An Analysis of U.S. Multinationals’ Recruitment Practices in Mexico

MNCs, Worker Identity and the Human Rights Gap for Local Managers

“…It is argued that MNCs need to assess local managers' knowledge and contributions as having not only operational and market value, but also institutional value, such as access to local social capital. We believe that this holistic approach towards local managers, more fully takes into account the ethical ''human rights'' of these local managers (Michalos 2008;Tsalikis and Seaton 2008) and displays an ethical recognition of the value of equal treatment (Daspro 2008;Pless and Maak 2004;Imbun 2007). Such a holistic approach is increasingly relevant for MNCs in the 21st century, as MNCs increasing globalize into new large emerging markets such as Brazil, Russia, India or China.…”

“…This greater involvement thus requires a greater appreciation of the local managers' identity in the local community. Respecting worker identities and avoiding the social exclusion of local managers are not only fundamental to the success of knowledge-based multinational enterprises in the 21st century but are central to ethical behaviour particularly recognition of the value of equal treatment (Daspro 2008;Pless and Maak 2004;Imbun 2007).…”

“…However, in their work on international management teams focusing on emerging markets Goodall and Roberts (2003) already noted that the value of the local managers' knowledge was under-utilised and that expatriates relied overly on their expatriate social networks, raising questions about worker identity and the potential social exclusion of local managers (Imbun 2007). At the same time writers on ethics for such global operations have placed particular emphasis on recognition of the value of equal treatment (Daspro 2008;Pless and Maak 2004;Imbun 2007) which can be seen as an issue of human rights. This general topic of paying sufficient attention to the human rights of employees has been discussed earlier by Winstanley et al (1996) suggesting a number of alternative ethical HMR frameworks and including such elements as basic human, civil and employment rights, universalism and community of purpose.…”

“…Recognition of the value of equal treatment creates an ethical imperative that the barriers of cultural difference be overcome. We see such an approach towards local managers as more fully taking into account the human rights of these local managers (Michalos 2008;Donleavy et al 2008;Winstanley et al 1996) and an ethical recognition of the value of equal treatment (Daspro 2008;Pless and Maak 2004;Imbun 2007). While this would imply an ethical HRM, something which Greenwood (2002) questions: ''it begs the question, not of whether HRM is ethical, but of whether HRM can be ethical'' (Greenwood 2002, p. 261), we argue that our holistic approach identifies a moral imperative for HRM that is increasingly relevant for MNCs in the 21st century, as MNCs further globalize into new large emerging markets such as Brazil, Russia, India and China.…”

Business and Children: Mapping Impacts, Managing Responsibilities

“…Content analysis is ''an empirically grounded method, exploratory in process, and predictive or inferential in intent'' (Krippendorf, 2004, p. xvii). It has been widely used in empirical research on business ethics and CSR, for example, in relation to corporate whistleblowing policies (Hassink et al, 2007), recruitment practices (Daspro, 2009), and ethical codes (Helin and Sandström, 2007;Stevens, 1994), as well as social and environmental reporting (Campbell and Slack, 2008;Gray et al, 1995;Maignan and Ralston, 2002;Milne and Adler, 1999), environmental advertising (Banerjee et al, 1995), and reputation analysis (Deephouse, 2000). With this methodology being adopted, we could identify the types of child impacts deemed relevant, newsworthy, and important by key stakeholders, rather than prescribing which issues ''should'' be taken into consideration.…”