Whether Wal-Mart’s actions in Mexico are ethical or not?

Please view the videos linked in  module 1 and discuss whether Wal-Mart’s actions in Mexico are ethical or not based on what you have learned in this course versus cultural norms.

For comparison you can watch videos on Google Leaving China.

Based on what I have learned in the course, Walmart engaged in something completely unethical. The bribes they gave out to increase the number of their stores in Mexico amounts to more than $24 million according to the video. Walmart top executives tried to shut down investigation that is both unethical and illegal in my opinion.

The other point that I need to discuss here is the cultural norms vs ethics. In my opinion, offering bribes because they might be a part of a culture is no excuse. The very nature of bribe is based on an unethical philosophy. I mean why are bribes use? Bribes are unethical practices used to get undue preference. In the case of Walmart, they wanted a competitor edge which they got.

In contrast Goolge made a bold decision and did not compromise on its ethical standards. They were being forced to sensor some of their search results by the government of china but Google instead opted to leave china. Google did not find excuses in the pressure that was put on it.