IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/kap/jbuset/v36y2002i3p291-301.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Child Labor and Multinational Conduct: A Comparison of International Business andStakeholder Codes

Author

Listed:
  • Ans Kolk
  • Rob van Tulder

Abstract

Increasing attention to the issue of child labor has been reflected in codes of conduct that emerged in the past decade in particular. This paper examines the way in which multinationals, business associations, governmental and non-governmental organizations deal with child labor in their codes. With a standardized framework, it analyzes 55 codes drawn up by these different actors to influence firms’ external, societal behavior. The exploratory study helps to identify the main issues related to child labor and the use of voluntary instruments such as codes of conduct. Apart from a specific indication of the topics covered by the code, especially minimum-age requirements, this also includes monitoring systems and monitoring parties. Most important to company codes are the sanctions imposed on business partners in case of non-compliance. Severe measures may be counterproductive as they do not change the underlying causes of child labor and can worsen the situation of the child workers by driving them to more hazardous work in the informal sector. This underlines the importance of a broad rather than a restrictive approach to child labor in codes of conduct. The paper discusses the implications of this study, offering suggestions for future research. Copyright Kluwer Academic Publishers 2002

Suggested Citation

  • Ans Kolk & Rob van Tulder, 2002. "Child Labor and Multinational Conduct: A Comparison of International Business andStakeholder Codes," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 36(3), pages 291-301, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:kap:jbuset:v:36:y:2002:i:3:p:291-301
    DOI: 10.1023/A:1014009313508
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10.1023/A:1014009313508
    Download Restriction: Access to full text is restricted to subscribers.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1023/A:1014009313508?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. Rob van Tulder & Ans Kolk, 2001. "Multinationality and Corporate Ethics: Codes of Conduct in the Sporting Goods Industry," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 32(2), pages 267-283, June.
    2. Catherine C Langlois & Bodo B Shlegemilch, 1990. "Do Corporate Codes of Ethics Reflect National Character? Evidence from Europe and the United States," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 21(4), pages 519-539, December.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Jędrzej G. Frynas, 2008. "Corporate Social Responsibility and International Development: Critical Assessment," Corporate Governance: An International Review, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 16(4), pages 274-281, July.
    2. Justin Tan & Anna Tan, 2012. "Business Under Threat, Technology Under Attack, Ethics Under Fire: The Experience of Google in China," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 110(4), pages 469-479, November.
    3. Jay Joseph & John E. Katsos & Mariam Daher, 2021. "Local Business, Local Peace? Intergroup and Economic Dynamics," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 173(4), pages 835-854, November.
    4. Silviya Dimitrova, 2017. "Ethical Issues in Multinational Companies' Business," Izvestia Journal of the Union of Scientists - Varna. Economic Sciences Series, Union of Scientists - Varna, Economic Sciences Section, issue 1, pages 224-236, November.
    5. Ivan Montiel & Alvaro Cuervo-Cazurra & Junghoon Park & Raquel Antolín-López & Bryan W. Husted, 2021. "Implementing the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals in international business," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 52(5), pages 999-1030, July.
    6. Islam, Muhammad Azizul & van Staden, Chris J., 2018. "Social movement NGOs and the comprehensiveness of conflict mineral disclosures: evidence from global companies," Accounting, Organizations and Society, Elsevier, vol. 65(C), pages 1-19.
    7. Ahmed, Syed Shujaat & Haider, Waqas & Khan, Dilawar, 2012. "Determinants of Child Labor in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa: An Econometric Analysis," MPRA Paper 73526, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    8. John E. Katsos & Yass AlKafaji, 2019. "Business in War Zones: How Companies Promote Peace in Iraq," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 155(1), pages 41-56, March.
    9. Martijn Boersma, 2018. "Between norms and practice: Civil society perspectives on the legitimacy of multistakeholder initiatives to eliminate child labor," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 27(5), pages 612-620, July.
    10. Muhammad Mubushar & Shahid Rasool & Muhammad Imtiaz Haider & Roberto Cerchione, 2021. "The impact of corporate social responsibility activities on stakeholders' value co‐creation behaviour," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 28(6), pages 1906-1920, November.
    11. Sadaat Ali Yawar & Stefan Seuring, 2017. "Management of Social Issues in Supply Chains: A Literature Review Exploring Social Issues, Actions and Performance Outcomes," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 141(3), pages 621-643, March.
    12. Mujtaba Ahsan, 2020. "Entrepreneurship and Ethics in the Sharing Economy: A Critical Perspective," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 161(1), pages 19-33, January.
    13. Katsos, John E. & Fort, Timothy L., 2016. "Leadership in the promotion of peace: Interviews with the 2015 Business for Peace honorees," Business Horizons, Elsevier, vol. 59(5), pages 463-470.
    14. Victor Oltra & Jaime Bonache & Chris Brewster, 2013. "A New Framework for Understanding Inequalities Between Expatriates and Host Country Nationals," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 115(2), pages 291-310, June.
    15. Salla Laasonen & Martin Fougère & Arno Kourula, 2012. "Dominant Articulations in Academic Business and Society Discourse on NGO–Business Relations: A Critical Assessment," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 109(4), pages 521-545, September.
    16. Dong Hoang, 2019. "Labour Standards in the Global Supply Chain: Workers’ Agency and Reciprocal Exchange Perspective," Societies, MDPI, vol. 9(2), pages 1-25, May.
    17. Trifković, Neda, 2017. "Spillover Effects of International Standards: Working Conditions in the Vietnamese SMEs," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 97(C), pages 79-101.
    18. Krista Bondy, 2007. "Evaluating the potential effectiveness of codes: the statement strength evaluation method (SSEM)," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 14(1), pages 1-15, February.
    19. Anna Lašáková & Anna Remišová & Ľubica Bajzíková, 2021. "Differences in Occurrence of Unethical Business Practices in a Post-Transitional Country in the CEE Region: The Case of Slovakia," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(6), pages 1-33, March.
    20. Meng Zhao & Xufei Ma & Seung Ho Park & Lingli Luo, 2023. "Attention-Based Constraint to MNC Coevolution in China's Changing Stakeholder Environment," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 186(4), pages 797-814, September.
    21. Cristian Ugarte & Marcelo Olarreaga & Gady Saiovici, 2023. "Child labour and global value chains," The World Economy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 46(4), pages 941-968, April.
    22. Frances Bowen, 2019. "Marking Their Own Homework: The Pragmatic and Moral Legitimacy of Industry Self-Regulation," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 156(1), pages 257-272, April.
    23. Soo-Haeng Cho & Xin Fang & Sridhar Tayur & Ying Xu, 2019. "Combating Child Labor: Incentives and Information Disclosure in Global Supply Chains," Manufacturing & Service Operations Management, INFORMS, vol. 21(3), pages 692-711, July.

