When Ethical Standards Collide
It is a given that all followers of Jesus should seek to be people of integrity. However, because ethical practices are partly determined by cultural values and expectations, being honorable people can be complicated when we engage in cross-cultural partnerships. Without realizing it, Americans can cause their international partners to lose credibility as good people in their local settings. Let me explain what I mean with an illustration from designated building funds. While this is only one example, similar scenarios could be easily multiplied.
Suppose an American church, foundation, or donor gives thousands of dollars to construct a facility in support of some ministry in a less developed part of the world. Then before those funds are spent, there is a major crisis in that location (e.g., a flood, famine, or epidemic). If that happens, the local leaders with access to foreign money will likely be viewed as bad people if they do not use all available funds to meet the needs of the crisis.
The whole concept of designated funds only makes sense in cultures with surplus. Allowing people in a crisis to suffer because you are investing in buildings makes no sense, even when it may mean helping more people over the long term. People in cultures of surplus think in long-term ways. People in cultures of scarcity think in terms of daily survival. This means that national leaders in the developing world are often put in impossible situations where they must decide if they want to be seen as immoral to the people in their context or risk being seen as irresponsible or even unethical to their donors.
There are no easy solutions for these kinds of tensions. So, what can we do to overcome this problem? Here are some suggestions:
Educate yourself about the complexity of cross-cultural ministry. If we don’t understand how we can put our global partners in impossible situations, we will run into problems and put partnerships at risk. A great place to start is with Cross-Cultural Partnerships by Mary Lederleitner. This brief and easy-to-read book is essential to anyone engaged in supporting works in other countries.
Make sure that people on both sides of a cross-cultural partnership get to shape the agreements about how money will be handled to satisfy the ethical standards of both cultures. Don’t impose the donor’s culture on leaders in other countries without understanding how this could impact them, their reputation, and their relationships in their culture. Have the hard conversations and set up standards of conduct together on the front end that specify how funds will be handled when there is a conflict of cultural norms.
Ensure that your partners in other cultures know that you will work with them and find mutually acceptable solutions when there are clashes in cultural values that create the appearance of ethical compromise which you have not anticipated. Create an open and trusting relationship so that the partners in other countries don’t fear you will make quick accusations or cut them off if they get caught in an ethical bind between cultural expectations. Be very slow to use judgmental labels like “unethical” or “corrupt.” Don’t just do audits. Ask bigger questions. Invite your partners to educate you about the complexities and tensions they navigate regularly. Be willing to amend your understandings in light of what you learn.
Accept that these kinds of conversations will be extremely difficult for non-westerners who often feel a power imbalance when dealing with Americans. The non-western partners also probably come from honor-shame cultures where conflict is handled indirectly instead of directly. For you to have the kinds of conversations needed to work well together over the long term, it may be necessary for you to use a third party as a broker who understands both cultures. If you need help finding that kind of broker, feel free to call us at MRN. We may be able to help you.