The use of stakeholder analysis to understand ethical and moral issues in the primary resource sector

The mineral resources sector is critical to Australia's economic and social well-being. Minerals and energy have a value of $30 billion in export revenues, providing 50 percent of Australia's merchandise exports. The industry is characterized by substantial capital investment and very long lead times for project developments and a very competitive international market. The future direction and location of the industry is inextricably linked to long term exploration activities. The industry is faced with a far more complex set of environments than most. The paper identifies the range of complex issues and the wide variety of players using a stakeholder analysis. By monitoring such interactions, and knowing the objective set of the parties, a guide could be established to define moral and ethical frameworks for each interaction.Frederick Frost is an Associate Professor, Curtin Business School. He has the degrees of Bachelor and Master in Metallurgical Engineering, and Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering and MBA.     

Addressing ethical issues in retailing: a stakeholder perspective

This paper contends that, despite the dominance of the marketing paradigm in retail studies, benefits may be gained from applying stakeholder analysis to retailing. The development of stakeholder theory is outlined, and its problems and shortcomings reviewed. Notwithstanding these, retailing's stakeholders are defined in relation to "best practice". Examples of issues pertaining to stakeholder groups are given. Several ethical issues in retailing are then examined to demonstrate the benefits that accrue from applying a stakeholder approach. It is suggested that such a framework offers a broader perspective, and in particular that rising concern for ethical issues in retailing is better articulated through such a framework. The paper concludes such issues are better addressed when any retail marketing analysis is paralleled with a stakeholder analysis.     

Contemporary ethical issues in labor-management relations

Numerous labor-management issues possess ethical dimensions and pose ethical questions. In this article, the authors discuss four labor-management issues that present important contemporary problems: union organizing, labor-management negotiations, employee involvement programs, and union obligations of fair representation. In the authors view, labor and management too often view their ethical obligations as beginning and ending at the law's boundaries. Contemporary business realities suggest that cooperative and enlightened modes of interaction between labor and management seem appropriate.Robert S. Adler is Associate Professor of Legal Studies at the Kenan-Flagler Business School, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He teaches courses in Business Law, Business Ethics, and Regulation. Prior to coming to UNC, Professor Adler served as Counsel to the Subcommittee on Health and the Environment of the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the U.S. House of Representatives.William J. Bigoness is Professor of Business Administration and Director, Center for Management Studies at the Kenan-Flagler Business School, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. His professional interests include organizational behavior, human resource management, and labor-management relations. Dr. Bigoness was Visiting Professor of Business Administration at the International Institute for Management Development (IMD) located in Lausanne, Switzerland from 1985 to 1987.     

Everyday moral issues experienced by managers

Based on the results of open ended interviews with managers in a variety of organizational positions, moral questions encountered in everyday managerial life are described. These involve transactions with employees, peers and superiors, customers, suppliers and other stakeholders. It is suggested that managers identify transactions as involving personal moral concern when they believe that a moral standard has a bearing on the situation and when they experience themselves as having the power to affect the transaction. This is the first in a research series of three papers.James A. Waters is Associate Professor of Management Policy at the Faculty of Administrative Studies, York University. He has written several articles, published in various business journals.Frederick Bird is Associate Professor at Concordia University. His articles have been published in religious journals. Peter D. Chant is Manager of Accounting Research, National Office of Touche Ross & Co. He is the author of Advanced Accounting, Irwin-Dorsey, Homewood, Ill. (1984).     

Images of Native Americans in advertising: Some moral issues

Images of Native Americans and of aspects of Native American culture are common in advertisements in the United States. Three such images can be distinguished — the Noble Savage, the Civilizable Savage and the Bloodthirsty Savage images. The aim of this paper is to argue that the use of such images is not morally acceptable because these images depend upon an underlying conception of Native Americans that denies that they are human beings. By so doing, it also denies to them any moral standing and thus any claim to moral consideration and treatment. I begin by arguing that the traits which are distinctively human are fostered only within a cultural framework consisting of the accumulated knowledge and activities of a group of human beings. I then argue that savages are conceptualized as natural and cultureless beings. Furthermore, within the traditional Western conceptualization of the world mere natural objects have no moral standing. Thus, it follows that Native Americans insofar as they are also merely natural objects would have no standing or status as moral beings. The conception of Native Americans as savages undercuts the very conditions for the possibility of moral respect. I then turn to an application of these principles to some current commercial uses of images of Native Americans and other indigenous peoples.Dr. Michael K. Green, Ph.D. in Philosophy, has published inPolitical Theory, The New Scholasticism, The Journal of Business Ethics, andSocial Theory and Practice, as well as various other journals. He was president of MKG Enterprises, Inc., for six years and is a fellow at the Hartwick Humanities in Management Leadership Institute.     

