Effects of Ethical Conflicts in Business

Effects of Ethical Conflicts in Business Ethical Relativism or Imperialism: The Effects of Ethical Conflicts on Top Manager Behavior under Host Country Context and International Joint Venture Performance. Defined by Shenkar Zeira (1987); Ren et.al (2009), international joint ventures (IJVs) are jointly owned organizational entities by two or more legally distinct organizations, in which the headquarters of at least one is located outside the country of operation of the entity. Alliance literature suggests that the ability to bridge cultural differences is often found important to the success of IJVs and the lack of such ability is a major contributor to failure (Yan Luo, 2016). Among various dimensions of cultural differences, cross-cultural ethical conflicts have a great influence when two firms from different countries manage an IJV together, because what is considered an unacceptable practice in a Western context because core principles would be violated, may be acceptable in another because those core principles would not be violated e.g. monetary gift giving (Irwin, 2012). So, how do top managers representing partners in an IJV reconcile these ethical conflicts under certain b oundary conditions, and how does this type of reconciliation influence strategic decision-making and eventually affect IJV performance? Prior research has shown that the cultural differences between alliance partners play a pivotal role in affecting alliance performance (Boyd Webb, 2008). Culture differences between joint venture partners have usually been considered a major factor that might influence venture failure or unsatisfactory performance (Cartwright Cooper, 1993). Among various forms of alliance, IJVs are particularly susceptible to damage by cultural differences because top managers representing different cultures must work in concert to achieve mutual goals in IJVs, and the strength and success of an IJV rest on the interactions of its people (Yan Luo, 2016). Previous research has focused on cultural differences in strategic alliance from national and organizational levels (Sirmon Lane, 2004). E.g. Homburg Pflesser (2000) argue that there are various dimensions to any alliance partners organizational culture including shared values, norms and artifacts. Besides looking at analyses of national and organization levels, a few research has explored how individual level factors affect IJV performance. For example, Leung et al., (2013) argue that top management trust influences IJV performance. Yet the impact of ethical conflicts at individual level under certain boundary conditions on IJV performance remains largely undeveloped.   Do top managers representing partners in IJVs show different patterns of behavior in different countries? How do ethical conflicts affect the decision-making behavior of top managers and in turn influence IJV performance? Considering the important managerial implications, the author addresses these questions by drawing on ethical relativism theory. According to conventional ethical relativism, what is right for you as an individual depends upon what your culture thinks is right for you (Beebe, 2003). Therefore, the author contends that among top managers who hold higher standards of ethics, ethical relat ivism will be triggered under lax host country regulations, which means the managers will compromise to fit in host business context which might facilitate IJV performance. Reversely, ethical imperialism will be triggered in response to more stringent host country regulations, which means the managers will maintain high standards of ethics to avoid breach of regulations which might damage IJV performance. In this article, I strive to explore the dynamic relationship of individual level reaction of decision-making, which is elicited by ethical conflicts under host country regulations and the impact on IJV performance. By providing theoretical and practical insights, I propose that the association between cross-cultural ethical conflicts and top manager ethical relativism/imperialism is moderated by host country regulations, and the reaction of top manager decision-making will in turn influence IJV performance. I test my hypotheses by conducting a survey on top managers and their direct staff working for IJVs, formed by Sino-US firms which operate either in China or in the U.S. The contribution of this research is twofold. First, the present research contributes to the knowledge of culture differences and alliance literature at the individual level by revealing that ethical conflicts affect top manager behavior in IJVs under certain boundary conditions. Second, the present research contributes to the managerial practices considering that ethical conflicts elicit the altering of strategic decision-making of IJV top managers towards ethical relativism or ethical imperialism contingent upon how lax or stringent host country regulations are. The managerial implications of the results will help top management team members better understand the impact of ethical conflicts and the possible options when forming and managing IJVs under certain business contexts. References       Boyd, D. E. and K. L. Webb (2008). Interorganizational ethical conflict within alliances: A conceptual framework and research propositions. Journal of Business-to-Business Marketing 15(1): 1-24. Cartwright, S. and C. L. Cooper (1993). The role of culture compatibility in successful organizational marriage. The Academy of Management Executive 7(2): 57-70. Homburg, C. and C. Pflesser (2000). A multiple-layer model of market-oriented organizational culture: Measurement issues and performance outcomes. Journal of marketing research 37(4): 449-462. Irwin, J. (2012). Doing business in China: An overview of ethical aspects. UK: Institute of Business Ethics. James R. Beebe. Ethical Relativism. University at Buffalo, Copyright 2003. Pothukuchi, V., et al. (2002). National and organizational culture differences and international joint venture performance. Journal of International Business Studies 33(2): 243-265. Ren, H., et al. (2009). Performance of international joint ventures: what factors really make a difference and how? Journal of Management 35(3): 805-832. Shenkar, O. and Y. Zeira (1987). International joint ventures: Implications for organisation development. Personnel Review 16(1): 30-37. Sirmon, D. G. and P. J. Lane (2004). A model of cultural differences and international alliance performance. Journal of International Business Studies 35(4): 306-319. Yan, A. and Y. Luo (2016). International joint ventures: Theory and practice, Routledge. Wai On, L., et al. (2013). Top management team trust, behavioral integration and the performance of international joint ventures. Journal of Asia Business Studies 7(2): 99-122.

