American International Journal of Social Science

National-Cultural Differences in Ethical Decision Making: A Comparison between Oman and United States University Business Students
Candace Mehaffey-Kultgen, BabuGeorge, Gregory Weisenborn

Abstract
The purpose of this quantitative descriptive study is to investigate certain issues related to cultural boundedness in ethical decision making. Omani and American cultural and ethical differences exist, but a serious challenge arises in that very little research exists to identify under which circumstances these differences will affect decision making skills, and how these decision outcomes may impact internationally accepted best business practices (BBP). To achieve this, the investigators developed a Personal Business Ethics Survey (PBES) instrument and compared the ethical choices of Omani and American university students. The PBES instrument employed critical incident technique to elucidate the views of the respondents on sixteen (16) hypothetical business situations. The results of this study should provide robust insights into the likely behavioral choices that Omani and American business students might make and if these choices will align with the internationally accepted BBP. At a broader level, the findings should serve as a foundation for future research seeking to ascertain the varied components in Omani culture that influence decision-making.

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