    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. Jana Kozáková & Mária Urbánová & Radovan Savov, 2021. "Factors Influencing the Extent of the Ethical Codes: Evidence from Slovakia," JRFM, MDPI, vol. 14(1), pages 1-18, January.
    2. Kolk, Ans, 2016. "The social responsibility of international business: From ethics and the environment to CSR and sustainable development," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 51(1), pages 23-34.
    3. Kolk, Ans & van Tulder, Rob, 2006. "Poverty alleviation as business strategy? Evaluating commitments of frontrunner Multinational Corporations," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 34(5), pages 789-801, May.
    4. Kolk, Ans & Van Tulder, Rob, 2004. "Ethics in international business: multinational approaches to child labor," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 39(1), pages 49-60, February.
    5. Nicolai J. Foss, 2012. "Linking Ethics and Economic Growth: a Comment on Hunt," Contemporary Economics, University of Economics and Human Sciences in Warsaw., vol. 6(3), September.
    6. Xiaomin Yu, 2008. "Impacts of Corporate Code of Conduct on Labor Standards: A Case Study of Reebok’s Athletic Footwear Supplier Factory in China," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 81(3), pages 513-529, September.
    7. Fu Jia & Yan Jiang, 2018. "Sustainable Global Sourcing: A Systematic Literature Review and Bibliometric Analysis," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(3), pages 1-26, February.
    8. Mitzi Cubilla‐Montilla & Ana‐Belén Nieto‐Librero & Ma Purificación Galindo‐Villardón & Ma Purificación Vicente Galindo & Isabel‐María Garcia‐Sanchez, 2019. "Are cultural values sufficient to improve stakeholder engagement human and labour rights issues?," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 26(4), pages 938-955, July.
    9. Svensson, Göran & Wood, Greg & Callaghan, Michael, 2010. "A corporate model of sustainable business practices: An ethical perspective," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 45(4), pages 336-345, October.
    10. Watson, Sharon & Weaver, Gary R., 2003. "How internationalization affects corporate ethics: formal structures and informal management behavior," Journal of International Management, Elsevier, vol. 9(1), pages 75-93.
    11. Raimo, Nicola & Zito, Marianna & Caragnano, Alessandra, 2019. "Does national culture affect integrated reporting quality? A focus on GLOBE dimensions," EconStor Conference Papers 199012, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics.
    12. Aki Tomizawa & Li Zhao & Geneviève Bassellier & David Ahlstrom, 2020. "Economic growth, innovation, institutions, and the Great Enrichment," Asia Pacific Journal of Management, Springer, vol. 37(1), pages 7-31, March.
    13. Bert Scholtens & Riikka Sievänen, 2013. "Drivers of Socially Responsible Investing: A Case Study of Four Nordic Countries," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 115(3), pages 605-616, July.
    14. Scott Victor Valentine, 2010. "The Green Onion: a corporate environmental strategy framework," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 17(5), pages 284-298, September.
    15. Stajkovic, Alexander D. & Luthans, Fred, 1997. "Business ethics across cultures: A social cognitive model," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 32(1), pages 17-34, April.
    16. de Brito, Marisa P. & Carbone, Valentina & Blanquart, Corinne Meunier, 2008. "Towards a sustainable fashion retail supply chain in Europe: Organisation and performance," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 114(2), pages 534-553, August.
    17. Hood, Jacqueline N. & Logsdon, Jeanne M., 2002. "Business ethics in the NAFTA countries: A cross-cultural comparison," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 55(11), pages 883-890, November.
    18. Calderón Reyes & Ferrero Ignacio & Redin Dulce M., 2013. "Ethical codes and corporate responsibility of the most admired companies of the world: Toward a third generation ethics?," Business and Politics, De Gruyter, vol. 14(4), pages 1-24, January.
    19. Ingo Winkler, 2011. "The Representation of Social Actors in Corporate Codes of Ethics. How Code Language Positions Internal Actors," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 101(4), pages 653-665, July.
    20. Gifford, Blair & Kestler, Andrew, 2008. "Toward a theory of local legitimacy by MNEs in developing nations: Newmont mining and health sustainable development in Peru," Journal of International Management, Elsevier, vol. 14(4), pages 340-352, December.

    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:36:y:2002:i:3:p:291-301. 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.