National Differences in Stakeholder Pressure to Adopt Codes of Ethics: A Four-Country Study

Abstract

Academic research related to the perceived value of ethics codes in different national contexts has been limited despite burgeoning interest by managers, government officials and members of international nonprofit organizations. The purpose of this study is to assess the relationship between promoting a positive external firm image and stakeholder pressure to adopt codes of ethics. Moreover, we assess the extent to which market and non-market stakeholder pressure varies across national borders. A survey instrument developed in the United States is adapted to a cross-national setting and hypotheses related to codes of ethics are tested. Empirical results based on 540 respondents from four nations, Peru, China, the United States and Canada, support that national differences exist with respect to perceptions of ethics codes. A significant relationship between creating an external image and perceived pressure from stakeholders is also identified. Study limitations, managerial implications, and promising future research directions are also discussed. JEL Classifications: F53, O20

The roles of uncertainty avoidance and strategic agility in cloud storage adoption among multinational manufacturing companies in Malaysia

“…Malaysians inclined towards emphasising in the relationship rather than the task. A study by Robertson et al (2014) on the influence of collectivism on stakeholder pressure in the adoption of codes of ethics indicates that managers from individualistic and collectivistic culture behave differently when the scenarios of decision making are the same. Therefore: H8 Collectivism moderates the relationship between stakeholder pressure and CSA among MNCs in Malaysia.…”