Sweatshops and Respect for Persons

During the last decade, scholarly criticism of sweatshops has grown increasingly sophisticated. This article reviews the new moral and economic foundations of these criticisms and argues that they are flawed. It seeks to advance the debate over sweatshops by noting the extent to which the case for sweatshops does, and does not, depend on the existence of competitive markets. It attempts to more carefully distinguish between different ways in which various parties might seek to modify sweatshop behavior, and to point out that there is more room for consensus regarding some of these methods than has previously been recognized. It addresses the question of when sweatshops are justified in violating local labor laws. And it assesses the relevance of recent literature on coercion and exploitation as it applies to sweatshop labor. It concludes with a list of challenges that critics of sweatshops must meet to productively advance the debate.

Section: Coercionmentioning

confidence: 98%

Section: Coercionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Ethical and Economic Case Against Sweatshop Labor: A Critical Assessment

Powell

Zwolinski

2011

“…According to Arnold and Bowie (2003) respect for workers in global supply chains includes adherence to local law, but additionally to refrain from coercion, and to pay workers a living wage. Stormberg's code of conduct includes this and other usual standards of justice set down by ILO, such as avoiding illegal contracts and forbidding forced employment and child labor; no discrimination, no harsh or inhumane treatment; safe and hygienic working conditions, a living wage, among others.…”

Section: Ethics-drivers: Justice and Ethics Of Carementioning

confidence: 99%

Can an SME Become a Global Corporate Citizen? Evidence from a Case Study

Høivik

Mêlé

2009

“…While he has suggested that the very purpose of a company should be replaced with a Kantian alternative, the bulk of his argument implies that the changes required of such a perspective are more evolutionary than revolutionary. Leadership practices (Bowie, 2000), supplier relations (Arnold and Bowie, 2003) and internal corporate ethics programs (Reynolds and Bowie, 2004) have since been considered, but a more complete paradigm has yet to emerge. Bowie concludes his case against the egoistic paradigm: ''It is tempting to tell entrepreneurs to break off from parent companies because they can make more money.…”

Section: Revolutionary Championsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Cultural Paradigm of Virtue

Crockett

2005

Social and moral issues in business have drawn attention to a gap between theory and practice and fueled the search for a reconciling perspective. Finding and establishing an alternative remains a critical initiative, but a daunting one. In what follows, the assumptions of two prominent contenders are considered before introducing a third in the form of Aristotle's ancient theory of virtue. Comparative case studies are used to briefly illustrate the practical implications of each paradigm. In the quest for a better sense-making and sense-giving lens, this paper refines and encourages the search by highlighting some of the key features required of a worthy paradigmatic challenge. The author proceeds to identify a particular type of institutional community, and a promising champion, for the practical unification of strategic and normative excellence.