Ethics Theory and Business Practice 1.1 Rights

Transcript:Ethics Theory and Business Practice 1.1 Rights:
Ethics Theory and Business Practice 1.1 Rights Theory – Part One About Rights Theory aims to outline a range of political, social and cultural rights, and discuss some ways in which they relate to business ethics to discuss some features of the way that we tend to think about rights rights a noun, as opposed to an adjective or a verb an ethical entitlement to something commonly referred to in corporate PR … and by critics of corporations the development of modern rights theory Three ‘generations’ political rights social rights cultural rights first generation: political rights relate to people’s ability to have a say in how the communities within which they live and work are run also concern broader aspects of people’s treatment by those in positions of power words such as participation, justice, fairness, equality, and freedom are common the focus of concern early focus: concerned with political rights in relation to state power contemporary focus: also concerned with political rights in relation to the power of corporations two ways in which corporations might be guilty of suppressing political rights by influencing government decision making www.youtube.com/watch?v=_WPd-ASU0yM by denying people a say in how the companies they work for are run second generation: social rights concerned with basic human needs significance of the industrial revolution contemporary relevance for business due to: loosening of employment legislation prevalence of ‘offshoring’ trade unions the expression of political rights the protection of social rights Article 23.4 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights states that ‘Everyone has the right to form and to join trade unions for the protection of his (sic) interests’ (United Nations, 2013) political rights, cultural rights, and union membership theory in practice union busting at bottling plants used by Coca-Cola third generation: cultural rights include: the right of groups of people to be recognized by other groups of people the right to preserve traditional ways of life the right to maintain certain patterns of behaviour and belief the right to enjoy particular styles of social and artistic expression are often challenged when vulnerable/ disadvantaged minorities are marginalized or suppressed by dominant majorities these minorities are often defined by race, ethnicity, religion, gender, sexual orientation or disability cultural rights and business accommodating the needs and expectations of minority groups of employees, customers, etc. beware of business activity threatening the traditional ways of life of less-powerful communities www.youtube.com/watch?v=hxsnfUMPqj8 Universal Declaration of Human