International strategies and ethics

In this paper, we identify and discuss three different levels of ethics that can be implemented by organisations pursuing global, transnational or multinational strategies. Our main argument is that an organisation’s approach to ethics depends on its level of ethics and the type of international strategy adopted. Organisations pursuing global or transnational strategies are likely to regard their approach to ethics as an important strategic decision that needs to be implemented in all subsidiaries around the world. Organisations with multinational strategies are likely to face tension between head-office and subsidiary management if they operate at different levels of ethics.