In defense of sharks moral issues in hostile liquidating takeovers

In this essay we defend the view that from a purely rule-utilitarian perspective there is no sound argument favoring the immorality of hostile liquidating buyouts. All arguments favoring such a view are seriously flawed. Moreover, there are some good argument favoring the view that such buyouts may be morally obligatory from the rule-utilitarian perspective. We also defend the view that most of the shark repellents in the market are immoral. If we are right in our arguments there is no justification, moral or otherwise, for any form of legislation that would constrain the practice of hostile liquidating buyouts. Robert Almeder earned his Ph.D. in Philosophy at the University of Pennsylvania, is co-editor of Business Ethics (Prometheus Press, 1987), is on the Editorial Board of Journal of Business Ethics, and teaches at Georgia State University.David Carey earned his Ph.D. in Philosophy at the University of Pittsburg. He has written extensively on Business Ethics and is currently teaching philosophy at Whitman College in Walla Walla, Washington.     

Corporate responsibility perceptions in change: Finnish managers' views on stakeholder issues from 1994 to 2004

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the changes in Finnish managers' corporate responsibility perceptions from 1994 to 2004. Following earlier research, the concept of corporate responsibility is operationalised using the stakeholder approach. Empirically, we ask how managers' views on stakeholder issues have changed during the 10‐year research period, and how managers' stakeholder orientation compares with their economic orientation. The data were collected using a survey research instrument in the years 1994, 1999 and 2004. The research results show a positive change in managers' corporate responsibility perceptions during this time period. In addition, managers' stakeholder orientation seems to be in balance with their economic orientation. However, the economic context – in terms of both their own company's economic position and the general economic situation – has an effect on managers' stakeholder orientation.     

Public relations and corporate social responsibility: Some issues arising

The paper questions current assumptions about the benefits of corporate social responsibility and the claims that corporations make on behalf of their corporate social responsibility programmes. In particular, the paper suggests that the use of corporate social responsibility for public relations ends raises moral problems over the motivation of corporations. The paper cautions that the justifications which corporations employ may either be immoral or inaccurate with regard to the empirical evidence gained from a small-scale qualitative study carried out in the UK at a time when the practice of corporate social responsibility was expanding quickly (1989). It is noticeable, in retrospect, that great emphasis is placed upon environmental rather than social responsibility. This implies that organisations are primarily reactive in their development of corporate social responsibility programmes and that they respond to external pressures rather than working out the nature of their corporate responsibilities. It might suggest that corporations only take such actions when they feel compelled to do so by consumerist and environmentalist lobbies. The paper argues that corporations do need to find moral justifications for their moral activities and to ensure that corporate social responsibility practice lives up to the claims made by public relations practitioners. The paper explores the nature of public relations and illustrates how its responsibility for corporate social responsibility extends beyond truthfulness in publicity.Jacquie L'Etang has postgraduate degrees in history, public relations, and social justice. She is a lecturer in public relations at the University of Stirling, Scotland, teaching on the M.Sc. in Public Relations full-time and distance learning courses. She teaches design and editorial management, communications, and business ethics. Her research interests are in corporate social responsibility and the history of public relations.     

