IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/kap/jbuset/v182y2023i3d10.1007_s10551-021-05028-3.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

“Traduttore, Traditore?” Translating Human Rights into the Corporate Context

Author

Listed:
  • Marisa McVey

    (University of St Andrews)

  • John Ferguson

    (University of St Andrews)

  • François-Régis Puyou

    (University of St Andrews)

Abstract

This paper critically investigates the implementation of the UN guiding principles on business and human rights (UNGPs) into the corporate setting through the concept of ‘translation’. In the decade since the creation of the UNGPs, little academic research has focussed specifically on the corporate implementation of human rights. Drawing on qualitative case studies of two multinational corporations—an oil and gas company and a bank—this paper unpacks how human rights are translated into the corporate context. In doing so, the paper focuses on the “resonance dilemma” translators encounter, the strategies used to make human rights understandable and palatable, and the difficulties that emerge from this process. We contend that the process of making human rights understandable and manageable can change their form and content, which may act as an obstacle to human rights realisation and corporate accountability for human rights.

Suggested Citation

  • Marisa McVey & John Ferguson & François-Régis Puyou, 2023. "“Traduttore, Traditore?” Translating Human Rights into the Corporate Context," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 182(3), pages 573-596, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:kap:jbuset:v:182:y:2023:i:3:d:10.1007_s10551-021-05028-3
    DOI: 10.1007/s10551-021-05028-3
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s10551-021-05028-3
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: Access to full text is restricted to subscribers.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1007/s10551-021-05028-3?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Björn Fasterling & Geert Demuijnck, 2013. "Human Rights in the Void? Due Diligence in the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 116(4), pages 799-814, September.
    2. Obara, Louise J. & Peattie, Ken, 2018. "Bridging the great divide? Making sense of the human rights-CSR relationship in UK multinational companies," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 53(6), pages 781-793.
    3. McCORQUODALE, Robert & SMIT, Lise & NEELY, Stuart & BROOKS, Robin, 2017. "Human Rights Due Diligence in Law and Practice: Good Practices and Challenges for Business Enterprises §," Business and Human Rights Journal, Cambridge University Press, vol. 2(2), pages 195-224, July.
    4. Behnam, Michael & MacLean, Tammy L., 2011. "Where Is the Accountability in International Accountability Standards?: A Decoupling Perspective," Business Ethics Quarterly, Cambridge University Press, vol. 21(1), pages 45-72, January.
    5. WERHANE, Patricia H, 2016. "Corporate Moral Agency and the Responsibility to Respect Human Rights in the UN Guiding Principles: Do Corporations Have Moral Rights?," Business and Human Rights Journal, Cambridge University Press, vol. 1(1), pages 5-20, January.
    6. Sharon Gilad, 2011. "Institutionalizing fairness in financial markets: Mission impossible?," Regulation & Governance, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 5(3), pages 309-332, September.
    7. Maher, Rajiv & Monciardini, David & Böhm, Steffen, 2021. "Torn between Legal Claiming and Privatized Remedy: Rights Mobilization against Gold Mining in Chile," Business Ethics Quarterly, Cambridge University Press, vol. 31(1), pages 37-74, January.
    8. Muchlinski, Peter, 2012. "Implementing the New UN Corporate Human Rights Framework: Implications for Corporate Law, Governance, and Regulation," Business Ethics Quarterly, Cambridge University Press, vol. 22(1), pages 145-177, January.
    9. Rashmi Venkatesan, 2019. "The UN Framework on Business and Human Rights: A Workers’ Rights Critique," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 157(3), pages 635-652, July.
    10. Andreas Georg Scherer & Andreas Rasche & Guido Palazzo & André Spicer, 2016. "Managing for Political Corporate Social Responsibility: New Challenges and Directions for PCSR 2.0," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 53(3), pages 273-298, May.
    11. Sally Engle Merry, 2019. "The Sustainable Development Goals Confront the Infrastructure of Measurement," Global Policy, London School of Economics and Political Science, vol. 10(S1), pages 146-148, January.
    12. Ken McPhail & John Ferguson, 2016. "The past, the present and the future of accounting for human rights," Accounting, Auditing & Accountability Journal, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 29(4), pages 526-541, May.
    13. BRENKERT, George G, 2016. "Business Ethics and Human Rights: An Overview," Business and Human Rights Journal, Cambridge University Press, vol. 1(2), pages 277-306, July.
    14. Andreas Georg Scherer & Guido Palazzo, 2011. "The New Political Role of Business in a Globalized World: A Review of a New Perspective on CSR and its Implications for the Firm, Governance, and Democracy," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 48(4), pages 899-931, June.
    15. HSIEH, Nien-hê, 2017. "Business Responsibilities for Human Rights: A Commentary on Arnold," Business and Human Rights Journal, Cambridge University Press, vol. 2(2), pages 297-309, July.
    16. Judith Schrempf-Stirling & Florian Wettstein, 2017. "Beyond Guilty Verdicts: Human Rights Litigation and its Impact on Corporations’ Human Rights Policies," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 145(3), pages 545-562, October.
    17. ARNOLD, Denis G, 2016. "Corporations and Human Rights Obligations," Business and Human Rights Journal, Cambridge University Press, vol. 1(2), pages 255-275, July.
    18. repec:eme:aaaj00:aaaj-03-2016-2441 is not listed on IDEAS
    19. MAHER, Rajiv, 2020. "De-contextualized Corporate Human Rights Benchmarks: Whose Perspective Counts? See Disclaimer," Business and Human Rights Journal, Cambridge University Press, vol. 5(1), pages 156-163, January.
