Heidi von Weltzien Hoivik

East Meets West: Tacit Messages about Business Ethics in Stories Told by Chinese Managers

This article examines how culture influences Chinese managers’ perception of some western management instruments, such as codes of ethics and performance evaluation systems. The research is based on analyzing the tacit messages in “stories told” by managers and reviewing some of the barriers that may hinder understanding. Major obstacles lie in failing to ‘read’ each other’s cultures correctly. Assumptions and biases are left alone instead of being addressed openly. Western management systems and tools do not necessarily function equally well in the Chinese culture, unless they are reassessed and adapted. Some recommendations for managers and further research are given.

Developing Students’ Competence for Ethical Reflection While Attending Business School

Business students early on should be offered a course presenting and analyzing ethical dilemmas they will face as human beings both in the business world and in society. However, such a course should use literature, plays, and novels to illustrate ethical norms and values in the intertwined relationships of human activities. Better than business case studies, literature offers portraits of characters as leaders, employees, consultants, and other professionals, as ordinary human beings with conflicting desires, drives, and ambitions. Literary texts offer excellent descriptions of the circumstances or the organizational settings in which people find themselves. I believe this is the best way to sensitize students without business experience when they are still open to such a formative learning process. At the same time, this pedagogical method linking ethics and literature may help to critically expose some of the weak or missing aspects of various management theories students encounter in their business curriculum and make them more observant and critical.

The Historical Development of Corporate Social Responsibility in Norway

This chapter gives an introduction to and the history of CSR in Norway. Parallel to the development of industry and political changes, the development of CSR is presented. Practical examples of how companies have addressed CSR are put forward, together with key regulatory changes and milestones. The extent to which the Norwegian wealth based on oil resources has impacted the country’s CSR engagement is discussed. Norwegian politicians and companies have been visible and active actors on the global CSR scene. At the same time the average Norwegian negative footprint is one of the largest worldwide. This consumer paradox is discussed.