The concept of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) becomes more and more important, as overcoming “the increasing environmental and social problems is one of the biggest challenges of this century”. Over the last years the discussion about the duty of companies to assume responsibility for society is well underway. Not only in executive boards, politics or science the concept in gaining in popularity, also the media addresses the subject with increased regularity and presents responsible companies with its management approaches.
On the other hand, hardly a day will pass without having to deal with headlines of large organizations who have crossed borders of business ethical behavior and moral acting. One example is the electronics manufacturer “Foxconn”, one of Apple’s former suppliers and a big player in its branch: 2010, the suicides of 18 young employees, as a result of the bad working conditions at the Foxconn factory plants in China, shook the employer giant and the international community.
The illustrated dichotomy is a matter for reflection and therefore well suited for the present seminar paper. The following pages now then deal with the these main questions:
- What is the purpose of CSR and is it suitable for the intention of business?
- Do companies use CSR only as a calculated strategy to survive in this complex
marketplace? If so – is this morally right?
- How much worth do the CSR promises of companies in terms of today’s times
of globalization and growing competition actually have?
The first chapters will give an overview on CSR as a theoretic basis for the following pages, referring to different concepts and definitions that exist.
After that, chapter 3 deals with the applied example of Foxconn. First there will be given some facts and figures about Foxconn and the occurrences in the year 2010 in particular. In the next step the CSR activities will be shortly analyzed in order to contrast the applied CSR intention of Foxconn and the actual outcome.
Table of Contents
1 Introduction
2 What is Corporate Social Responsibility?
2.1 Scientific approach
2.2 Definition by the EU Comission
2.3 Corporate Social Responsibility and business
3 Applied example
3.1 Introducing Foxconn
3.1.1 Foxconn – Facts & Figures
3.1.2 Foxconn scandals
3.2 Analysis of Foxconn’s Corporate Social Responsibility activities
4 Discussion
4.1 Corporate Social Responsibility – Nothing but empty rhetoric?
4.2 Ethical reasoning
4.2.1 Deontological view
4.2.2 Consequentialistic approach
4.2.3 Virtue Ethics
5 Conclusion
Objectives and Topics
This paper explores the dichotomy between the public commitment to Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and the reality of corporate behavior, using the electronics manufacturer Foxconn as a primary case study. The central research question examines whether CSR is treated as a sincere ethical commitment or merely as a strategic tool for corporate image management.
- The theoretical foundations and diverse definitions of CSR.
- An investigation into the 2010 labor scandals and suicide crises at Foxconn.
- A critical analysis of Foxconn’s 2009 CSER report versus actual working conditions.
- An evaluation of corporate conduct through the lenses of Deontology, Consequentialism, and Virtue Ethics.
Excerpt from the Book
3.1.2 Foxconn scandals
Apart from the high standing of Foxconn in China and its success story, the organization has also been involved into scandals in the year 2010. These affairs dealt with harsh working conditions in Chinese factories followed by a wave of suicides by young employees: 18 young migrant workers committed suicide at Foxconn facilities in Shenzhen, China. Four of them survived with crippling injuries, while 14 died. The Foxconn employees who attempted suicide were between 17 and 25 years old. The tragic suicides are the result of myriad labor problems at a workplace where some of the world’s most sought products are manufactured.
In the wake of the death of these people and reports of corporate abuses, Foxconn was investigated by myriad of institutions, among others by a Hong-Kong based labor campaign group together and a University Research Group. The findings of the researches and investigations were the following: In their studies report, Foxconn is being compared to an industrial arm, which is characterized by a centralized hierarchial system. Within this system, leadership can be seen as dictatorship and security plays the role of a state police. Furthermore workers reported on beatings by security and management. Any behavior that disregards production, e. g. making mistakes in work procedures or speaking during working time, is being punished. All in all, the research found out about a constant pressure that was put on the Foxconn workers at many factory plants in China. Apparently, the 18 young workers from Shenzhen who attempted suicide were not able to deal with this pressure anymore.
Summary of Chapters
1 Introduction: This chapter introduces the growing relevance of CSR and presents the problematic dichotomy between corporate ethical claims and the reality of labor conditions, exemplified by the Foxconn scandal.
2 What is Corporate Social Responsibility?: This chapter explores the diverse theoretical approaches and definitions of CSR, including the instrumental, political, integrative, and ethical perspectives, and introduces Carroll’s pyramid model.
3 Applied example: This chapter provides facts and figures about Foxconn, analyzes the 2010 suicide scandals, and contrasts these events with the company's 2009 CSR reports.
4 Discussion: This chapter evaluates CSR practices against ethical frameworks, specifically examining the company's behavior through Deontological, Consequentialistic, and Virtue Ethics perspectives.
5 Conclusion: This chapter synthesizes the findings, arguing that while strategic CSR is not inherently wrong, "empty rhetoric" that masks fundamental rights violations is morally indefensible.
Keywords
Corporate Social Responsibility, CSR, Foxconn, Business Ethics, Labor Conditions, Stakeholder Management, Deontology, Consequentialism, Virtue Ethics, Corporate Citizenship, Window Dressing, Industrial Scandals, Ethical Reasoning, Sustainability, Human Rights
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the fundamental subject of this seminar paper?
The paper examines the tension between the professed Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) of large corporations and their actual operational ethics, focusing on whether CSR serves as a genuine commitment or merely as a public relations strategy.
What are the primary thematic areas explored?
The main themes include CSR theories, the gap between corporate reporting and reality, labor rights violations, and the application of moral philosophy to modern business practices.
What is the core research question?
The paper asks whether companies use CSR as a calculated strategy for survival and public approval, and seeks to determine if this usage is morally defensible in the context of globalization.
Which scientific methods are employed?
The author uses a qualitative case study approach, analyzing official CSR reports in comparison with external investigations, and applies normative ethical theories (Deontology, Consequentialism, Virtue Ethics) to evaluate corporate conduct.
What is the focus of the main body?
The main body bridges theoretical definitions of CSR with the practical case study of Foxconn, systematically contrasting the company's publicized values with the 2010 labor abuse reports and subsequent ethical analysis.
Which keywords best characterize the work?
Key terms include Corporate Social Responsibility, Business Ethics, Foxconn, Labor Conditions, Stakeholder Management, and ethical frameworks such as Deontology and Virtue Ethics.
How does the author analyze the Foxconn scandal through Deontology?
From a Deontological perspective, the author assesses whether Foxconn fulfilled its duty to respect its employees, concluding that by violating human and labor rights, the company failed to act in a morally correct manner, regardless of economic outcomes.
What conclusion does the author reach regarding "window dressing"?
The author argues that while companies often use CSR as a profiling tool, failing to live up to these values and distributing "empty rhetoric" is morally unacceptable, especially when it masks severe abuses of human rights.
- Citar trabajo
- Ronja Sieberg (Autor), 2016, Corporate Social Responsibility. The question of real commitment or strategic window dressing and the example of Foxconn, Múnich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/340716
