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Labored Relations: Corporate Citizenship, Labor Unions, and Freedom of Association

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  • Dawkins, Cedric E.

Abstract

Globalization has brought increased attention to the notion that labor rights such as freedom of association—the right of workers to organize a union—are fundamental human rights. However, the vigorous opposition to freedom of association by US firms is largely ignored in the business ethics literature and exacerbated by compensatory corporate citizenship rating mechanisms that tend to mask labor rights deficiencies. I argue that because freedom of association is a hypernorm, instrumental to fully realizing basic human rights, labor rights and human rights are largely inseparable. Thus, respect for labor rights is a non-substitutable requisite of corporate citizenship. I conclude by providing examples of corporate labor relations strategies that respect freedom of association and business firms that are leading the way.

Suggested Citation

  • Dawkins, Cedric E., 2012. "Labored Relations: Corporate Citizenship, Labor Unions, and Freedom of Association," Business Ethics Quarterly, Cambridge University Press, vol. 22(3), pages 473-500, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:cup:buetqu:v:22:y:2012:i:03:p:473-500_00
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    Cited by:

    1. Jong Gyu Park & Kijung Park & Heena Noh & Yong Geun Kim, 2023. "Characterization of CSR, ESG, and Corporate Citizenship through a Text Mining-Based Review of Literature," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(5), pages 1-12, February.
    2. Kolk, Ans, 2016. "The social responsibility of international business: From ethics and the environment to CSR and sustainable development," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 51(1), pages 23-34.
    3. Juliane Reinecke & Jimmy Donaghey, 2021. "Towards Worker‐Driven Supply Chain Governance: Developing Decent Work Through Democratic Worker Participation," Journal of Supply Chain Management, Institute for Supply Management, vol. 57(2), pages 14-28, April.
    4. O'Higgins, Eleanor & Thevissen, Thibault, 2017. "Revisiting the corporate social and financial performance link: a contingency approach," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 84657, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    5. Juliane Reinecke & Jimmy Donaghey, 2021. "Political CSR at the Coalface – The Roles and Contradictions of Multinational Corporations in Developing Workplace Dialogue," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 58(2), pages 457-486, March.
    6. Maarten Pontier, 2016. "Introducing Union Representation and Its Complexities – A Case Study of the Royal Thai Civil Service," Eurasian Journal of Social Sciences, Eurasian Publications, vol. 4(1), pages 10-25.
    7. Richard W. Carney & Sadok El Ghoul & Omrane Guedhami & Jane W. Lu & He Wang, 2022. "Political corporate social responsibility: The role of deliberative capacity," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 53(8), pages 1766-1784, October.
    8. Cedric E. Dawkins, 2019. "A Normative Argument for Independent Voice and Labor Unions," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 155(4), pages 1153-1165, April.
    9. Sarah Tiba & Frank J. van Rijnsoever & Marko P. Hekkert, 2019. "Firms with benefits: A systematic review of responsible entrepreneurship and corporate social responsibility literature," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 26(2), pages 265-284, March.
    10. Jonathan Morris & Jean Jenkins & Jimmy Donaghey, 2021. "Uneven Development, Uneven Response: The Relentless Search for Meaningful Regulation of GVCs," British Journal of Industrial Relations, London School of Economics, vol. 59(1), pages 3-24, March.

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