A menu of moral issues: One week in the life of The Wall Street Journal

A menu of twelve moral issues that seem to be common to all organizations is described and illustrated. This menu identifies some of the most prominent moral issues requiring individuals to decide where to draw the line between moral and immoral conduct. A review ofThe Wall Street Journal during just one week provided over sixty articles illustrating how moral issues are inherent in almost every business decision. The articles included several illustrations of stealing, lying, and fraud that are immoral, although in some cases not technically illegal. Other articles illustrated conflicts of interest, influence buying, hiding information, divulging personal information, taking unfair advantage, personal decadence, interpersonal abuse, organizational abuse, rule violations, being an accessory to unethical acts, and balancing ethical dilemmas. These illustrations are intended to help individuals identify moral issues and recognize the situations when they arise so they can avoid unwitting immoral behavior.Jay Owen Cherrington is the Coordinator of the Information Systems faculty of the Marriott School of Management at BYU. He is a CPA and participates as a member of the AICPA. He is the author of many research articles and four college textbooks. Dr. Cherrington serves as a consultant and instructor for several major organizations including Ernst & Young and IBM.David Jack Cherrington holds the Nyal D. and Bette McMullin professorship in Ethics and Entrepreneurship. He received a DBA and has taught at the University of Illinois, University of Wisconsin — Madison, Brigham Young University, and BYU — Hawaii. He is certified as a Senior Professional in Human Resources and serves on the HRCI Board. He is the author of over 40 research articles and five books, including two texts:Organizational Behavior, and The Management of Human Resources.     

Intra‐stakeholder alliances in plant‐closing decisions: A stakeholder theory approach

This article discusses plant‐closing decisions by multinational enterprises (MNEs) applying a stakeholder theory approach. In particular, we focus on the emergence of “intra‐stakeholder alliances,” that is, alliances among the various stakeholder groups of a specific corporation. We analyze the emergence of stakeholder alliances in reaction to MNEs' decisions to terminate production locally and discuss their influence on the outcomes of such decisions. Our research is inspired by two exceptional case studies of two multinational breweries that announced their decisions to close niche breweries in small towns in Italy and Belgium. In both cases, the initial decision was ultimately reversed through the actions of intra‐stakeholder alliances. We combine insights from stakeholder theory and the social movement literature to analyze the action and influence of intra‐stakeholder alliances in seven cases of plant‐closing decisions. We conclude by formulating four general propositions that can provide guidance to MNE management in plant‐closing decisions. Our findings extend managerial stakeholder theory, show how this approach can improve strategic management analysis, emphasize the importance of the relationships among (local) stakeholders in the (global) value‐creation process, and shed light on the collective action and influence of intra‐stakeholder alliances.     

问题细分--中美贸易关系中的不同问题及影响

自从中美两国在上世纪70年代初恢复经济贸易关系以来,美国的对华贸易政策发生过几次转变。在70年代到80年代,美国政府的对华贸易政策主要以限制中国个别产品的进口为主,其中最主要的就是纺织品。美国政府不断随着中国对美纺织品出口的增加而要求与中国政府     

Boards of directors and stakeholder orientation

Based on a survey of 2,361 directors in 291 of the largest companies of the Southeast States, this study empirically examined boards of directors' stakeholder orientations. The results indicate that (1) there exist distinct stakeholder groups perceived by directors, (2) directors have high stakeholder orientations, (3) directors view some stakeholders differently depending on their occupation (CEO directors v. non-CEO directors) and type (inside directors vs. outside directors).Jia Wang is an Associate Professor of Strategic Management at the California State University at Fresno. His current research interests include corporate governance and corporate social performance.H. Dudley Dewhirst is a Professor of Strategic Management and Director of the Strategic Management Program at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. His current research interests include corporate governance and technology management.     

CSR and stakeholder salience in MNE subsidiaries in emerging markets

The purpose of this study is to identify the key stakeholder groups pressuring multinational enterprises (MNEs) in emerging markets (EMs), also if the pressure is global or local, to develop corporate social responsibility (CSR) strategies. Drawing on stakeholder salience and institutional theories, all the stakeholder groups acknowledged and analysed in the literature were identified and examined to understand if they were perceived by MNEs in China as effective in pressuring them to engage in CSR strategies and activities. Results demonstrate that only stakeholder groups with power – government power or voting power – are perceived as having enough pressure to make MNEs’ Chinese subsidiaries engage in CSR, which is contrary to current theories. Our results allow us to theorise on an extension of the concept of utilitarian power and political power when analysing stakeholder salience in EMs. This research has important implications for managers as balancing and working with limited resources and correctly identifying and prioritising key stakeholders are vital to successfully improving performance.     

