What can Eastern philosophy teach us about business ethics?

Abstract

What, if anything, "Eastern philosophy" can teach people about business ethics is examined. The whole idea of "Eastern ethics" or so-called "Asian values" is suspect on a number of scores. It is argued that it is better to refer to specific ideas of particular thinkers influential within one country or tradition. The philosophy of two such thinkers are concentrated on - Watsuji Tetsuro of Japan and Confucius. When this more micro approach is adopted, some important lessons are learned with respect to the meaning of trust, the longterm nature of relations, and ethics that extend far beyond the limited idea of rights. These lessons are considered in the business context.