Human Security And The Politics Of Corporate Social Responsibility In China

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.

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.

Over the years, many corporations have been trying to determine what they can and should do to contribute to the sustainability of the economic, social and ecological environment within which they operate. Corporate social responsibility has become a key senior management issue worldwide and an increasingly debated topic in China. This book aims at helping companies operating in China to better assess and exercise their corporate social responsibility (CSR) in specific contexts. The purpose of this book is to show that CSR has a strong economic pay back in the long run, that it is a key success factor in nurturing corporate excellence, and that a sense of urgency and accrued inventiveness are required from companies operating in China. Cross-disciplinary in scope, the book aims at helping students and analysts in political science, governance, international relations and Chinese studies to understand and appreciate the unique role that firms play in shaping a new China. It focuses on the relationship between the state, civil society and corporations in the Chinese context. It researches the conditions under which this relationship might result in redefining China''s developmental model. This practical, business-oriented book takes into account China''s classical and contemporary thought on CSR. It is the result of a long research and collaborative process with several institutions and industry leaders .

China's recent economic transformation and integration into the world economy has coincided with increasing pressure for corporate law reform to make corporate social responsibility (CSR) integral to business and management strategy in China. This timely book critically analyses contemporary notions of CSR in China, discussing theory and practice alongside legal responses in this emerging field. Jingchen Zhao uniquely combines the history, traditions and social policies of China with Chinese law, explaining the significance of path dependence in China. He presents an in-depth debate on the difficulties involved in transplanting developed legal principles directly into Chinese society, and takes a detailed look at the CSR provisions in Chinese company law which aimed to put social and environmental concerns onto the corporate agenda. He suggests how these laws could be more effectively and efficiently enforced with reference to UK law, and explores specific issues including: * Chinese Company Law 2006 * the 'Harmonious Society' in China * the 2008 Financial Crisis and its impact on the Chinese economy * recent corporate scandals including the Sanlu Baby Milk scandal, the Wenchuan earthquake and CSR donations, the Beijing Olympic Games and CSR, and the Fujia chemical plant. This book will prove an enlightening read for academics and practitioners in the fields of law, business and management interested in CSR and the law in contemporary China.

This book looks at human security in China’s foreign relations. It discusses the concept and theory of human security, and their implications for China. The book goes on to analyse environmental security issues, including climate change and water resources, as well as looking at issues from an energy consumption perspective. Significant human security issues are then focussed on, including food safety, pandemic disease control, migration, and the human rights implications of China’s overseas investment.

New Approaches to Human Security in the Asia-Pacific offers a distinctly Asia-Pacific-oriented perspective to one of the most discussed components of international security policy, human security. This volume of regional experts assess countries that have either spearheaded this form of security politics (Japan and Australia) or have recently advanced to become a key player on various aspects of human security in both a domestic and global context (China). The authors provide an interesting investigation into the continued relevance and promise of the human security paradigm against more 'traditional' security approaches. Accordingly the book will appeal to readers across a wide band of the social sciences (international relations, security studies, development studies and public policy) and to practitioners and analysts working in applied settings.

Human security is becoming increasingly pronounced in recent years due to changes in the security landscape of world politics. Yet, inter-state relations have continued to dominate security concerns in East Asia. This has, unfortunately, eluded the broader understanding of issues and challenges facing the peoples of East Asia. Home to nations with rapid economic growth and development, East Asia is at the core of what some individuals have termed as the coming Asian Century. Years of economic liberalization and exposure to globalization have permitted the region to achieve high levels of interconnectedness from within and without in unprecedented ways. This has certainly reduced state control and opened up spaces for cross-border human activities. While economic wealth have increased substantially over the years, it has also brought about bigger income disparities, unsustainable safety nets and a surge in social problems from health issues to migratory concerns that threaten the safety and well-being of individuals. Human Security: Securing East Asia’s Future timely examines the fundamental issues causing human insecurities and evaluates the extent of which human security plays a role at the state and regional levels. Covering the different areas of threats to humans and applying case study materials, this volume provides an intellectual mix of perspectives that captures the relationship between people, state and region. This book will be of interest to those studying traditional and non-traditional security/threats, Asian human development and critical policy analysis.

"Future-oriented questions are woven through the study and practice of international security. The 48 essays collected in this Handbook use such questions to provide a tour of the most innovative and exciting new areas of research as well as major developments in established lines of inquiry. The results of their efforts are: the definitive statement of the state of international security and the academic field of security studies, a comprehensive portrait of expert assessments of expected developments in international security at the onset of the twenty-first century's second decade, and a crucial staging ground for future research agendas." --Descripción del editor.