Nike Cross Cultural Perspectives

Nike Cross-Cultural Perspectives

ETH/316

October 25, 2012

Nike Cross-Cultural Perspectives

Nike and its trademark swoosh is known worldwide as the symbol for excellence in the field of athletics. Whether that game is Football, Basketball, Golf, Soccer, Baseball or any sport recognized in any country around the world, Nike has attached itself or sponsored the athletes recognized as the best in that sport. Starting at its seed with shoes and flowering into apparel and sporting goods, the Nike swoosh is so popular that even in impoverished third world regions around the world it has been said that you can find “peasants sewing crude swoosh imitations on to shirts and caps, not for the world market but for local consumption”  ("Highered.mcgraw-Hill", n.d.). The beginning of this marketing giant’s success rest firmly on its ability to find very cheap labor in other countries around the world. A model of capitalism at its finest, cheap labor amounted to high profitability giving Nike the ability to grow at a fast pace in the marketplace. This would turn into an ethical dilemma that ultimately changed Nike’s manufacturing practices while shedding light onto the different ethical and moral practices going on in the labor market around the world.

Nike boast itself a champion of universal rights. Their commercials and slogans for their athletic wear speak to awareness and opportunity for children and the disabled, diversity in age, race, gender, and any other social stereotypes, and promote sports, athletic activities, and play for healthier more productive and fulfilling lives. On the other hand Nike is a company ruled by capitalism. The capitalist system rules by staying competitive in the marketplace. Doing this requires careful consideration of the bottom line which keeps a steady focus on keeping production cost as low as possible to maximize profits. With access to a global labor force that has very different moral and ethical views on what accounts for...