You are the CEO of a Japanese importer that resells designer bags, purses, and wallets across Southeast Asia. Many of the products are manufactured in Southeast Asia, mainly Vietnam, Indonesia, and Malaysia. They are shipped from these manufacturers to Western Europe, then re-exported to Japan and onward to markets across Southeast Asia. Some of the products travel over 15,000 miles before they reach retailers in Singapore or Brunei. They have also significantly increased in price, and some are sold to wealthy customers just a few miles from where they were manufactured. The Southeast Asian market is awash with counterfeit versions of designer brands.
1. Your company has been accused of threatening the cultures of Southeast Asia by promoting Western designer brands. Why might this be the case, and how might the business respond?
2. You are thinking of creating a website as a selling tool in order to break into new markets across the region. You would like a Japanese language site but realize this is not the right ethical decision. Why?
3. Comments on your company’s social media often accuse the business of cultural imperialism. How do you stand on this, ethically speaking?

4. You are considering approaching the designer brands with two alternative ways forward.
The first would see you only distribute products that have not been manufactured in Southeast Asia. The second would see the adaption of product designs so they better match the prevailing cultures of the countries you distribute into. In your view, which is the more ethical solution?