Global Values in International Organisations 419The refrain, “But we are a rules-based organization” can also be used
as shorthand to say that virtues do not matter, because virtues may
change when placed in a cultural context. Regardless of whether that
culture is familial, tribal, community, national or regional in context,
there are many who firmly believe that there can exist no universal set of
human and global virtues.^325 Following this line of reasoning, rules must
take precedence because they provide a firm guidepost and standard.
Virtues are too malleable, too fluid, and too difficult to define. Thus, the
rules must rule.
Is rules obedience the default position when a focus on virtues
proves challenging? Perhaps. Insisting that rules be followed is certainly
useful when reducing risks of unethical behaviour or responding to em-
ployment grievances that challenge organizational decisions. A primary
or exclusionary focus on rules, at least within international organiza-
tions, can appear to provide clear (or nearly clear) boundaries for indi-
vidual behaviour.
Consider, for example, a rule that prohibits acceptance of gifts, un-
less the fair market value of the gifted item is below a specific de mini-
mus amount, such as $25 (US). If the gifted item is tangible and fre-
quently bought and sold, it may be a straightforward proposition to de-
termine its fair market value. If these two conditions precedent are pre-
sent (tangibility and marketability), then the rule can be applied and be-
haviour assessed as either within the rule or beyond the rule. If a cov-
ered staff member accepts a tangible and marketable item as a gift and if
the value exceeds $25 (US), then a vigilant organization can apply the
rule and determine that the behaviour in question falls outside the range
of what is acceptable. This becomes a binary choice: Is the gift OK? Is
325
For a globally useful assessment tool that is predicated on a set of accepted
global values, see Dubinsky, J. and Richter, A., “Global Ethics & Integrity
Benchmarks,” 2015, New York
http://qedconsulting.com/files/GlobalEthicsandIntegrityBookmarks_2015.pdf