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Business Law, Public Responsibility, and Ethics Commons

Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

2006

Global Labor Conditions

Articles 1 - 2 of 2

Full-Text Articles in Business Law, Public Responsibility, and Ethics

Worker Rights And Low Wage Industrialization: How To Avoid Sweatshops, Denis Arnold, Laura Hartman Aug 2006

Worker Rights And Low Wage Industrialization: How To Avoid Sweatshops, Denis Arnold, Laura Hartman

Laura Hartman

Disputes concerning global labor practices are at the core of contemporary debates regarding globalization. Critics have charged multinational enterprises with the unjust exploitation of workers in the developing world. In response, some economists and “classical liberals” have argued that these criticisms are grounded in a naïve understanding of global economics. They contend instead that sweatshops constitute an inevitable and essential feature of economic development. To the contrary, we argue that there are persuasive theoretical and empirical reasons for rejecting the arguments of these defenders of sweatshops. In particular, we argue that respecting workers entail an obligation to adhere to local …


Positive Ethical Deviance Inspired By Moral Imagination: The Entrepreneur As Deviant, Laura Hartman, Fiona Wilson, Denis Arnold Jan 2006

Positive Ethical Deviance Inspired By Moral Imagination: The Entrepreneur As Deviant, Laura Hartman, Fiona Wilson, Denis Arnold

Laura Hartman

The purpose of this paper is to extend the concept of positive ethical deviancy and moral imagination to the entrepreneurial environment. We specifically explore the connection between moral imagination and positive ethical deviance in firms that, from their inception, display positive deviance from established ethical industry norms. Our analysis identifies firms that do not deviate positively under pressure, or for other externally imposed reasons, but instead those that make a conscious and deliberate choice to adopt new and often radical approaches to ethical issues from the ground up, distinguishing them from standard entrepreneurs in the same industry. This exploration uncovers …