You have recently joined a company as international sales manager and you are considering entering new markets in the developing world. You discover a complete absence of any policy regarding ethical issues and decide to present some proposals to your CEO. What would you include in your outline of the proposal? Do you think companies have a duty to set high expectations for human rights?

One of the criticisms of globalism goes right to the heart of your question. Proponents of globalism cite the promotion of Western business ethics in international markets where few or no ethical practices exist. In many countries where American manufacturers set up shop, there is an absence of oversight of ethical employment practices. For example, many countries don’t have minimum wage laws or have such complex regulations that they are virtually unenforceable. In Asian countries in the textile industry, wages for workers start as low as $200 per month measured in American dollars (Global Apparel & Textile Trade and Sourcing Report). Although American companies have agreed to pay a fair minimum wage, offer other benefits, and adhere to American standards of fair labor practices, many manufacturers in foreign countries find ways to circumvent the ethical practice of fair compensation for a day’s work. The cynic will say American companies locate to foreign countries to dodge regulations dealing with wages, benefits, environmental or hazardous chemicals, or liability. Evidence shows only a handful of American countries do not make an effort to adhere to ethical business practices abroad.
The first item of business is to create a collaborative list, with someone who is a resident of the area of the targeted expansion, of the business ethics laws of the country you plan to enter. There are some ethical practices in foreign countries (e.g., bribery) that American companies find abhorrent but are not frowned upon in other parts of the world. The second item is to determine if the ethical standards of the country you plan to enter are so contradictory to the values of your company that entering into the country will shine a negative light on your company. The third item in the presentation is creating a list of the ethical standards both parties agree on. Many Western-style ethical practices have been adopted by emerging countries as a tool to attract tech or renewable energy industries to their countries. The fourth step is to make a list of the cultural differences between the two partners. Ethics can be viewed from a cultural perspective.
The last part of the question deals with how companies should deal with the issue of human rights. The Western business philosophy is based on the notion as the economic conditions of an area improve, the quality of life of people residing in an area improves as well. Human rights violations are a result of high poverty, poor education, sub-standard housing, and increased levels of hunger from food scarcity. In terms of social benefit, companies perceive the establishment of a manufacturing plant or an office as a way to improve the standard of living in a country. Oddly, we view a global company as a living organism. It’s easy to forget all organizations are made of people and, as such, should have a concern for the well-being of individuals. From this lens, there is a responsibility for global organizations to expect and promote high expectations for human rights where they choose to locate.
https://hbr.org/1996/09/values-in-tension-ethics-away-from-home

https://www.investopedia.com/ask/answers/040715/how-do-business-ethics-differ-among-various-countries.asp

https://www.scu.edu/ethics/focus-areas/business-ethics/resources/business-ethics-in-china/