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Exploitation and Sweatshop Labor: Perspectives and Issues

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  • Snyder, Jeremy

Abstract

In this review, I survey theoretical accounts of exploitation in business, chiefly through the example of low wage or sweatshop labor. Labor of this kind is often described as self-evidently exploitative and immoral. But for defenders of sweatshops as the first rung on a ladder toward greater economic development, the charge that sweatshop labor is self-evidently exploitative is unconvincing. I aim to accomplish three tasks. First, I will provide an overview of the many different uses of the charge of exploitation in business practice through an examination of the uses of the term in the literature on sweatshop labor. Second, I will discuss which of these senses of exploitation are defensible as identifying clear moral wrongs that take place in the context of business and, specifically, sweatshop labor. Third, I will apply the lessons learned from my exploration of exploitation in sweatshop labor to other specific areas of business.

Suggested Citation

  • Snyder, Jeremy, 2010. "Exploitation and Sweatshop Labor: Perspectives and Issues," Business Ethics Quarterly, Cambridge University Press, vol. 20(2), pages 187-213, April.
  • Handle: RePEc:cup:buetqu:v:20:y:2010:i:02:p:187-213_00
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    Cited by:

    1. Yuliya Shymko & Sandrine Frémeaux, 2022. "Escaping the Fantasy Land of Freedom in Organizations: The Contribution of Hannah Arendt," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 176(2), pages 213-226, March.
    2. Ofer, Ephrat & Coyle-Shapiro, Jackie & Pearce, Jone L., 2019. "Eyes wide open: perceived exploitation and its consequences," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 90823, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    3. Brian Berkey, 2021. "Sweatshops, Structural Injustice, and the Wrong of Exploitation: Why Multinational Corporations Have Positive Duties to the Global Poor," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 169(1), pages 43-56, February.
    4. Jessica Flanigan, 2018. "Sweatshop Regulation and Workers’ Choices," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 153(1), pages 79-94, November.
    5. Ana María Peredo & Helen M. Haugh & Marek Hudon & Camille Meyer, 2020. "Mapping Concepts and Issues in the Ethics of the Commons: Introduction to the Special Issue," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 166(4), pages 659-672, November.
    6. Tae Wan Kim, 2018. "Gamification of Labor and the Charge of Exploitation," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 152(1), pages 27-39, September.
    7. Rohit Varman & Per Skålén & Russell W. Belk & Himadri Roy Chaudhuri, 2021. "Normative Violence in Domestic Service: A Study of Exploitation, Status, and Grievability," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 171(4), pages 645-665, July.
    8. Yuliya Shymko & Sandrine Frémeaux, 2021. "Escaping the Fantasy Land of Freedom in Organizations: The Contribution of Hannah Arendt," Post-Print hal-03597131, HAL.
    9. Domènec Melé, 2014. "“Human Quality Treatment”: Five Organizational Levels," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 120(4), pages 457-471, April.
    10. Juan Elegido, 2015. "The Just Price as the Price Obtainable in an Open Market," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 130(3), pages 557-572, September.
    11. Kristian Alm & David S. A. Guttormsen, 2023. "Enabling the Voices of Marginalized Groups of People in Theoretical Business Ethics Research," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 182(2), pages 303-320, January.
    12. Marek Hudon & Marc Labie & Patrick Reichert, 2020. "What is a Fair Level of Profit for Social Enterprise? Insights from Microfinance," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 162(3), pages 627-644, March.
    13. Michael S. Aßländer, 2021. "Sweated Labor as a Social Phenomenon Lessons from the 19th Century Sweatshop Discussion," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 170(2), pages 313-328, May.
    14. Benjamin Powell & Matt Zwolinski, 2012. "The Ethical and Economic Case Against Sweatshop Labor: A Critical Assessment," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 107(4), pages 449-472, June.
    15. Gregorio Guitián & Alejo José G. Sison, 2023. "Offshore Outsourcing from a Catholic Social Teaching Perspective," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 185(3), pages 595-609, July.
    16. Travis Timmerman & Abe Zakhem, 2021. "Sweatshops and Free Action: The Stakes of the Actualism/Possibilism Debate for Business Ethics," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 171(4), pages 683-694, July.
    17. Jeremy Snyder, 2013. "Exploitation and demeaning choices," Politics, Philosophy & Economics, , vol. 12(4), pages 345-360, November.
    18. András Miklós, 2019. "Exploiting Injustice in Mutually Beneficial Market Exchange: The Case of Sweatshop Labor," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 156(1), pages 59-69, April.
    19. Zawadzki Michał, 2018. "Dignity in the Workplace. The Perspective of Humanistic Management," Journal of Management and Business Administration. Central Europe, Sciendo, vol. 26(1), pages 171-188, March.
    20. Jason Brennan & Phillip Magness, 2018. "Are Adjunct Faculty Exploited: Some Grounds for Skepticism," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 152(1), pages 53-71, September.

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