Business and human rights: Trials for research on theory and practice

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.19094/contextus.2020.43710

Keywords:

human rights, business, enterprises, labour, responsabilities

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to offer a thematic analysis of the scientific production on Business and Human Rights, taking as a starting point the most impactful works published since the time span from 2000 to 2019 available in the Web of Science (WoS) database. The results show that the selected articles analyzed in the literature address three themes: the first Human Rights initiatives and questions; the approximation of Corporate Social Responsibility to Business and Human Rights; and common business practices for abstaining from responsibilities. As for the paths to be taken, we point out: the delimitation of the extent of corporate responsibilities; corporations' moral, political and legal commitments; leverage; due diligence; new human rights treaty.

Author Biographies

Rodolfo Ferreira Maritan, Universidade Federal de Uberlândia (UFU)

Bachelor in Business Managment at Federal University of Uberlândia (UFU), 2018.

Business Managment Masters student with research focus on Society, Development and Regionality by the Postgraduate Program in Administration (PPGA) of the Faculty of Management and Business (FAGEN) of the Federal University of Uberlândia (UFU)

Cíntia Rodrigues de Oliveira Medeiros, Universidade Federal de Uberlândia (UFU)

Doutora em Administração pela Fundação Getulio Vargas - EAESP - linha de pesquisa Estudos Organizacionais, Bolsista Produtividade CNPq Nível II. Visiting Fellow na Faculty of Business and Law da Open University, Milton Keynes, UK.Mestre em Administração pela Universidade Federal de Uberlândia (2008). Mestrado em Administração pelo Centro Universitário de Franca (2002). Pós-doutorado em Administração na FGV/EAESP, pesquisando métodos visuais em Estudos Organizacionais. Professora Ajunta IV dos cursos de Graduação e Pós-Graduação da Faculdade de Gestão e Negócios da Universidade Federal de Uberlândia e Líder do Grupo de Estudos em Culturas, Organizações e Sociedade. Editora Associada Científica da Revista de Administração de Empresas (RAE), Membro do Comitê Científico da divisão de EOR (2018-2020), Membro do Conselho Editorial da RIGS, e integrou o Coletivo Editorial da RBEO no período de 2015 a 2017. Interesses de pesquisa em Estudos Organizacionais, priorizando os temas gênero, cultura e poder, discursos organizacionais, crimes corporativos e o lado sombrio das organizações, com aporte teórico das tradições pós, em pesquisas de natureza qualitativa, com foco em pesquisas online, na sociologia e antropologia visual.

References

Aaronson, S. A., & Higham, I. (2013). “Re-righting business”: John ruggie and the struggle to develop international human rights standards for transnational firms. Human Rights Quarterly, 35(2), 333-364. https://doi.org/10.1353/hrq.2013.0032.

Arifa, B. I. A. (2018). O conceito e o discurso dos direitos humanos: realidade ou retórica? Boletim Científico ESMPU, 17(51), 145-173.

Arnold, D. G. (2010). Transnational corporations and the duty to respect basic human rights. Business Ethics Quarterly, 20(3), 371-399. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1052150X00003018

Arnold, D. G., Audi, R., & Zwolinski, M. (2010). Recent work in Ethical Theory and its implications for Business Ethics. Business Ethics Quarterly, 20(04), 559-581. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1052150X00004784

Barros, A. (2018). Empresas e direitos humanos: premissas, tensões e possibilidades. Organizações & Sociedade, 25(84), 87-99. https://doi.org/10.1590/1984-9240845

Bilchitz, D. (2016). The necessity for a business and human rights treaty. Business and Human Rights Journal, 1(2), 203-227. https://doi.org/10.1017/bhj.2016.13

Bonnitcha, J., & McCorquodale, R. (2017). The Concept of “Due Diligence” in the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights. European Journal of International Law, 28(3), 899-919. https://doi.org/10.1093/ejil/chx042

Bukmann, K., Jonsson, J., & Fisker, M. (2019). Do no harm and do more good too: connecting the SDGs with business and human rights and political CSR theory. Corporate Governance the International Journal of Business in Society, 19(3), 389-403. https://doi.org/10.1108/CG-01-2018-0030

Castleberry, A., & Nolen, A. (2018). Thematic analysis of qualitative research data: Is it as easy as it sounds? Currents in Pharmacy Teaching and Learning, 10(6), 807-815. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cptl.2018.03.019.

