Child Labor In Business - Essay Example

Task: Child labor in business The International Labor Organisational reports close to 215 million children are illegally involved in child labor. A majority of such children are laborers who lack an opportunity to go to school or play with their counterparts. Besides, they do not receive proper care and nutrition. Close to 115 million children, experience horrible categories of child labor. These include slavery, working in perilous environments and being forced to engage in illicit activities such as armed conflicts, prostitution and drug trafficking. The need to maximise profit margins by business corporations has forced several unscrupulous businesspersons to employ children and pay them little money or not pay them at all (International Labour Organization 1). This paper focuses on several ethical theories, business practices, and child labor to facilitate comprehensive analysis. There have been reports in China in recent times that thousands of children drawn from poor backgrounds have been trafficked and sold in the cities especially those located along the coast to serve as slaves. Dongguan city is famous for this illicit and unethical business practice owing to the high number factories in the area. The children do work in textiles, electronics and toy industries. The New York Times report that children between ages 13 and 15 are either kidnapped or tricked by service agencies operating in Sichuan Province before being sent to Guangdong (Barboza 1). Theories on the ethics of child labor in business Several scholars formulate theories on the ethical considerations in business management. These theories focus on offsetting unethical business practices by some business organisations such as child labor. The theories include “Kantianism, Utilitarianism, Social contact theory, Virtue theory, Discourse ethics and an ethic of care” (Hankivsky 2). Kantianism This is a philosophical theory advanced by Immanuel Kant, a German philosopher to address duty and end goals. It states that ethical acts are vital for the sake of duty. These acts require the guidance and rationality. Duty requires that an individual follow the categorical imperative. According to the Kantianism theory, categorical imperative has two guiding maxims. These are consistency and universalisability as well as human dignity. The maxim of consistency and universalisability requires individuals within business enterprises to act in correspondence with the maxim while the maxim of human dignity requires fair treatment of humanity “as an end instead of a means to an end” (Makkreel and Luft 47). This conjecture offers a basis for the progress of extensive and honorable rules that can effectively guide the operations of a business enterprise in terms of ethical considerations. For example, it can guide an organisation to make laws and codes of conduct based on the 1998 ILO Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work. This declaration calls for the effective closing down of institutions abusing child labor. The philosophical interpretations of this theory are applicable when addressing the malpractice of child labor in business because it is majorly concerned with goodwill as the rational motivation for human beings. In essence, business managers who subscribe to this theory will understand that children are rational human beings who should be motivated by the good will of education, care, play and treatment instead of exposure to inhuman treatment of child labor. Besides, the theory highlights the need for respect, human rights and equality for all. This is in contrast to the ideals of child labor where children are exposed to harsh treatment. Extensively overworking anybody including a child has adverse and detrimental effects on the health, psychological, physical and welfare of the child (Makkreel and Luft 47). Child labor within businesses is enormous and complex. Kantianism faces several shortcomings as it tries to address these shortcomings. This is because the theory assumes that humans are independent rational beings. However, this is false children because the factors that drive children into child labor are beyond their control. Children lack the capacity to make appropriate decisions, and lack independence to support their choices. The theory also fails to provide solutions to the unethical concerns surrounding child labor because it focuses on categorical imperatives. Besides, it fails to offer resolutions to the problems associated with conflicting duties. These shortcomings affirm that Kantianism is not reliable when solving concerns arising from child labor. This is because it has shortcomings though it addresses fundamental problems associated with child labor (Makkreel and Luft 78). Utilitarianism This theory was developed and advanced by John Stuart Mill. He believed that consequences should be the guiding principle for one’s actions. According to him, the best ethical actions promote gains to all humankind. Mill equated utility to the aspect of being useful. Usefulness should lead to the formulation of fundamental values that improve quality of life (QOL). These values include preferences, pleasure, happiness and ideals. This theory provides a powerful vision upon which the moral life seeks to get rid of moral disagreement. This theory will categorise child labour in business as immoral and seek to eliminate it. However, the elimination of the immoral business practice of child labour will involve some key steps suggested by Mill. Initially, it is fundamental to agree that morality is dependent on the pillar of making the world a better place. It is then fundamental to exploit the appropriate courses of action using scientific means. This will be instrumental when identifying approaches that are likely to produce positive outcomes to the world. This approach allows persons to determine the right scientific answer on the steps that persons should take (Bentham 17). Business managers can eliminate child labour by focusing on the act of utilitarianism and the rule of utilitarianism. In the act of utilitarianism, it is necessary to review the consequences of individual actions and calculate its usefulness during performance. Children exposed to child labour will undoubtedly suffer from impaired growth. This has a direct consequence on their output. Additionally, they can also acquire heath complications such as respiratory diseases that threaten their survival. However, the most striking consequences are psychosomatic and emotional problems associated with child labour. Regardless with the work a child does, the likelihood of long term trauma to the child is apparent. Business managers who engage the services of children while executing their duties usually ignore the act of utility (Bentham 31). The rule of utilitarianism allows an individual to focus on the consequences of making every person follow set rules before calculating the total utility. This leads to acceptance or rejection of the rule. This is relevant in cases where