First Person Narration in Charlotte Perkins Gilmans The Yellow Wallpap

First Person Narration in Charlotte Perkins Gilman's The Yellow Wallpaper and Edgar Allen Poe's the Black Cat In "The Yellow Wallpaper" By Charlotte Perkins Gilman and "The Black Cat" By Edgar Allen Poe, two short and sinister stories, 1st person narration is used by both authors to create atmospheric tension and unease. By using 1st person narration, a story told through the eyes of one person present in that story, the authors can get far more intimate and detailed in the individual characters feelings and emotions. This makes it an invaluable style of writing if the readers are intended to empathise with the character. It is controlled voyeurism, peering into another's consciences and seeing the world through their eyes. In the case of baleful stories such as these, this technique can have a great effect on the way atmosphere and tension is created in the story. One advantage of using the first person is so that you can see the logic and reasoning of the main characters, and how they deal with their actions and consequences. For example, In "The Black Cat", Poe uses 1st person narration to try and rationalise the actions of the man in the story; Hearing the reasons coming straight from the mind of the character creates a far more convincing motive than thoughts and actions being described in the 3rd Person. "I took from my waistcoat-pocket a pen-knife, opened it, grasped the poor beast by the throat, and deliberately cut one of its eyes from the socket!" The cool and logical way the character tells the story, attempting to justify his actions and explain his situation, creates a feeling that would not be possible to create in any other narrative. Gilman uses 1st person narration in a very sim... ...n the first person; "FOR the most wild, yet most homely narrative which I am about to pen, I neither expect nor solicit belief." Insists the narrator, intent on telling us anyway. The voyeur comes into play as we are captivated by this person's tale of woe and misfortune, told in many ways. To look into lives, minds and out through eyes of someone else but you is extremely tempting, even when only offered in writing. Both authors exploit this, but in different ways. In these stories, Poe and Gilman have used The first person narrators to great effect. These particular stories are much more suited to the 1st person than the third, because they all require reasoning and self-justifications that a 3rd person narrator could not provide with the same sincerity. Two very different, but equally dark stories are both set off perfectly by their narrators.

