Assignment: Do Civil Rights Apply to U.S. Companies?

You are a business consultant to the National Minority Supplier Development Council. An international petroleum products distribution company, based in the U.S., consults with you on cultural diversity matters. It faces some complex choices at its overseas locations.  While equal opportunity, affirmative action, and individual civil rights are the law of the land in the U.S., this frequently is not the case in other countries. Therefore when moral and legal issues run counter to host-country customs, problems are bound to arise.

Prepare an executive summary, briefly discussing the following specific topics:

Should U.S. civil rights laws apply to U.S. companies' foreign operations? Express your opinion on this issue.

Describe a cultural diversity policy for the firm expanding overseas operations. Highlight any differences that might arise in some Middle Eastern countries where a distribution center is currently being built.

Explain the value of understanding the importance of, and complying with, the other country's legal system while operating in a foreign country.

Americans tend to believe that the U.S. legal system is better than that of most other countries. Discuss the ramifications of this belief in an overseas, culturally diverse operation.