’, in B. Harvey (ed.), Business Ethics: A European Approach(Prentice Hall, New York), pp. 12–31.

  • Mathison, D. L.: 1993, ‘European and American Executive Values’, Business Ethics A European Review 2(2), 97–100.

    Google Scholar 

  • Murphy, P. E.: 1994, ‘European Managers' Views on Corporate Ethics’, Business Ethics A European Review 3(3), 137–144.

    Google Scholar 

  • Murray, D. J. and M. Kacia: 1995, ‘Business Integrity in Transitional Economies: Central and Eastern Europe’, Business Ethics A European Review 4(2), 76–82.

    Google Scholar 

  • Nash, L. L.: 1992, ‘American and European Corporate Ethics Practices: A 1991 Survey’, in J. Mahoney and E. Vallance (eds.), Business Ethics in a New Europe(Kluwer, Dordrecht).

    Google Scholar 

  • Nyaw, M.-K and I. Ng: 1994, ‘A Comparative Analysis of Ethical Beliefs: A Four Country Study’, Journal of Business Ethics 13, 543–555.

    Google Scholar 

  • Oh, T. K.: 1991, ‘Understanding Managerial Values and Behaviour among the Gang of Four: South Korea, Taiwan, Singapore and Hong Kong’, Journal of Management Development 10, 46–56.

    Google Scholar 

  • O'Neil, R.: 1986, ‘Corporate Social Responsibility and Business Ethics': A European Perspective’, International Journal of Social Economics 13(10), 64–76.

    Google Scholar 

  • Paine, L. S.: 1994, ‘Managing for Organizational Integrity’, Harvard Business Review(March-April), 106–117.

  • Parsons, T.: 1951, The Social System(Routledge, London).

  • Robertson, D. C. and B. Schlegelmilch: 1993,‘ Corporate Institutionalization of Ethics in the United States and Great Britain’, Journal of Business Ethics 12, 301–312.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rokeach, M.: 1973, The Nature of Human Values(Free Press, New York).

    Google Scholar 

  • Ryan, L. V.: 1995, ‘Ethical Perceptions of Polish Business Students’, Business Ethics A European Review 4(1), 36–42.

    Google Scholar 

  • Transparancy International: 1997, ‘TI-Corruption Perception Index 1997’, Transparance International Newsletter(September, 3).

  • Trompenaars, F.: 1993, Riding the Waves of Culture (Economist Books, London).

    Google Scholar 

  • Vitell, S. J., S. L. Nwachukwa and J. H. Barnes: 1993,‘ The Effects of Culture on Ethical Decision-Making: An Application of Hofstede's Typology’, Journal of Business Ethics 12, 753–760.

    Google Scholar 

  • Vogel, D.: 1992, ‘The Globalization of Business Ethics: Why America Remains Distinctive’, California Management Review 35(1), 30–49.

    Google Scholar 

  • Webley, S.: 1996, ‘The Interfaith Declaration: Constructing a Code of Ethics for International Business’, Business Ethics A European Review 5(1), 52–57.

    Google Scholar 

  • White, Th. I.: 1993, Business Ethics: A Philosophical Reader(Macmillan, New York).

    Google Scholar 

  • Williamson, O. E.: 1975, Markets and Hierarchies: Analysis and Antitrust Implications(Free Press, New York).

    Google Scholar 

  • Wood, G.: 1995, ‘Ethics in Purchasing: The Practitioners Experience’, Business Ethics A European Review 4(2), 95–101.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Authors
  1. R. J. M. Jeurissen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. H. J. L. van Luijk
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Jeurissen, R.J.M., van Luijk, H.J.L. The Ethical Reputations of Managers in Nine EU-countries: A Cross-referential Survey. Journal of Business Ethics 17, 995–1005 (1998). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1006007029718

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1006007029718

Keywords

Search

Navigation