Ethical lapses or cultural kudos?(LETTERS)(Letter to the editor)

Thank you for the "Ask The Experts" article, "A Lapse of Ethics" (June 2009). It is an excellent guideline for identifying and addressing many of the challenges associated with ethical issues within U.S. operating organizations. The article helped me see the existence of a paradox; that is, the article's recommendations are for dealing with ethical lapses within U.S. companies, but these recommendations may not be effective in the arena of global ethics.

It is important we understand that many overseas facilities are located within cultural environments where ethical and moral standards differ significantly from those of the United States. Therefore, it is understandable that a parent U.S. corporation could perceive an overseas facility's organizational culture to contain "ethical lapses."

I recommend that future articles about overseas facilities consider the local cultural norms. In this regard, any recommendations to management should acknowledge that the overseas facility operates within an atypical ethical environment--and should include specific directions for helping mitigate the business risks to a facility where the parent company's cultural no-no's may be local cultural kudos.

JACK T. BEAVERS, PE, CBM, CICS

ERM Consultant

Powderly, Texas

jtbeavers@yahoo.com

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