Cavalcanti, C. A. (2004). História moderna dos direitos humanos: uma noção em construção. In: G. Tosi. Direitos humanos: História, teoria e prática. João Pessoa: UFPB.

Cragg, W. (2012). Ethics, enlightened self-interest, and the corporate responsibility to respect human rights: A critical look at the justificatory foundations of the UN Framework. Business Ethics Quarterly, 22(1), 9-36. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1052150X00000051

Fasterling, B., & Demuijnck, G. (2013). Human rights in the void? Due diligence in the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights. Journal of Business Ethics, 116(4), 799-814. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-013-1822-z

Gotzmann, N. (2017). Human rights impact assessment of business activities: Key criteria for establishing a meaningful practice. Business and Human Rights Journal. 2(1), 87-108. https://doi.org/10.1017/bhj.2016.24

Hsieh, N. (2017). Business responsibilities for human rights: A commentary on Arnold. Business and Human Rights Journal, 2(2), 297-309. https://doi.org/10.1017/bhj.2017.6

Kemp, D., & Vanclay, F. (2013). Human rights and impact assessment: Clarifying the connections in practice. Impact Assessment and Project Appraisal, 31(2), 86-96. https://doi.org/10.1080/14615517.2013.782978

Kirkebo, T. L., & Langford, M. (2018). The Commitment Curve: Global regulation of business and human rights. Business and Human Rights Journal, 3(2), 157-185. https://doi.org/10.1017/bhj.2018.11

Kobrin, S. J. (2009). Private political authority and public responsibility: Transnational politics, transnational firms, and human rights. Business Ethics Quarterly, 19(3), 349-374. https://doi.org/10.5840/beq200919321

Lopez, C. (2017). Struggling to take off?: The second session of intergovernmental negotiations on a treaty on business and human rights. Business and Human Rights Journal, 2(2), 365-370. https://doi.org/10.1017/bhj.2017.15

Lyon, A., & Olson, L. C. (2011). Special issue on human rights rhetoric: Traditions of testifying and witnessing. Rhetoric Society Quarterly, 41(3), 203-212. https://doi.org/10.1080/02773945.2011.575321

McConnell, L. (2017). Assessing the feasibility of a business and human rights treaty. International & Comparative Law Quarterly, 66(1), 143-180. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0020589316000476

McCorquodale, R., Smit, L., & Neely, S. et al. (2017). Human rights due diligence in law and practice: Good pratices and challenges for business enterprises. Business and Human Rights Jounal, 2(2), 195-224. https://doi.org/10.1017/bhj.2017.2

Muchlinski, P. T. (2001). Human rights and multinationals: Is there a problem? International Affairs, 77(1), 31-47. https://doi.org/10.1111/1468-2346.00176

Muchlinski, P. T. (2012). Implementing the New UN Corporate Human Rights Framework: Implications for corporate law, governance, and regulation. Business Ethics Quarterly, 22(1), 145-177. https://doi.org/10.5840/beq20122218

Nolan, J., & Taylor, L. (2009). Corporate responsibility for economic, social and cultural rights: Rights in search of a remedy? Journal of Business Ethics, 87(2), 433-451. https://doi.org/10.1007/S10551-009-0295-6

Patton, C. (2011). Rights language and HIV treatment: Universal care or population control? Rhetoric Society Quarterly, 41(3), 250-266. https://doi.org/10.1080/02773945.2011.575328

Rabenhorst, E. E. (2004). Teoria do direito e teoria dos direitos humanos. In: G. Tosi. Direitos humanos: História, teoria e prática. João Pessoa: UFPB.

