'Deficient in Commercial Morality'?: Japan in Global Debates on Business Ethics in the Late Nineteenth and Early Twentieth Centuries (Palgrave Studies in Economic History)

This enlightening text analyses the origins of Western complaints, prevalent in the late nineteenth century, that Japan was characterised at the time by exceptionally low standards of 'commercial morality', despite a major political and economic transformation. As Britain industrialised during the nineteenth century the issue of 'commercial morality' was increasingly debated. Concerns about standards of business ethics extended to other industrialising economies, such as the United States. Hunter examines the Japanese response to the charges levelled against Japan in this context, arguing that this was shaped by a pragmatic recognition that Japan had little choice but to adapt itself to Western expectations if it was to establish its position in the global economy. The controversy and criticisms, which were at least in part stimulated by fear of Japanese competition, are important in the history of thinking on business ethics, and are of relevance for today's industrialising economies as they attempt to establish themselves in international markets. Acknowledgements Contents List of Tables Chapter 1: Introduction Notes Chapter 2: Credit, Speculation, Legislation, and Reputation: The Evolution of the Discourse on Commercial Morality in England and Beyond Emergence of Debates on Business Morality in England Beyond Britain The Commercial Morality Discourse in International Context Notes Chapter 3: Deceit, Piracy, and Unfair Competition: Western Perceptions of the Level of Morality in Japan From Deceit to Piracy From Piracy to Dumping A Response to Competition? Notes Chapter 4: National Interest, Reputation, and Economic Development in an ‘Infant’ Country: The Japanese Response to Western Criticisms Traditional Society and Treaty Port Venality National Interest, Reputation, and Economic Development Reputation and Moral Codes of Conduct: Responses from the Business Elite and the Press The Western Yardstick Taking Concrete Measures: Commercial Education, the State, and Business Notes Chapter 5: Conclusion Notes Bibliography Index Annotation This text analyses the origins of Western complaints, prevalent in the late 19th century, that Japan was characterised at the time by exceptionally low standards of 'commercial morality', despite a major political and economic transformation