business organisations compete for children because of their relatively low bargaining power or no pay at all. Several business organisations engage in such an act because others do the same. As business organisations strive to lower their financial costs for short term gains, it is fundamental to consider the long term consequences of their actions on the children. The provision of cheap labour force to business organisations suppresses the local wages and creates adult unemployment. This escalates the rate of crime. Several business organisations could argue that by placing the young children into employment, they remove them from the streets and minimising their chances of engaging in crime and prostitution. However, the rule utilitarian forbids such action because one cannot expose a child to hard labour based on such a premise. Alternatively, organisations could create opportunities for such children through corporate social responsibility (CSR) (Crane 12). They can initiate programs such as provision of scholarships to under-privileged. Additionally, organisations could equip schools with attractive facilities for learning with the intention of encouraging children to stay in school. The utility acts support this reasoning within business organisations because it lessens complexities. The utilitarianism theory is also flawed because it fails to offer an explanation or direction concerning an individual’s definition and measure of goodness. As a result, one can engage in activities that improve societal conditions though it may be detrimental to the health and wellbeing of other segments of the population. For instance, the act of employing children for low financial costs but on the disguise of eliminating their presence from the street is utilitarian and confusing. The theory equally lacks provisions that project and eliminate future scenarios. Social contract theory The architect of Social contract theory is John Rawls. The social contact theory states that morality constitutes a set of governing rules that guide behaviour within the society. This theory states that every individual has natural rights. These rights should are basic, respected, protected, inalienably entitled and considered important. Justice must prevail for effective achievement of this concept. Apparently, justice is the instantaneous fair treatment of people in specific situations for each person to eventually receive what he deserves. As people subscribe to this idea, the instances of child labour will reduce. This is based on the supposition that recruitment of these children is normally facilitated by failure to consider that the minors deserve equal rights and justice as the rest of the population. The rule of justice operates “under the veil of ignorance” and demands that each individual should enjoy equal rights. The resultant liberties should match the related liberty systems for other people. In this regard, the social and economic inequalities need correction to address the needs of the disadvantaged and provide equal and fair opportunities to everyone. This is especially the case in positions or offices where people seek services. Based on this understanding, the social contract theory is applicable in business organisations that lack existing regulations that encourage the growth of child labour. The application of social contract theory will ensure that business organisations consider the rights and justices. A fundamental consideration is ensuring that employment procedures are dependent on the set national and international rules that offer the relevance guidance. For instance, the International Labour Organization has two conventions namely the Minimum Age Convention No. 138 and the Worst Forms of Child Labor Convention No. 182. These conventions offer the framework to all national laws on the accepted minimum age of a person as a requirement for job admission (Erckel 9). The social contract theory has some shortcomings. For instance, it fails to offer the ethical choice of rights and the basis ethical justice considerations. Additionally, it does not provide the morality aspects that an individual needs to follow. Besides, the theory focuses on justice and equal rights as the appropriate ways of addressing inequality. However, it fails to recognise that inequality leads to instability and vulnerability in several instances. Business organisations normally capitalise on the vulnerability of children to lure them into employment and expose them to hard child labor. Additionally, the success of this theory depends on the good will of individuals who are implementing its provisions. For a business organisation pursuing the maximisation of profit, the issues of justice and rights of people can face omission (Erckel 16). Ethic of care This acknowledges that people pursue willingness and emotional commitment in actions when they are closely related with the participants. It also appreciates that humans do not have autonomy to make free choices. However, they are bound by position, relations and circumstances. This is because of the restrictions in choices, information and unequal power positions. These restrictions benefit business organisation, but are disadvantageous to child labourers. This is because several organisations take advantage of the lack of information and freedom to make good choices by children. Most of the children recruited to provide cheap labour are normally drawn from poor backgrounds that lack sufficient information about their rights (Hankivsky 79). A significant feature of the ethic of care requires humans to meet the needs others especially when they are responsible for them. The logic behind this ideology is that caring for the welfare of children forms the foundation for moral concerns. Conclusively, understanding that people are dependent on others makes human beings vulnerable. The most vulnerable of the populations are the elderly and children. In this regard, children should not make their choices and decisions. Capable members of the population should take the initiative to advice children against child labour basing their arguments on the negative implications of such acts (Hankivsky 101). Works Cited Barboza, David. Child labor cases uncovered in China. The New York Times. 2008. Web. 15th November 2012 Bentham, Jeremy. Utilitarianism. Bibliobazaar: BiblioLife, 2009. Print Crane, Andrew. Corporate Social Responsibility: Readings and Cases in a Global Context. London: Rutledge, 2008. Print. Erckel, Sebastian. Classical Social Contract Theory: The Classical Social Contract Theories of Hobbes, Locke and Rousseau Compared. Mu?nchen: GRIN Verlag, 2009. Print Hankivsky, Olena. Social Policy And the Ethic of Care. Vancouver: UBC Press, 2005. International Labour Organization. "What is child labour." Promoting jobs, protecting people. 2012. Web. 15th November 2012 http://www.ilo.org/ipec/facts/lang--en/index.htm. Makkreel, Rudolf A and Sebastian Luft. Neo-Kantianism in Contemporary Philosophy. Bloomington : Indiana University Press, 2009.Print Read More