Globalisation and its influence on ethical decision-making in business : China and intellectual property

Ethical decision-making in business is influenced by various factors, including the external environment, organisational factors, and society. Business ethics in China have changed in the last few decades, predominantly as a result of globalisation. However, such changes can take some time to start to manifest, which is seen in the lag between policy changes and tangible changes in the approach to intellectual property rights, as observed in the patent application trends in China. A change in approach to intellectual property indicates to what degree various countries have embraced the opportunities presented by globalisation.