Ramasastry, A. (2015). Corporate social responsibility versus business and human rights: Bridging the gap between Responsibility and Accountability. Journal of Human Rights, 14(2), 237-259. https://doi.org/10.1080/14754835.2015.1037953

Ruggie, J. G. (2007). Business and human rights: The evolving international agenda. American Journal of International Law, 101 (4), 819-840. https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.976547

Ruggie, J. G. (2014). Global governance and “New governance theory”: Lessons from business and human rights. Global Governance, 20(1), 5-17. https://doi.org/10.1163/19426720-02001002

Ruggie, J. G., & Sherman, J. F., III (2017). The concept of 'Due Diligence' in the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights: A reply to Jonathan Bonnitcha and Robert McCorquodale. European Journal of International Law, 28(3), 921-928. https://doi.org/10.1093/ejil/chx047

Sen, A. (2004). Elements of a theory of human rights. Philosophy and Public Affairs, 32(4), 315-356. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1088-4963.2004.00017.x

Trindade, A. A. C. (2007). Desafios e conquistas do direito internacional dos direitos humanos no início do século XXI. In: A. P. C. de Medeiros (Org.). Desafios do direito internacional contemporâneo. (pp. 207-231). Brasília: Fundação Alexandre de Gusmão.

Türke, M. A. V. (2018). Business and human rights in Brazil: exploring human rights due diligence and operational-level grievance mechanisms in the case of Kinross Paracatu gold mine. Revista de Direito Internacional, 15(2), 221-241. https://doi.org/10.5102/rdi.v15i2.5357

United Nations. (2005). United Nations Commission on Human Rights, Human Rights Resolution 2005/69. https://www.refworld.org/docid/45377c80c.html

United Nations. (2011). Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights: Implementing the United Nations “Protect, Respect and Remedy” Framework. New York and Geneva. https://www.ohchr.org/Documents/Publications/GuidingPrinciplesBusinessHR_EN.pdf

Weissbrodt, D., & Kruger, M. (2003). UN: Norms on the responsibilities of transnational corporations and other business enterprises with regard to human rights. The American Journal of International Law, 97(4), 901-922. https://doi.org/10.4337/9781845428297.00023

Wettstein, F. (2010). The duty to protect: Corporate complicity, political responsibility, and human rights advocacy. Journal of Business Ethics, 96(1), 33-47. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-010-0447-8

Wettstein, F. (2012a). Silence as complicity: Elements of a corporate duty to speak out against the violation of human rights. Business and Human Rights, 22(1), 37-61. https://doi.org/10.5840/beq20122214

Wettstein, F. (2012b). CSR and the debate on business and human rights: Bridging the great divide. Business Ethics Quarterly, 22(4), 739-770. https://doi.org/10.5840/beq201222446

Wettstein, F. (2015). Normativity, ethics, and the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights: A critical assessment. Journal of Human Rights, 14(2), 162-182. https://doi.org/10.1080/14754835.2015.1005733

Wettstein, F., Giuliani, E., Santangelo, G. D., & Stahl, G. K. (2019). International business and human rights: A research agenda. Journal of World Business, 54(1), 54-65. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jwb.2018.10.004

Wood, S. (2012). The case for leverage-based corporate human rights responsibility. Business and Human Rights, 22(01), 63-98. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1052150X00000075

Yin, R. K. (2011) Qualitative research from start to finish. New York, NY: The Guilford Press.

Published

2020-06-01

How to Cite

Maritan, R. F., & Medeiros, C. R. de O. (2020). Business and human rights: Trials for research on theory and practice. Contextus - Contemporary Journal of Economics and Management, 18, 67–80. https://doi.org/10.19094/contextus.2020.43710

Issue

Section

Articles