Global retailers and their corporate codes of ethics: the case of Wal-Mart in Germany

The case of Wal-Mart in Germany and the lawsuit on its Statement of Ethics demonstrate some of the business ethical complexities and traps that retailers have to consider when they go global. The paper analyzes the impact of different legal and cultural frameworks on the admissibility and appropriateness of codes of ethics, the different types of standardization applicable in codes of ethics as well as the potential conflicts between corporate and personal interests. The analysis tackles the issues of global versus local codes of ethics, rule- versus principle-based approaches to standardization and of restricting versus protecting employees' privacy to advantage corporate affairs.