The role of moral intensity in moral judgments: An empirical investigation

Jones (1991) has proposed an issue-contingent model of ethical decision making by individuals in organizations. The distinguishing feature of the issue was identified as its moral intensity, which determines the moral imperative in the situation. In this study, we adapted three scenarios from the literature in order to examine the issue-contingent model. Findings, based on a student sample, suggest that (1) the perceived and actual dimensions of moral intensity often differed; (2) perceived moral intensity variables, in the aggregate, significantly affected an individual's moral judgments; and (3) some dimensions of moral intensity (namely, perceived social consensus and perceived magnitude of consequences) mattered more than others.Sara A. Morris is Assistant Professor of Management at Old Dominion University. Her current research examines corporate codes of ethics, attitudes about corporate social responsibility, and the relationship between corporate social and financial performance.Robert A. McDonald is a doctoral candidate in organizational studies at the State University of New York at Albany. His research interests include ethical decision making, characteristics of moral dilemmas, and leadership power and influence tactics.     

国网北京大兴电力：全面社会责任管理的探索与实践 基于利益相关方管理的网格化推进模式

社会责任管理的实施背景（一）企业社会责任管理是经济社会发展的需要＂十二五＂时期,在首都城南发展计划、大兴区与亦庄开发区行政资源整合,首都新机场建设等一系列重大好消息和国家级大型项目的带动下,大兴地区经济社会发展迎来全新的跨越。为满足＂十二五＂期间地区经济社会发展需求,需新增变电容量212.7万千伏安,已超过大兴地区现有变电容量总和。     

合同条款:你不能不说明白

有这样一个案例:我国外贸公司A向德国模具制造公司B发出购货合同书,欲以CIF价购进一批模具.A在购货合同书的背面条款中规定:"因执行本合同所发生的,或与本合同有关的一切争议,由合同双方友好协商解决.如果签订合同双方经协商后尚不能解决时,必须提交仲裁.仲裁应由中国国际贸易促进委员会中国国际经济贸易仲裁委员会根据该委员会的仲裁程序原则进行仲裁."B接受了A的订货要求并发回一份销售合同书,但其背面条款规定,如发生争议应由英国伦敦仲裁院仲裁.对此,A未做出任何表示.随后双方便开始履行合同,可是不久就发生了争议.A根据其购货合同书的背面条款在中国提起仲裁,而B却根据销售合同书的背面条款认为应在英国仲裁,而不是由中国贸促会仲裁委员会进行受理.     

中国因素有待释放--普京连任与中俄关系中的深层次问题

俄罗斯总统普京第二任任期上任伊始之际,人们对其首任期间在内政与外交、经济与政治、军事与安全等方面的施政意图和多变手法仍记忆犹新。而对其今后任期内的安邦治国方略、对外政策取向等,则缺乏完整的、严谨的见解。如何评价普京首任的建树,其对寡头的政策,以及今后其对经济发展的一些设想等,各方看法不尽     

Analysing interconnectivity among economies

As international financial integration gathers pace, interconnectivity has increased tremendously among financial institutions, financial markets and financial systems, a phenomenon to which the recent global financial crisis perhaps provided the best testimony. The interconnectivity among financial entities at various levels is multilateral in dimension and highly complicated with numerous feedback loops. To contribute to the understanding of the complexity of the global financial system, this study shows how the interconnected relationships can be disentangled into simple and quantifiable bilateral interdependence linkages, using 11 Asia-Pacific economies as an example. A major finding is that all these economies register a significantly higher sovereign risk once the condition that another economy is in distress is imposed.     

冲突与摩擦会明显增加--布什第二任期内中美经贸关系面临的几大问题

在布什总统第一任期4年的执政期间,中美经贸关系发展比较平稳,并有了较大的发展,且势头良好。按中国海关统计,中国对美国出口额2000年为521亿美元,2004年为1250亿美元,增长140％;此间,中国对美国贸易顺差,由299亿美元上升至803亿美元,增长169％。按美国海关统计,美国对中国出口额2000年为162亿美元,2004年为347亿美元,增长114％。