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A comparative study of the contents of corporate codes of ethics in Australia, Canada and Sweden

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  • Singh, Jang
  • Carasco, Emily
  • Svensson, Goran
  • Wood, Greg
  • Callaghan, Michael

Abstract

This paper reports on and analyzes the contents of 197 corporate codes of ethics (78 Australian, 80 Canadian and 39 Swedish). Among other things, it was found that the contents of the Australian and Canadian codes were similar, reflecting the similar histories and cultures (as measured by Hofstede's dimensions) of these two countries. Further, the contents of the Swedish codes were found to be very different from the Australian and Canadian codes in some areas, reflecting the cultural differences between Sweden and the other two countries.

Suggested Citation

  • Singh, Jang & Carasco, Emily & Svensson, Goran & Wood, Greg & Callaghan, Michael, 2005. "A comparative study of the contents of corporate codes of ethics in Australia, Canada and Sweden," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 40(1), pages 91-109, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:worbus:v:40:y:2005:i:1:p:91-109
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Janet Adams & Armen Tashchian & Ted Shore, 2001. "Codes of Ethics as Signals for Ethical Behavior," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 29(3), pages 199-211, February.
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    Cited by:

    1. Emiliano Di Carlo & Silvia Testarmata, 2012. "Recognizing and Managing Conflicts of Interest: the Case of Italian Listed Companies," DSI Essays Series, DSI - Dipartimento di Studi sull'Impresa, vol. 20.
    2. Muel Kaptein, 2011. "Toward Effective Codes: Testing the Relationship with Unethical Behavior," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 99(2), pages 233-251, March.
    3. Kolk, Ans, 2016. "The social responsibility of international business: From ethics and the environment to CSR and sustainable development," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 51(1), pages 23-34.
    4. Lauren Kleynjans & Marek Hudon, 2016. "A Study of Codes of Ethics for Mexican Microfinance Institutions," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 134(3), pages 397-412, March.
    5. Vitolla, Filippo & Raimo, Nicola & Rubino, Michele & Garegnani, Giovanni Maria, 2021. "Do cultural differences impact ethical issues? Exploring the relationship between national culture and quality of code of ethics," Journal of International Management, Elsevier, vol. 27(1).
    6. Gaur, Ajai & Kumar, Mukesh, 2018. "A systematic approach to conducting review studies: An assessment of content analysis in 25years of IB research," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 53(2), pages 280-289.
    7. Gladys Lee & Neil Fargher, 2013. "Companies’ Use of Whistle-Blowing to Detect Fraud: An Examination of Corporate Whistle-Blowing Policies," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 114(2), pages 283-295, May.
    8. Lutz Preuss, 2010. "Codes of Conduct in Organisational Context: From Cascade to Lattice-Work of Codes," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 94(4), pages 471-487, July.
    9. Tadeusz Miczka, 2018. "The State of Anthropological Uncertainty as an Educational Problem," European Journal of Multidisciplinary Studies Articles, Revistia Research and Publishing, vol. 3, January -.
    10. Luis Rodriguez-Dominguez & Isabel Gallego-Alvarez & Isabel Garcia-Sanchez, 2009. "Corporate Governance and Codes of Ethics," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 90(2), pages 187-202, December.
    11. Gylfason, Haukur Freyr & Arnardottir, Audur Arna & Kristinsson, Kari, 2013. "More on gender differences in lying," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 119(1), pages 94-96.
    12. Virginia Bodolica & Martin Spraggon, 2015. "An Examination into the Disclosure, Structure, and Contents of Ethical Codes in Publicly Listed Acquiring Firms," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 126(3), pages 459-472, February.
    13. Svensson, Göran & Wood, Greg & Callaghan, Michael, 2010. "A corporate model of sustainable business practices: An ethical perspective," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 45(4), pages 336-345, October.
    14. Barkemeyer, Ralf & Preuss, Lutz & Ohana, Marc, 2018. "Developing country firms and the challenge of corruption: Do company commitments mirror the quality of national-level institutions?," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 90(C), pages 26-39.
    15. Amber Wigmore-Ã lvarez & Mercedes Ruiz-Lozano, 2014. "The United Nations Global Compact Progress Reports as Management Control Instruments for Social Responsibility at Spanish Universities," SAGE Open, , vol. 4(2), pages 21582440145, April.
    16. Maira Babri & Bruce Davidson & Sven Helin, 2021. "An Updated Inquiry into the Study of Corporate Codes of Ethics: 2005–2016," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 168(1), pages 71-108, January.
    17. Bert Scholtens & Lammertjan Dam, 2007. "Cultural Values and International Differences in Business Ethics," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 75(3), pages 273-284, October.
    18. Giorgio Gotti & Tony Kang & Michael C. Wolfe & Yong Keun Yoo, 2023. "Corporate codes of ethics and cash holdings: International evidence," Accounting and Finance, Accounting and Finance Association of Australia and New Zealand, vol. 63(3), pages 3387-3418, September.
    19. Kaptein, S.P., 2009. "From Symbolic to Substantive Documents: When Business Codes of Ethics Impact Unethical Behavior in the Workplace," ERIM Report Series Research in Management ERS-2009-021-ORG, Erasmus Research Institute of Management (ERIM), ERIM is the joint research institute of the Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University and the Erasmus School of Economics (ESE) at Erasmus University Rotterdam.
    20. Ruiz Lozano, Mercedes & Araque Padilla, Rafael, 2013. "¿Son los códigos éticos un instrumento para proteger al stakeholder consumidor? Un estudio de los sectores financiero, energético y de telefonía españoles," Revista de Contabilidad - Spanish Accounting Review, Elsevier, vol. 16(2), pages 159-168.
    21. Jana Kozáková & Mária Urbánová & Radovan Savov, 2021. "Factors Influencing the Extent of the Ethical Codes: Evidence from Slovakia," JRFM, MDPI, vol. 14(1), pages 1-18, January.
    22. Sven Helin & Johan Sandström, 2007. "An Inquiry into the Study of Corporate Codes of Ethics," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 75(3), pages 253-271, October.
    23. Laurence Romani & Betina Szkudlarek, 2014. "The Struggles of the Interculturalists: Professional Ethical Identity and Early Stages of Codes of Ethics Development," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 119(2), pages 173-191, January.

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