Some examples of where law and culture conflict are:
Polygamy (Mormons, Latter Day Saints, Islam, China, Mongolia -- considering legalizing it, and US law)
Genital manipulation (Islamic belief) and world law
Child labor laws (worldwide)
Polygamy
According to the decision in REYNOLDS v. U.S. 98 U.S. 145 (1878), "This being so, the only question which remains is, whether those who make polygamy a part of their religion are exempted from the operation of the statute. If they are, then those who do not make polygamy a part of their religious belief may be found guilty and punished, while those who do, must be acquitted and go free. This would be introducing a new element into criminal law. Laws are made for the government of actions, and while they cannot interfere with mere religious belief and opinions, they may with practices. Suppose one believed that human sacrifices were a necessary part of religious worship, would it be seriously contended that the civil government under which he lived could not interfere to prevent a sacrifice?" This says that while freedom of religion is protected by the law, some of its practices might contradict the law and as such are not allowed regardless of religious belief. It should be noted that Mormons abandoned polygamy in 1890. The most recent case of this deals with Warren Steed Jeffs who led a sect of Fundamentalist Latter Day Saints (a group that separated from the Mormons in 1890 when polygamy was outlawed).
Reference: http://caselaw.lp.findlaw.com/scripts/getcase.pl?navby=search&court=US&case=/us/98/145.html
Reference: http://www.fbi.gov/wanted/fugitives/cac/jeffs_ws.htm
Female Genital Manipulation
The case of female genital manipulation, or female circumcision, is still a common practice in some cultures and countries. "Female genital mutilation (FGM) is practiced across Muslim Africa between Senegal and Somalia, as well as in the United Arab Emirates, Oman, Yemen, and among Muslims in Malaysia and Indonesia. In 1995 an Egyptian government report estimated that 97% of married or formerly married women in Egypt have been circumcised. In countries where FGM is common, it is also performed by Christians, Jews, and by various indigenous groups. Uncircumcised women in these countries are considered 'unclean' and often have difficulty finding marriage partners. Muslim immigrants also occasionally perform it in the USA and the UK. In 1997 there were over 114 million women and girls worldwide who had undergone FGM." As you can see, this practice is not bound to one religion, but can span many religions because of acceptance in a country. This procedure has been outlawed in "Kenya, Senegal, Canada, France, Sweden, and Switzerland. In the UK it is prohibited under the Prohibition of Female Circumcision Act (1985), and in the USA under the Federal Prohibition of Female Genital Mutilation Act passed in September 1996. The United Nations, UNICEF, and the World Health Organization consider FGM to be a violation of human rights and have recommended its eradication." The UN, UNICEF, and WHO want this practice to stop. It is surprising to see that it was not a crime in the United States until 1996. However it is now law under Title 18, Part I, Chapter 7, Section 116, or 18USC116:
Female genital mutilation
(a) Except as provided in subsection (b), whoever knowingly circumcises, excises, or infibulates the whole or any part of the labia majora or labia minora or clitoris of another person who has not attained the age of 18 years shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than 5 years, or both.
(b) A surgical operation is not a violation of this section if the operation is--
(1) necessary to the health of the person on whom it is performed, and is performed by a person licensed in the place of its performance as a medical practitioner; or
(2) performed on a person in labor or who has just given birth and is performed for medical purposes connected with that labor or birth by a person licensed in the place it is performed as a medical practitioner, midwife, or person in training to become such a practitioner or midwife.
(c) In applying subsection (b)(1), no account shall be taken of the effect on the person on whom the operation is to be performed of any belief on the part of that person, or any other person, that the operation is required as a matter of custom or ritual.
This means women over the age of 18 can elect to have this done unless it is a medical necessity (b) -- not religious (c).
Reference: http://encyclopedia.farlex.com/female+genital+mutilation
Reference: http://frwebgate2.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/waisgate.cgi?WAISdocID=333221437145+4+0+0&WAISaction=retrieve
Child Labor Laws
However, in business the most scrutinized laws are child labor laws. In the US, a child has to be 16 but there are a multitude of exceptions. Children as young as 12 can legally work on farms (where parents own/operate the farm and the duties are not hazardous) and 14 in non-industry jobs (food and retail). There are restrictions on the time allowed to work (cannot be during school hours, after a certain time of day, or hours in a day/week). However, outside the United States things are very different. "In the third quarter of 1991, the Philippine Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) estimated that there were 777,000 Filipino workers between the ages of 10 and 14, and 1.4 million between 15 and 17 years. These figures exclude the large number of working children below the age of 10. (Children of Toil (Manila: Youth Department of the Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (YD-TUCP), October 18, 1992) 5. from http://www.dol.gov/ilab/media/reports/iclp/sweat/philippines.htm). "There are an estimated 8 to 11 million children under the age of 15 working in Mexico" (Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 1993 (U.S Department of State, February, 1994) 502 from http://www.dol.gov/ilab/media/reports/iclp/sweat/mexico.htm). With the explosion of Chinese exports, there has been an increase in child labor. "China is now investigating whether hundreds, perhaps thousands, of poor children of the Yi ethnic minority group in Liangshan were lured or even kidnapped to work in factories that are increasingly desperate for the kind of cheap labor that powered China to prosperity over the past two decades."
Reference: http://www.stopchildlabor.org/USchildlabor/fact1.htm
Reference: http://www.dol.gov/ilab/media/reports/iclp/sweat/philippines.htm
Reference: http://www.dol.gov/ilab/media/reports/iclp/sweat/mexico.htm
Reference: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/10/world/asia/10CHINA.html?pagewanted=1
With regards to the simulation, some other examples of International business transactions are technology transfer and product licensing. Even more so, intellectual property rights fall under international business laws. Intellectual property is defined as, "creations of the mind: inventions, literary and artistic works, and symbols, names, images, and designs used in commerce" (http://www.wipo.int/about-ip/en/). Continuing on for clarification, "Intellectual property is divided into two categories: Industrial property, which includes inventions (patents), trademarks, industrial designs, and geographic indications of source; and Copyright, which includes literary and artistic works such as novels, poems and plays, films, musical works, artistic works such as drawings, paintings, photographs and sculptures, and architectural designs" (http://www.wipo.int/about-ip/en/).
Some additional factors that could bring about a dispute are political pressure, international law, or cultural influence. Some of these are touched on earlier in this document. One thing that can stir up some problems is when cultural and religious differences cause employment issues. In the simulation, Gentura and CadMex faced such an issue at the research center. Male employees had to sign an agreement to be clean-shaven, however, the religious group, Aranian, doesn't allow the men to shave during one week every year. In violation of the written agreement, these men were suspended for not shaving and consequently filed a lawsuit claiming religious discrimination.
Crossing international borders can be a bigger problem. Any time a company decides to operate should consider the financial, legal, and ethical implications before making a decision to act. One example is the political threat from the simulation where, in 2012, the President was overthrown by a nationalist organization promising democracy. Let's not forget the viral epidemic from ViroBlax (and since Gentura can't produce enough, the government can overturn the patent to allow other companies to make a generic brand). This was avoided when I opted to let CadMex enter sublicensing agreements.
There are some concerns with sublicensing agreements, mainly the quality or standard of drugs produced by the sub-licensees. A generic version would be more affordable, but the loss of the patent means loss of revenue. It comes down to making a good business decision versus an ethical decision.

Valued Acer Customer

2009-07-13