ABSTRACT
This book elucidates central themes from the most essential classic writings of traditional Chinese culture with the purpose of helping Westerners communicate more effectively with their Chinese counterparts, in particular about difficult and contentious business ethics issues. We apply the principles set forth in the book to three business ethics topics of enduring interest to business executives, policymakers, and academics, namely, the protection of intellectual property, assurance of product safety and quality in the pharmaceutical supply chain, and human rights. We begin by offering a very brief and highly selective survey of modern and contemporary Chinese history—from the national humiliations at the hands of foreign powers in the 19th century, to the founding of the People’s Republic of China in 1949, the beginning of the reform era roughly 30 years later, the Tiananmen Square massacre in 1989, and the post-COVID-19 world we now live in.
