Robert J. Hanlon - Böcker

As globalization has brought about new concerns and responsibilities for business, particularly in the realm of human rights, many multinational corporations (MNC) operating in Asia have argued that such rights are the responsibility of government. However, as globalization continues to improve market access for MNCs, it increasingly exposes them to new forms of transnational social movements, and as a result the private sector has emerged as one of the central stakeholders in the region’s human rights dialogue.Taking three of Asia’s fastest emerging economies – Cambodia, China and Thailand – as its starting point, Corporate Social Responsibility and Human Rights in Asia explores the business case for corporate social responsibility, human rights and anti-corruption in the region. In doing so, it examines how industry perceives human rights and corruption within the corporate social responsibility (CSR) paradigm, and builds on the argument that the CSR regime is a socially constructed concept. Drawing on interviews with key stakeholders including business leaders, nongovernmental organizations, international organizations and government officials, Robert Hanlon argues that industry perceives human rights as outside their sphere of influence; that divergent stakeholder interests are side-lining the human rights debate; and that human rights are increasingly ignored in the quest for profit-maximization. This leads to the conclusion that human rights and corruption will remain peripheral business issues until stakeholders find new ways of creating space for CSR engagement, and business actors will continue to marginalize the human rights issue so long as governments in the region let them. This interdisciplinary book draws on political science, business and sociological perspectives and as such, will be of great interest to students and scholars working across the fields of Asian business, corporate social responsibility and business ethics, human rights and international political economy.

As globalization has brought about new concerns and responsibilities for business, particularly in the realm of human rights, many multinational corporations (MNC) operating in Asia have argued that such rights are the responsibility of government. However, as globalization continues to improve market access for MNCs, it increasingly exposes them to new forms of transnational social movements, and as a result the private sector has emerged as one of the central stakeholders in the region’s human rights dialogue.Taking three of Asia’s fastest emerging economies – Cambodia, China and Thailand – as its starting point, Corporate Social Responsibility and Human Rights in Asia explores the business case for corporate social responsibility, human rights and anti-corruption in the region. In doing so, it examines how industry perceives human rights and corruption within the corporate social responsibility (CSR) paradigm, and builds on the argument that the CSR regime is a socially constructed concept. Drawing on interviews with key stakeholders including business leaders, nongovernmental organizations, international organizations and government officials, Robert Hanlon argues that industry perceives human rights as outside their sphere of influence; that divergent stakeholder interests are side-lining the human rights debate; and that human rights are increasingly ignored in the quest for profit-maximization. This leads to the conclusion that human rights and corruption will remain peripheral business issues until stakeholders find new ways of creating space for CSR engagement, and business actors will continue to marginalize the human rights issue so long as governments in the region let them. This interdisciplinary book draws on political science, business and sociological perspectives and as such, will be of great interest to students and scholars working across the fields of Asian business, corporate social responsibility and business ethics, human rights and international political economy.

Adopting an interdisciplinary perspective, Freedom from Fear, Freedom from Want is a brief introduction to human security, conflict, and development. The book analyzes such key human security issues as climate change, crimes against humanity, humanitarian intervention, international law, poverty, terrorism, and transnational crime, among others. The authors encourage readers to critically assess emerging threats while evaluating potential mechanisms of deterrence such as conflict resolution, economic development, diplomacy, peacekeeping, international law, and restorative justice. Concise yet comprehensive, Freedom from Fear, Freedom from Want is an ideal text for human security courses.

Exploring themes associated with corruption, sustainable development, and human rights and security, Robert J. Hanlon considers the political dynamics of corporate social responsibility (CSR) within the context of the ‘Asian Century’ and its place in an increasingly multipolar world.By assessing how social responsibility is changing the discourse around trade, development and diplomacy, Hanlon sheds light on how competing visions of social responsibility are influencing political narratives in China and the West, examining multipolarity, the construction of Global China, and the ascent of competitive pluralism. Chapters argue that the liberal economic order founded at Bretton Woods is wavering with Western governments and multinational corporations who are seeking new strategies to compete against China, especially in emerging economies known for weak governance structures and dysfunctional rule of law. As CSR emerges as a political tool for states and business actors, this timely book adopts a human security approach for assessing the weaponization of political values within an increasingly fragmented rule-based liberal order.Expanding on the themes of constructivism, competitive pluralism and progressive neoliberalism, while introducing the novel concept of developmental CSR, this forward-thinking book will prove a vital resource for students, scholars and policymakers interested in Asian politics, public policy, CSR and international relations.

This book examines Canada’s foreign policy in terms of China, pointing to the flaws and attitudes relating to the impracticality and lack of its pragmatic design.