Plato, the Sophists, and Ethics in Business

Much has been written in the past few years about business ethics. Ethical considerations permeate all aspects of an organization and, I'm sure you will agree, one area it is especially important for is human resources. We are familiar with the social mores, values, and practices that outline the ethical decision-making process within our culture of familiarity, but what about multi-nationally? What about the unique ethical considerations faced by an organization that operates in countries where business is conducted in ways that are considered unethical by western standards? Is there a separate set of ethics for each cultural context or is there a set of universal ethical standards?

These questions go far back - back to the Greek philosophers. Plato believed that truth was unchanging, that there is a universal truth. The Sophists, a group of traveling teachers from Iona and Athens, argued that truth has cultural relativism and changes relative to time and circumstances. The two beliefs are debated even today. Allan C. Ornstein and Daniel U. Levine state, in the text Foundations of Education: "Universalists contend that what is true today has always been true. Relativists argue that changing values make life satisfying at a particular place and time."

What group do you concur with? A wonderful quote that highlights the relationship between human resources and ethics appears in People Management  by R. Johnson: "All HR practices have an ethical foundation. HR deals with the practical consequences of human behaviour". Given this, do you believe there is a standard set of truths that inform ethical actions or is truth relative and ethical implications affected as a result?

Some factors to consider in weighing each side (in no particular order):

• shareholder returns 
• free market principles
• the intrinsic value of goodwill
• abuse of physical resources
• human/animal rights violations
• discrimination
• general employment practices
• confidentiality