Ethics at the purchasing/sales interface: an international perspective

Examines the ethical problems within international purchasing and sales interactions. Bribery is identified as the major problem, though this is only true in North‐South trade, and ignores evidence of unethical practices in the interactions between purchasing and sales generally. Business people in the North tend to adopt double standards when criticizing the acceptance of bribery in some cultures, while ignoring the unethical practices in their own cultures. An interaction approach avoids cultural relativism, by seeing gifts and entertaining as a necessary part of the development of personal relationships which characterize successful international business relationships. It seems that a majority of international business transactions take place without the intervention of unethical inducements. Furthermore, the development and introduction of codes of ethics as well as the work of organizations such as Transparency International all suggest the climate is changing to one more supportive of high ethical standards.