Business’ societal involvement: towards a moral view

Abstract

Businesses which function according to a neoliberal framework objectify society by seeing it as a mechanism to enhance profit. Businesses become involved on a societal level so as to portray themselves as caring and to generate positive publicity. This article critically discusses this relationship between business and society and then investigates two alternatives, namely, alternatives along the socialism-capitalism continuum and alternatives beyond the socialismcapitalism debate. In this relationship, conservation, eco-operation, empowerment, accord, succour and justice are important to business. The managerial relationship between business and society is analysed against the background of businesses' involvement in society.

Corporate human rights performance and moral power: A study of retail MNCs’ supply chains in Bangladesh

“…Within the neoliberal context, the role of the social movement NGOs that campaign against corporations' abuses is a critical mechanism to hold corporations morally responsible. While the dominant neoliberalist discourse views other narratives as intolerable, especially if they do not subscribe to the same view of economic rationality (Burger, 2007;Macey 2000, p. 167), in the absence of narratives from any other actors (including states), NGOs' narratives at least offer a level of resistance to corporations' neglect of human rights (where this is found).…”

“…While human rights performance and the related disclosures are used to explore how the level of moral standing compares with stakeholder expectations, the above discussion helps to explain why managers' moral standing may be high or low. Where market or neoliberal logics of morality become mainstream and the discourse that 'doing good is good' for profit is dominant (Shamir, 2008), such discourse views alternative narratives as intolerable (Burger, 2007). Burger sets out one example of alternative narrative: 'people are objects to be used to enhance profit (objectifying society)a process which dehumanizes people' (p. 136).…”

“…This undermines their moral power (and therefore their ability to be instrumental in influencing what behaviours are morally acceptable). Self-interest or profit-driven motives, as espoused by neoliberalism might be subject to no control or balance until societal concerns are aroused (Collison, 2003;Burger, 2007). The responses quoted above also suggest that the neoliberal view of corporate human rights performance, despite dominating the discourse (Shamir, 2008), suffers from moral deficit, at least from an Aristotelian perspective.…”