ETHICS FOR INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS EXAM -
CONCEPTS AND DEFINITIONS / SUMMARY
University of Groningen
Ethics for International Business
EBB608B05
June 10th, 2024
Ramon Kleine, S5725739
Course coordinator: Dr. R.O.S. Zaal MBA
, Business ethics Applied ethics discipline that addresses the moral features of commercial
activity
Theoretical component Concepts and principles
of BE
Applied component of How to think about issues, and what to do about them. (Judgment, empathy,
BE imagination, reasoning)
Importance of business Business wield significant power and face growing pressure to act ethically
ethics due to the potential for both positive societal impact and serious harm
Morality Concerned with norms, values and beliefs embedded in societal processes
which define right and wrong foran individual or community
Ethics Concerned with the study of morality and the application of reason to
elucidate specific rules and principles that determine right and wrong for
any given situation
Etiquette Social norms governing conduct in a given society, but generally not seen
as having (much) moral weight, status
Normative ethics Morally correct way of acting
Descriptive ethics Describe how ethics decisions are actually made in business
Distinction between Something can be legal, but unethical (following the law does not
morality and law guarantee it is right), and something can be ethical, but not legal (doing the
right thing might break a rule). Both offer guidance, but neither force your
actions
Platos euthyphro Is something really good because the gods love it, or do the gods love it
dilemma because it is good?
Divine Command Actions are only good because god commands them
Theory
Divine Command Is action morally right because god says so, or does god say so because the
Theory dilemma action is morally right (strange reason for actions, different
religions/ambiguity)
Ethical relativism Moral truths are relative to a particular culture or society
Ethical absolutism Objective moral truths that apply everywhere
Viewpoint of ethical No ethical standards that are absolutely true and that apply to people and
relativism companies of all societies
CONCEPTS AND DEFINITIONS / SUMMARY
University of Groningen
Ethics for International Business
EBB608B05
June 10th, 2024
Ramon Kleine, S5725739
Course coordinator: Dr. R.O.S. Zaal MBA
, Business ethics Applied ethics discipline that addresses the moral features of commercial
activity
Theoretical component Concepts and principles
of BE
Applied component of How to think about issues, and what to do about them. (Judgment, empathy,
BE imagination, reasoning)
Importance of business Business wield significant power and face growing pressure to act ethically
ethics due to the potential for both positive societal impact and serious harm
Morality Concerned with norms, values and beliefs embedded in societal processes
which define right and wrong foran individual or community
Ethics Concerned with the study of morality and the application of reason to
elucidate specific rules and principles that determine right and wrong for
any given situation
Etiquette Social norms governing conduct in a given society, but generally not seen
as having (much) moral weight, status
Normative ethics Morally correct way of acting
Descriptive ethics Describe how ethics decisions are actually made in business
Distinction between Something can be legal, but unethical (following the law does not
morality and law guarantee it is right), and something can be ethical, but not legal (doing the
right thing might break a rule). Both offer guidance, but neither force your
actions
Platos euthyphro Is something really good because the gods love it, or do the gods love it
dilemma because it is good?
Divine Command Actions are only good because god commands them
Theory
Divine Command Is action morally right because god says so, or does god say so because the
Theory dilemma action is morally right (strange reason for actions, different
religions/ambiguity)
Ethical relativism Moral truths are relative to a particular culture or society
Ethical absolutism Objective moral truths that apply everywhere
Viewpoint of ethical No ethical standards that are absolutely true and that apply to people and
relativism companies of all societies
