Hong Kong's code of ethics initiative some dierences between theory and practice

Although detailed studies of code adoption and impact have already been conducted in Hong Kong, there has as yet been no critical analysis of why there has been a gap between the normative and positive factors underlying codes of ethics in Hong Kong. The purpose of this paper is to consider why Hong...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of business ethics 2004-04, Vol.51 (1), p.75-89
Main Authors: Snell, Robin S, Herndon, Jr., Neil C.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Business ethics
Business studies
Culture
Ethics
Hong Kong
Leadership
Online Access:Get full text
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Summary:Although detailed studies of code adoption and impact have already been conducted in Hong Kong, there has as yet been no critical analysis of why there has been a gap between the normative and positive factors underlying codes of ethics in Hong Kong. The purpose of this paper is to consider why Hong Kong companies adopting codes of ethics have failed to adhere closely to the best practice prescriptions for code adoption when it would likely be in their best interests to do so. This paper identifies some cultural factors, such as power distance and traditional Legalist assumptions approximating 'Theory X,' that appear to be involved in creating this gap, and offers some practical recommendations for closing the gap, which are presented in the form of hypotheses for further testing. Reprinted by permission of Springer
ISSN:0167-4544