CHAPTER 15
Regional Ethics: Japan, Russia and Islamic Banking Ethics HE
WHO SEEKS FAME AND FORTUNE THROUGH
IMMORALITY, MISCONDUCT, AND DECEPTION WILL NEVER ACHIEVE IT.
EVEN
IF HE ACHIEVES TEMPORARY FAME AND
FORTUNE THROUGH SOME STROKE OF LUCK, IT WILL BE ONLY AS A FLOATING CLOUD IN THE HEAVENS, SOON TO BE DISPERSED BY A GUST OF WIND.
– S H I B U S A W A E I I C H I (1 84 1- 19 31 ) C O N S I D E R E D TO BE THE FATHER OF JAPANESE CAPITALISM. THE
VALUES
BY MANY
T H A T P E O P L E H O L D , either consciously or unconsciously, guide human behavior and ultimately determine their ethics. Today, an international business-person must have a clear understanding of the ethical value system he or she is working in. Often a clue can be found in religious traditions and philosophies. For example, the ethical system of many of the Western industrialized democracies is based on Christian teachings and Biblical themes. Hong Kong, China, Korea, Singapore, Taiwan, Vietnam and Japan are all a part of a common cultural universe based on the teachings (many would says it is really a civil religion) of the ancient philosophers Confucius and Buddha.
Ethics In Japan: Confucianism At Work During the 1990s, Japan has been in the midst of ethics angst. Political and corporate scandals have grabbed headline after headline. Four senior officials at Mitsubishi Motors were charged with hiding defects in autos. Other major corporations, such as Bridgestone, Mitsubishi Electric and Sanyo Electric, have been accused of covering up defects in tires, television sets and solar cell systems. There have been payoffs to sokaiya (corporate racketeers) by Ajinomoto, Takashimaya and Nomura Securities, huge loans to sokaiya without adequate collateral by Daiichi Kangyo Bank and the disclosure of unfair trade in copper by Sumitomo Corporation. Japan’s major political parties also have been tainted by kickback scandals and payoffs to gangsters. What does all this mean? Could it be that the Japanese are witnessing a collapse of ethical behavior? Sure, there are individuals that have no qualms about behaving unethically in Japanese society just as there are unethical individuals in all societies. But are the Japanese with their generous business gifts, lavish business
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