Voluntary Codes of Conduct for Multinational Corporations

2006 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
pp. 117-117
Author(s):  
S. Prakash Sethi
Keyword(s):  
New York ◽  
Business Ethics ◽  
Multinational Corporations ◽  
Codes Of Conduct ◽  
University Of Pennsylvania ◽  
Corporate Accountability ◽  
Select Group ◽  
Ethics Research ◽  
Voluntary Codes Of Conduct ◽  
Additional Support

This issue of Business Ethics Quarterly offers a special forum incorporating a select group of papers that were presented at the First International Conference on “Voluntary Codes of Conduct for Multinational Corporations: Promises and Challenges,” held at the Zicklin School of Business, Baruch College, City University of New York, on May 12–15, 2004. The conference was organized by the International Center for Corporate Accountability (ICCA), Inc., and was co-sponsored by the Zicklin Center for Business Ethics Research of The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, and the World Bank’s World Bank Institute. Additional support was provided by a number of major corporations, academic institutions, and nongovernment organizations.

NGO Strategies for Promoting Corporate Social Responsibility

2002 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
pp. 71-87 ◽  
Author(s):  
Morton Winston
Keyword(s):  
Human Rights ◽  
Multinational Corporations ◽  
Codes Of Conduct ◽  
Legal Standards ◽  
Voluntary Codes Of Conduct ◽  
Financial Interests ◽  
Corporate Social Accountability ◽  
Naming And Shaming ◽  
Corporate Social ◽  
National Governments

This article describes and evaluates the different strategies that have been employed by international human rights nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) in attempting to influence the behavior of multinational corporations (MNCs). Within the NGO world, there is a basic divide on tactics for dealing with corporations: Engagers try to draw corporations into dialogue in order to persuade them by means of ethical and prudential arguments to adopt voluntary codes of conduct, while confronters believe that corporations will act only when their financial interests are threatened, and therefore take a more adversarial stance toward them. Confrontational NGOs tend to employ moral stigmatization, or “naming and shaming,” as their primary tactic, while NGOs that favor engagement offer dialogue and limited forms of cooperation with willing MNCs.The article explains the evolving relationship between NGOs and MNCs in relation to human rights issues and defines eight strategies along the engagement/confrontation spectrum used by NGOs in their dealings with MNCs. The potential benefits and risks of various forms of engagement between NGOs and MNCs are analyzed and it is argued that the dynamic created by NGOs pursuing these different strategies can be productive in moving some companies to embrace their social responsibilities. Yet, in order for these changes to be sustainable, national governments will need to enact enforceable international legal standards for corporate social accountability.

scholarly journals Business Ethics and Integrity a Case Study on 300 U.S. Listed Companies

2015 ◽  
Vol 25 (2) ◽  
pp. 63-80
Author(s):  
Diana-Maria Tinjala ◽  
Lavinia Mirela Pantea ◽  
Buglea Alexandru
Keyword(s):  
New York ◽  
Business Ethics ◽  
Stock Exchange ◽  
Codes Of Conduct ◽  
Corporate Ethics ◽  
Moral Integrity ◽  
Content Analysis Method ◽  
Corporate Codes Of Conduct ◽  
Policies And Programs ◽  
Corporate Social

Abstract Profit-maximizing behavior or moral integrity? Can companies have both? Our study takes a look at 300 U.S. based companies listed on the New York Stock Exchange and NASDAQ, and their way of dealing with business ethics. The research undertaken focuses on the content analysis method, using the corporate Codes of conduct and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) reports. The study reveals the evolution of the corporate ethics policies and programs throughout the years 2010- 2014. We also take a look at the most frequent controversies concerning business integrity, by sectors of activity

Voluntary Codes of Conduct for Multinational Corporations: Coordinating Duties of Rescue and Justice

2006 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
pp. 119-135 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nien-hê Hsieh
Keyword(s):  
Multinational Corporations ◽  
Codes Of Conduct ◽  
Code Of Conduct ◽  
Voluntary Codes Of Conduct ◽  
Contractual Obligations ◽  
Voluntary Adoption

This paper examines the extent to which the voluntary adoption of codes of conduct by multinational corporations (MNCs) renders MNCs accountable for the performance of actions specified in a code of conduct. In particular, the paper examines the ways in which codes of conduct coordinate the expectations of relevant parties with regard to the provision of assistance by MNCs on grounds of rescue or justice. The paper argues that this coordinative role of codes of conduct renders MNCs more accountable for the performance of actions specified in a code of conduct than they would be without a code of conduct. This interpretation of the significance of codes of conduct is contrasted with the view that codes of conduct render MNCs accountable for performing actions specified in a code of conduct by grounding contractual obligations for the performance of such actions.

