ABSTRACT
This chapter addresses the ethical complexities that arise when promotional messages developed for one culture are then translated to another. With so many corporations becoming multinationals, the questions about cultural differences in the ethics of persuasive messages are more important than ever. In fact, the ethics of persuading people about products and services is differently perceived in different countries and cultures. First, there is the question of whether ethics refers just to what is legal or if its meaning goes beyond legality. Next, there are questions about how fundamental values such as the relative importance of individuals compared with groups influence what is perceived to be ethically acceptable. The author argues that three important philosophical/ religious perspectives must also be taken into account (Western individualism, Confucian philosophy, and Islam). Finally, there is a discussion of if, out of all of these differences in belief and emphasis, some universal cultural ethics of advertising can be derived .
