This conflict can be named cultural imperialism on one hand or ethical relativism on the other. To understand the nature of the underlying conflict between culture and Western ethical analysis, consider the cultural underpinnings of some basic ethical issues. This framework classifies IS ethical issues as involving Intellectual Property, Access to Information, Privacy, and Information Accuracy. Let us consider here the issues of property and privacy rights. Cultural Bias in Intellectual Property Rights Ownership of any property, including intellectual property, has a cultural basis.
Cultures differ on a variety of dimensions .
Let us consider this last dimension. Table 1, adapted from Koopman, provides examples of this dichotomy. That is, the assertion of intellectual property rights requires an individual competitive cultural assumption. Cultural Bias in Privacy Issues Likewise, the culture's concept of the individual as separate from the community affects its view of privacy. For example, in Fiji the high school graduation marks are published in the news paper, while in other cultures such information is considered private.