    20. OBARA, Louise J, 2017. "‘What Does This Mean?’: How UK Companies Make Sense of Human Rights," Business and Human Rights Journal, Cambridge University Press, vol. 2(2), pages 249-273, July.
    21. Michael Dougherty & Tricia Olsen, 2014. "Taking Terrain Literally: Grounding Local Adaptation to Corporate Social Responsibility in the Extractive Industries," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 119(3), pages 423-434, February.
    22. Maya Unnithan & Carolyn Heitmeyer, 2014. "Challenges in ‘Translating’ Human Rights: Perceptions and Practices of Civil Society Actors in Western India," Development and Change, International Institute of Social Studies, vol. 45(6), pages 1361-1384, November.
    23. Bishop, John Douglas, 2012. "The Limits of Corporate Human Rights Obligations and the Rights of For-Profit Corporations," Business Ethics Quarterly, Cambridge University Press, vol. 22(1), pages 119-144, January.
    24. repec:cup:buhurj:v:4:y:2019:i:02:p:201-212_00 is not listed on IDEAS
    25. Nadia Bernaz, 2013. "Enhancing Corporate Accountability for Human Rights Violations: Is Extraterritoriality the Magic Potion?," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 117(3), pages 493-511, October.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Wettstein, Florian & Giuliani, Elisa & Santangelo, Grazia D. & Stahl, Günter K., 2019. "International business and human rights: A research agenda," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 54(1), pages 54-65.
    2. Lopatta, Kerstin & Tideman, Sebastian A. & Scheil, Carolin & Makarem, Naser, 2023. "The current state of corporate human rights disclosure of the global top 500 business enterprises: Measurement and determinants," CRITICAL PERSPECTIVES ON ACCOUNTING, Elsevier, vol. 96(C).
    3. Matthew Amengual & Rita Mota & Alexander Rustler, 2023. "The ‘Court of Public Opinion:’ Public Perceptions of Business Involvement in Human Rights Violations," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 185(1), pages 49-74, June.
    4. Maria Ehrnström-Fuentes & Steffen Böhm, 2023. "The Political Ontology of Corporate Social Responsibility: Obscuring the Pluriverse in Place," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 185(2), pages 245-261, June.
    5. Rogerson, Michael & Scarpa, Francesco & Snelson-Powell, Annie, 2024. "Accounting for human rights: Evidence of due diligence in EU-listed firms’ reporting," CRITICAL PERSPECTIVES ON ACCOUNTING, Elsevier, vol. 99(C).
    6. Luciano Ciravegna & Federica Nieri, 2022. "Business and Human Rights: A Configurational View of the Antecedents of Human Rights Infringements by Emerging Market Firms," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 179(2), pages 431-450, August.
    7. Maximilian J. L. Schormair & Lara M. Gerlach, 2020. "Corporate Remediation of Human Rights Violations: A Restorative Justice Framework," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 167(3), pages 475-493, December.
    8. Obara, Louise J. & Peattie, Ken, 2018. "Bridging the great divide? Making sense of the human rights-CSR relationship in UK multinational companies," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 53(6), pages 781-793.
    9. Prabhir Vishnu Poruthiyil, 2021. "Big Business and Fascism: A Dangerous Collusion," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 168(1), pages 121-135, January.
    10. Walaa Wahid ElKelish*, 2023. "Accounting for Corporate Human Rights: Literature Review and Future Insights," Australian Accounting Review, CPA Australia, vol. 33(2), pages 203-226, June.
    11. Karin Buhmann, 2016. "Public Regulators and CSR: The ‘Social Licence to Operate’ in Recent United Nations Instruments on Business and Human Rights and the Juridification of CSR," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 136(4), pages 699-714, July.
    12. 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.
    13. Hannes Hofmann & Martin C. Schleper & Constantin Blome, 2018. "Conflict Minerals and Supply Chain Due Diligence: An Exploratory Study of Multi-tier Supply Chains," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 147(1), pages 115-141, January.
    14. Judith Schrempf-Stirling, 2018. "State Power: Rethinking the Role of the State in Political Corporate Social Responsibility," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 150(1), pages 1-14, June.
    15. Kapoor, Ishaan & Pratt-Rogers, William & Kahraman, Muhammet Mustafa, 2022. "The problem of conflict minerals: A review of current approaches and a web 3.0 inspired road ahead," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 79(C).
    16. Judith Schrempf-Stirling & Florian Wettstein, 2017. "Beyond Guilty Verdicts: Human Rights Litigation and its Impact on Corporations’ Human Rights Policies," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 145(3), pages 545-562, October.
    17. John Gerard Ruggie, 2018. "Multinationals as global institution: Power, authority and relative autonomy," Regulation & Governance, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 12(3), pages 317-333, September.
    18. Ana Čertanec, 2019. "The Connection between Corporate Social Responsibility and Corporate Respect for Human Rights," DANUBE: Law and Economics Review, European Association Comenius - EACO, issue 2, pages 103-127, June.
    19. M. Tina Dacin & Jeffrey S. Harrison & David Hess & Sheila Killian & Julia Roloff, 2022. "Business Versus Ethics? Thoughts on the Future of Business Ethics," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 180(3), pages 863-877, October.
    20. Kate Grosser & Jeremy Moon, 2019. "CSR and Feminist Organization Studies: Towards an Integrated Theorization for the Analysis of Gender Issues," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 155(2), pages 321-342, March.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:kap:jbuset:v:182:y:2023:i:3:d:10.1007_s10551-021-05028-3. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.springer.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.