Abstract

The purpose of this study was to explore the meaning of business ethics in a cross-cultural context, specifically focusing on business interactions between Russians and Americans. Four categories of participants were identified: U.S. managers, U.S. entrepreneurs, Russian directors of large enterprises, and Russian entrepreneurs. Using the naturalistic inquiry interviewing approach, participants were interviewed individually and in small groups about their experiences in dealing with their business partners. Each group self-identified incidents which they labeled as unethical behavior. ;Clear differences and distinctions emerged between Russians and Americans regarding their perceptions of business ethics, although there were fewer differences between entrepreneurs and managers within each cultural group than had been anticipated. Americans clearly operate out of a transaction-oriented definition of ethics, while Russians operate out of a relationship-based definition of ethics. Cultural distinctions emerged around philosophical accountability or acceptance regarding both ethics and corruption, with Russians making a clear distinction between the two. It was also apparent that traditional definitions of what is entrepreneurial and what is corporate are changing to such a degree that one must use the labels advisedly. ;A complex web of corporate and cross-cultural interactions resulting from the divergent meanings of business ethics in a system enveloping the individual, the individual as manager or entrepreneur, and the corporation or enterprise, clearly emerged, with specific implications for each element in the system. ;An important and unique aspect of this study was the use of self-elicited definitions of the meaning of business ethics within each specific culture, as opposed to using predetermined categories or scenarios as have been used in other studies