Cultural Relativism vs. Universalism
Whether ethical standards depend on culture or apply everywhere; in practice both extremes are exploited — 'that's just how business is done here' excuses corruption, and 'our standards are universal' excuses imposition.
An everyday example
A local partner explaining that facilitation payments are 'customary', and a head office insisting its policy manual fits every market.
What it can cost you
Relativism as a licence; universalism as blindness to context.
Warning signs
- Local custom is being used to excuse harm.
- I am imposing a preference as a principle.
One thing to do
Distinguish practices from principles: adapt practices freely, hold a short list of principles everywhere, and know which list a given question belongs to.
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