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The United Nations Global Compact: What Did It Promise?

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  • Oliver Williams

Abstract

Sethi and Schepers (J Bus Ethics, 2014 , in this Thematic Symposium) have identified an important issue for the global economy: Providing some mechanism for requiring assurance that environmental, social, and corporate governance information provided by a business is accurate and objective. Where they have gone wrong is in trying to change the mission of the United Nations Global Compact (UNGC). From its inception, the UNGC has been clear that its mission is not to provide such assurance. This article first outlines the background for the historic announcement of the UNGC by the then Secretary-General of the UN, Kofi Annan. Then a summary of the major criticisms of the initiative is provided with a focus on the Sethi–Schepers article. Finally, I argue that the mission of the UNGC, to gain consensus in the global community on the shared values and moral norms that will guide the global economy, is being accomplished, although it is a work in progress. Copyright Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht 2014

Suggested Citation

  • Oliver Williams, 2014. "The United Nations Global Compact: What Did It Promise?," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 122(2), pages 241-251, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:kap:jbuset:v:122:y:2014:i:2:p:241-251
    DOI: 10.1007/s10551-014-2219-3
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Williams, Oliver F., 2004. "The UN Global Compact: The Challenge and the Promise," Business Ethics Quarterly, Cambridge University Press, vol. 14(4), pages 755-774, October.
    2. S. Sethi & Donald Schepers, 2014. "United Nations Global Compact: The Promise–Performance Gap," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 122(2), pages 193-208, June.
    3. Guido Palazzo & Andreas Scherer, 2006. "Corporate Legitimacy as Deliberation: A Communicative Framework," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 66(1), pages 71-88, June.
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    Cited by:

    1. Jill A. Brown & Cynthia Clark & Anthony F. Buono, 2018. "The United Nations Global Compact: Engaging Implicit and Explicit CSR for Global Governance," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 147(4), pages 721-734, February.
    2. Damian Bäumlisberger, 2019. "The United Nations Global Compact as a Facilitator of the Lockean Social Contract," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 159(1), pages 187-200, September.
    3. Miguel Alzola, 2018. "Decent Work: The Moral Status of Labor in Human Resource Management," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 147(4), pages 835-853, February.
    4. Vincent Frigant, 2015. "Beyond The Business Case and Sustainable chain management: Why Do We Need to Build a Theory of Interfirm Social Responsability?," Post-Print hal-01426819, HAL.
    5. Christian Voegtlin & Nicola Pless, 2014. "Global Governance: CSR and the Role of the UN Global Compact," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 122(2), pages 179-191, June.
    6. Cedric E. Dawkins, 2021. "An Agonistic Notion of Political CSR: Melding Activism and Deliberation," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 170(1), pages 5-19, April.
    7. Onyeka K. Osuji & Ugochukwu L. Obibuaku, 2016. "Rights and Corporate Social Responsibility: Competing or Complementary Approaches to Poverty Reduction and Socioeconomic Rights?," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 136(2), pages 329-347, June.
    8. Jennifer Martínez-Ferrero & Mehmet Eryilmaz & Nese Colakoglu, 2020. "How Does Board Gender Diversity Influence the Likelihood of Becoming a UN Global Compact Signatory? The Mediating Effect of the CSR Committee," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(10), pages 1-19, May.
    9. Nicola M. Pless & Atri Sengupta & Melissa A. Wheeler & Thomas Maak, 2022. "Responsible Leadership and the Reflective CEO: Resolving Stakeholder Conflict by Imagining What Could be done," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 180(1), pages 313-337, September.
    10. Ismail N.B. & Sébastien Alcouffe & Galy N & Ceulemans K, 2020. "The impact of international sustainability initiatives on Life Cycle Assessment voluntary disclosures: The case of France’s CAC40 listed companies," Post-Print hal-03082800, HAL.

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