A Human Rights Approach to Developing Voluntary Codes of Conduct for Multinational Corporations

2006 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
pp. 255-269 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tom Campbell
Keyword(s):  
Human Rights ◽  
Multinational Corporations ◽  
Codes Of Conduct ◽  
Moral Obligations ◽  
Economic Rights ◽  
Moral Force ◽  
Voluntary Codes Of Conduct

The criticism that voluntary codes of conduct are ineffective can be met by giving greater centrality to human rights in such codes. Provided the human rights obligations of multinational corporations are interpreted as moral obligations specifically tailored to the situation of multinational corporations, this could serve to bring powerful moral force to bear on MNCs and could provide a legitimating basis for NGO monitoring and persuasion. Approached in this way the human rights obligations of MNCs can be taken to include support for political as well as economic rights. This will go some way towards filling the regulatory gap created by the difficulty of controlling the activities of corporations operating globally. However, such a proposal will require a measure of ‘meta-regulation’ whereby the operations of MNCs are legally required to be sufficiently transparent to create the conditions for effective external moral scrutiny

Empathy as moderator of gender differences in Chinese insurance agents' business ethical sensitivity

2017 ◽  
Vol 45 (6) ◽  
pp. 1029-1042 ◽  
Author(s):  
Na Zhang ◽  
Jian Zhang ◽  
Jing Wang
Keyword(s):  
Gender Differences ◽  
Business Ethics ◽  
Research Field ◽  
Ethical Sensitivity ◽  
Men And Women ◽  
Insurance Agents ◽  
Factors Associated ◽  
Ethics Research ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Insight Into

To expand the business ethics research field, and to increase society's understanding of Chinese insurance agents' business ethics, we investigated how gender differences are related to agents' business ethical sensitivity and whether or not these relationships are moderated by empathy. Through a regression analysis of the factors associated with the business ethical sensitivity of 417 Chinese insurance agents, we found that gender played an important role in affecting business ethical sensitivity, and empathy significantly affected business ethical sensitivity. Furthermore, empathy had a moderating effect on the relationship between gender and business ethical sensitivity. Both men and women with strong empathy scored high on business ethical sensitivity; however, men with strong empathy had higher levels of business ethical sensitivity than did women with little empathy. The findings add to the literature by providing insight into the mechanisms responsible for the benefits of empathy in increasing business ethical sensitivity.

scholarly journals The Value of “Social” Reputation: The Protection of MNE Workers from the Consumer’s Perspective

Global Jurist ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 0 (0) ◽  
Author(s):  
Marta Giaconi ◽  
Lorenzo Giasanti ◽  
Simone Varva
Keyword(s):  
Codes Of Conduct ◽  
Code Of Conduct ◽  
Economic Consequences ◽  
Decent Work ◽  
Social Ranking ◽  
Government Organizations ◽  
Social Reputation ◽  
The Social ◽  
Labour Standards ◽  
Additional Support

Abstract The virtually immediate information propagation has reduced the gap of knowledge once existing between MNEs and customers (i.e. Rana Plaza collapse, 2013). Consumers begin playing an important role in supporting workers. Their growing social awareness has clear economic consequences. MNEs have tried to react to the loss of social reputation, mainly adopting (and imposing to their suppliers) codes of conduct and ethics providing a minimum standard for decent work standards. This article aims to analyze the social reputation and social sustainability that have recently attracted stakeholders’ interest, from different points of view (MNEs, consumers, government and non-government organizations, unions). Those “new” forms of social initiatives (code of conduct, social ranking, consumers campaign, boycotting) are informative and could help to spread ILO labour standards. Clearly, they can represent only an additional support for workers who are struggling in the typical conflict between Work and Capital. The tendency to use a single parameter for assessing the social sensitivity of the MNEs, valid both for the countries “in development” and for those “already developed” risks to lead to a “race to the bottom” trend.

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