Business

Business Case 2:

ASIAN VALUES UNDER FIRE

1. If your international firm were doing business in Asia, would you feel partly responsible for these social trends? Is there anything that your company could do to ease the tensions being experienced by these cultures? Be specific.

This question presents students with what can be called an “ethical dilemma.” Some students will say that their company is in business to earn a profit and that Asian consumers are not being forced to buy Western goods—they make a conscious decision when they make a purchase. Other students will feel a sense of responsibility to those societies in which they market their products. These students will want to suggest ways to lessen tensions in those societies. Some possibilities for this include doing charity work to help people suffering economic difficulties, financially supporting and giving employees time off to do volunteer work for cultural fairs and festivals, and making counselors available in the company to help employees with their troubles.

2. In your opinion, is globalization among the causes of the increasing incidence of divorce, crime, and drug abuse in Asia? Why or why not?

Many students will agree that the forces of globalization are exposing people in all countries to new ways of thinking and behaving. However, many social ills are not a direct result of globalization, but of other forces causing social change. Drug use is certainly not a new problem in most countries—opium has been used across Asia for centuries. Also, many women in Asian cultures are no longer financially dependent on their spouses because of the growing employment of women in the workforce. Thus when marital problems arise, divorce can be a viable option unlike in the past. This is not a Western phenomenon being spread by globalization, but one tied to economic development and industrialization more generally.

3. Broadly defined, Asia comprises over 60 percent of the world’s population—a...