| Course | PHI-3840 Ethics and the Business Professional |
|---|---|
| Module | Module 3 |
| Paper type | Discussion forum: initial response and two comments |
| Length | About 454 words |
| Format | Discussion post with APA 7 citations |
| School | Thomas Edison State University |
| Program | Bachelor of Science in Professional Studies |
| Updated | October 2026 |
Free sample paper for PHI 3840 Module 3
Module 3 Discussion: Gifts Abroad, Lines at Home
Gifts Abroad, Lines at Home: Culture, Relativism and the FCPA in an International Tender
Our dealer is bidding, with a manufacturing partner, to furnish a new private hospital abroad. The partner's local agent suggested that our representative bring "gifts" to two procurement officials before the bids are scored: watches worth several hundred dollars each. He said this was customary and that competitors would do the same.
Byars and Stanberry (2018) describe ethical relativism as the view that right and wrong depend on cultural context, and contrast it with the view that some standards apply everywhere. Relativism has a point: gift customs differ, and a modest gift that expresses respect can be appropriate in many cultures. But a gift intended to influence an official's decision in a competitive tender is not a cultural courtesy; it is a bribe, and bribery harms the hospital, which may get worse furniture at a higher price, and honest competitors.
Donaldson (1996) argued that companies operating across cultures should respect local traditions while holding to core values, such as respect for human dignity and good citizenship, and that a practice should be judged by whether it violates those core values. A watch to a scoring official violates them.
The law agrees. The Foreign Corrupt Practices Act bars U.S. firms and anyone acting for them from giving or promising a foreign official something of value in order to win or retain business (U.S. Department of Justice & U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, 2020). It has a narrow exception for facilitation payments made to speed routine governmental actions, such as processing a visa, but scoring a tender is not routine; it is a discretionary decision. Using an agent does not protect us: payments through third parties are covered.
I recommended that we decline, tell the partner in writing that we will not offer gifts to officials and instead compete on price, delivery and a local installation team. A small branded gift for the hospital's staff after the decision, within the hospital's own policy, would be a courtesy rather than an inducement. The agent may lose commissions as a result, and we should tell the manufacturing partner why, leaving the partner to judge whether an agent who suggests bribes should stay.
Comment on Tanya's Post
Tanya, you describe a supplier in another country that hires only relatives of current employees. Is that a cultural practice to respect, or does it violate a core value like fair treatment? Donaldson's test might help you decide.
Comment on Ray's Post
Ray, adapting the dress code for a client meeting abroad seems like respect, not compromise. Unlike a gift to an official, it harms no one. That contrast may be a useful way to frame your post.
References
Byars, S. M., & Stanberry, K. (2018). Business ethics. OpenStax. https://openstax.org/details/books/business-ethics
Donaldson, T. (1996). Values in tension: Ethics away from home. Harvard Business Review, 74(5), 48-62.
U.S. Department of Justice & U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. (2020). A resource guide to the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (2nd ed.). https://www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/fcpa-resource-guide
PHI 3840 Module 3 instructions, in plain terms
The Module 3 forum covers ethics and culture. Expect to analyze a situation in which cultural norms and ethical or legal standards conflict, take a position on ethical relativism, and, where business crosses borders, explain how U.S. anti-bribery law applies. Support your view with the textbook and other sources. Your comments on classmates' posts must be substantial, stating and supporting a position rather than agreeing. If your situation crosses borders, describe what the law requires and what it allows, and distinguish customs that express respect from payments that buy decisions. Take a clear position on relativism and defend it with a principle you can state in one line.
How this PHI 3840 Module 3 example is built
The post begins with the tender and the agent's justification. A paragraph defines relativism, grants its point about gift customs and explains why a gift to a scoring official is different. A paragraph applies research on values across cultures. A paragraph explains the FCPA and its facilitation payment exception. A paragraph sets out the decision. The replies apply a test for core values to a hiring practice and contrast a dress code with a bribe. The decision includes telling the manufacturing partner why gifts were refused, which addresses the agent's role and the partner's responsibility. The post closes by contrasting an inducement before the decision with a courtesy after it. Each reply offers the classmate a test to apply.
Where the marks sit in the PHI 3840 Module 3 rubric
Marks here reward accurate use of concepts and law, a supported position on relativism, attention to classmates' posts and clear, respectful writing. Posts that distinguish respectful customs from inducements, with a principled test, show depth. Explaining the facilitation payment exception precisely demonstrates care. Replies that offer a test or contrast the classmate can use add the most value to the forum. Following the decision through to the partner and the agent shows awareness that ethics involves relationships in the whole chain. Citing the government resource guide gives the legal discussion an authoritative source. A stated principle for judging customs, such as a test of core values, gives the position a defensible basis. A clear position on relativism earns credit.
PHI 3840 Module 3 help: mistakes that cost marks
Students lose points by treating all cultural differences as relative, by misstating the FCPA or by assuming that third-party payments are exempt. Others take no position. Distinguish customs from inducements. Explain what the law covers and its narrow exception. Take a position on relativism and defend it. Reply with a supported view. Remember that agents and partners act for you under the law, so address their conduct as well as your own. State the principle you use to judge a custom, and apply it to the gift under discussion. A free first sample on your own PHI-3840 ethics and culture discussion is available on request.
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PHI 3840 Module 3 questions, answered
Where can I find a free PHI 3840 Module 3 sample paper?
A discussion of gifts to foreign officials, relativism and the FCPA, with two replies, is above.
What is ethical relativism?
The view that right and wrong depend on cultural context rather than universal standards.
What does the FCPA prohibit?
Giving or promising something of value to a foreign official to win or hold on to business.
What is a facilitation payment?
A small payment to speed a routine governmental action, a narrow exception under the FCPA that does not cover discretionary decisions.
Do FCPA rules apply to payments through agents?
Yes; payments made through third parties are covered.