Literature Contrast Essay

Compare between A Clear Well-lighted Place and A Rose for Emily Abstract: Hemingway and Faulkner both were winners of the Nobel Prize in literature, and had world-wide fame. Although they were close friends, they created rather distinct literary world for their readers. A Clear Well-lighted Place and A Rose for Emily are rather typical of their works. This essay aims to reveal the differences and uncover their unique appeal through analyzing these two novels from four perspectives: theme; character; characterization; writing style. Key Words:Hemingway;Faulkner; theme; character; characterization; writing style. Introduction: A Clear Well-lighted Place expresses an old man’s loneliness and despairs for life. The old man wanted to stay up in the bar and kept drinking, while the young waiter complained a lot and drove him away, but the older waiter showed more sympathy. A Rose for Emily is also a sad story about a girl named Emily who was raised by her father and forbidden to contact with outsides. she poisoned her boyfriend and kept his corpus beside her till death. . Theme The theme of a novel is its controlling idea or its central insight. Being an idea or an insight, the theme should be capable of unifying the whole novel. A Clear Well-lighted Place is the one of early works of Hemingway. The depression and hopelessness left by the world war were not easy to be erased. People may be rich, like the millionaire, but when night dawned, his loneliness and despair for this world force him to find a clear well-lighted place, for light symbolized hope. Faulkner’s work mainly depicted life in Southern slavery-based society, and try desperately to reproduce a south town around the civil war and focused on people’s stubbornness: they refused to admit the original south was gone. This story spanned about 74 years telling a life being restricted and isolated and in return try to isolate others. Character The old man’s character is complex, being depressed and wearisome, but still kept his dignity; rich, but unhappy; mature, but lost his belief. For example, â€Å"It was very late and everyone had left the cafe except an old man who sat in the shadow the leaves of the tree made against the electric light. In the day time the street was dusty, but at night the dew settled the dust and the old man liked to sit late because he was deaf and now at night it was quiet and he felt the difference. †(A Clear Well-lighted Place. Ernest Hemingway) This paragraph is at the beginning. He would rather spend the time sipping alone. Besides, he chooses to sit under the shadow instead of the light, and the shadow symbolize the gloom and despair. However, in the William Faulkner’s novel, A Rose for Emily , arrogance, mental confusion, stubbornness and a nature passion for love have all together shaped Emily, and have eventually led to her doom. Her loneliness accompanied her for her whole life. â€Å"I want some poison,† she said. â€Å"Yes, Miss Emily. What kind? For rats and such? I’d recom–† â€Å"I want the best you have. I don’t care what kind. † The druggist named several. â€Å"They’ll kill anything up to an elephant. But what you want is–† â€Å"Arsenic,† Miss Emily said. â€Å"Is that a good one? † â€Å"Is . . . arsenic? Yes, ma’am. But what you want–† â€Å"I want arsenic. â€Å"(A Rose for Emily. William Faulkner) This is a conversation about Miss Emily. From the dialog between Miss Emily and druggist . when the druggist did not finish, Emily interrupted in and say she did not care. We can see her arrogance. When the druggist asked many times about her want, Emily pay no attention and repeated the word arsenic again and again. It showed her stubbornness. Characterization In the dramatic Characterization method the author form our opinion of the characters from what they do and say, from their environment, and from what other characters think of them. Just like the story in A Clear Well-lighted Place, Through the monologue of the older waiter, we know the old man’s loneliness and desire for light and hope. Through the old man’s own behaviour, like staying up under the shadow, we know his despairs and gloominess. In the analytic method the author comments upon the characters, explaining their motives, their appearance, and their thought. The narrator of A Rose for Emily is called â€Å"first person† . The author uses much comments upon the characters. For Emily, he shows more sympathy than blame, and he owe her tragedy to the unjust doings of her father. Writing Style Their images in A Clear Well-lighted Place are shown vividly with concise and plain words, and refined rhetorical skills. Ernest Hemingway advocates using the simplest and fewest words, direct description and short sentence. For example,In the daytime the street was dusty, but at night the dew settled the dust and the old man liked to sit late because he was deaf and now at night it was quiet and he felt the difference. (A Clear Well-lighted Place. Ernest Hemingway) In this excerpt, few adjectives and no difficult words are used. Also there are no long sentences and compound sentences. While Ernest Hemingway pursues the beauty of simplicity, his friend William Faulkner become a master of a rhetoric, highly symbolic style . which will employ many long complex sentences. For example, When Miss Emily Grierson died, our whole town went to her funeral: the men through a sort of respectful affection for a fallen monument , the women mostly out of curiosity to see the inside of her house, which no one save an old man-servant—a combined gardener and cook—had seen in at least ten years. (A Rose for Emily. William Faulkner) Notice the dash, commas and the clauses. In fact, clauses found in the sentence are in opposition of each other, and so Faulkner successfully depicts a sound scene within one sentence. Conclusion We have studied two classical novels from the four perspectives: theme; character; characteristics; writing style. Both novels told sad stories, but their theme are distinct. The first story lasted for one night while the second one spanned for 74 years and covered much more content. The old man and Emily shared the loneliness, but the other features varied a lot. The first story was short, simple and full of philosophical meanings, nevertheless, Faulkner’s lengthy and obscure. Despite of all these differences, they made good impression on reader. One is like the sharp mountain, clear, simple, but not easily to climb, while the other is a lengthy river, twisted, obscure, and need you to dive in to feel it. References: [1]  ·. [M]. : ,1983: 32. [2] ,. â€Å" †[J]. ( ) ,2010,( 7) : 105 – 107. [3] . [M]. : ,2002: 6. [4] Justus,James H. Hemingway and Faulkner: Vision and Repudiation [J]. The Kenyon Review,New Series,1985,7( 49) : 1 – 14. [5] Philip M. Weinstein. ———  · [M]. : ,2000. [6]  ·. [M]. : ?,2006.

Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart - The Downfall of the...

One of Chinua Achebe’s goals in Things Fall Apart is to portray Ibo culture vividly and honestly. Unlike European perspectives of the Africans – such as Conrad’s Heart of Darkness – Achebe’s representation explains intricate customs, rituals, and laws and develops individual characters. Things Fall Apart shows Ibo society to be fully functioning and full of life. However, Achebe maintains his objectivity and avoids giving the Ibo any undue sympathy, painting some of their customs – such as the mandatory abandonment of infant twins – in a questionable light. While it is easy for us – especially in this age of political correctness and multiculturalism – to place upon the white man all the blame for the downfall of the Ibo, Achebe†¦show more content†¦And they might have noticed that Okonkwo was not among the titled men and elders who sat behind the row of egwugwu. But if they thought these things they kept them within themselves† (90). The villagers remain silent out of respect for the ancestors represented by the egwugwu and out of reverence for the ritual. In addition to laws, Okonkwo’s world is also shaped by a social hierarchy, which sheds light on the values of his people. Achebe notes, â€Å"Age was respected among his people, but achievement was revered† (8). And it is through the strength of his own achievements that Okonkwo gains his prominent social position. Originally gaining fame through his wrestling prowess, he proceeds to distinguish himself in a war, become a successful farmer, and gain some of the overt signs of social position: wives and titles. Okonkwo’s history shows that the Ibo value strength, bravery and success. Other Ibo traditions described in the novel include the Week of Peace, in which no work is done (31), and the New York festival, which honors the earth goddess and the ancestral spirits of the clan (36). 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