Global Ethics Application
William Ma works for the Beijing branch office of a prestigious
German manufacturing firm. His son, Murphy, has just graduated
from Beijing University with top honours in engineering. William
has very strong traditional values and considers it his duty to find
his son a job. He wants his German boss to hire Murphy. Although
the boss feels that Murphy is extremely well qualified for the open
position, he refuses to have a father and son working in the same
office. In fact, hiring family members is against company policy.
The unfortunate outcome is that Murphy is neither considered nor
hired; the boss loses respect for William; and William becomes so
upset that he leaves the company.
1) Use Integrative Social Contract Theory to illustrate what is
going on here with respect to differing values. What is the
hypernorm in play here?
2) Which of Enderle’s Global Company Ethical Approaches do
you think is being used by the German firm?
3) Is there an alternative approach from Enderle that you would
recommend? Why? What is wrong with the others?
4) Tell me how your recommended approach from the previous
question would actually have played out in this situation.
That is, how should the boss have handled the situation in
practical terms?