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GLOBALISATION AND BUSINESS ETHICS

Law, Ethics and Economics

Series Editors:

Christoph Luetge, University of Munich, Germany

Itaru Shimazu, Chiba University, Japan

Law, Ethics and Economics brings together interdisciplinary books which deal with

at least two of the three constituents. Among other subjects, this series covers is￾sues in ethics and economics, law and economics, as well as constitutional issues in

law, economics, philosophy and social theory. The focus is on theoretical analysis

that goes beyond purely normative considerations, thus aiming at a synthesis of the

desirable and the feasible.

Also in the series:

Deliberation and Decision:

Economics, Constitutional Theory and Deliberative Democracy

Edited by Anne van Aaken, Christian List and Christoph Luetge

ISBN 978 0 7546 2358 8

Globalisation and Business Ethics

KARL HOMANN

University of Munich, Germany

PETER KOSLOWSKI

Free University Amsterdam, The Netherlands

CHRISTOPH LUETGE

University of Munich, Germany

Edited by

© Karl Homann, Peter Koslowski and Christoph Luetge 2007

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system

or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording

or otherwise without the prior permission of the publisher.

Karl Homann, Peter Koslowski and Christoph Luetge have asserted their right under the

Copyright, Designs and Patents Act, 1988, to be identified as the editors of this work.

Published by

Ashgate Publishing Limited Ashgate Publishing Company

Gower House Suite 420

Croft Road 101 Cherry Street

Aldershot Burlington, VT 05401-4405

Hampshire GU11 3HR USA

England

Ashgate website: http://www.ashgate.com

British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data

Globalisation and business ethics. - (Law, ethics and

economics)

1. Globalisation - moral and ethical aspects 2. Business

ethics

I. Homann, Karl II. Koslowski, Peter 1952 III. Luetge,

Christoph, 1969-

174.4

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Globalisation and business ethics / edited by Karl Homann, Peter Koslowski, and

Christoph Luetge.

p. cm. -- (Law, ethics and economics)

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN-13: 978-0-7546-4817-8 1. Business ethics. 2. International

economic relations--Moral and ethical aspects. 3. Globalization--Moral and ethical

aspects. 4. Social justice. 5. Culture and globalization. I. Homann, Karl. II. Koslowski,

Peter, 1952- III. Luetge, Christoph, 1969- IV. Title: Globalization and business ethics.

HF5387.G583 2007

174.4--dc22

2006034247

ISBN-13 978 0 7546 4817 8

Printed and bound in Great Britain by Antony Rowe Ltd, Chippenham, Wiltshire.

Contents

List of Contributors vii

Introduction ix

PART I GLOBALISATION: CONCEPTS AND PROBLEMS

1 Globalisation from a Business Ethics Point of View

Karl Homann 3

2 Concepts of Globalisation:

The Institutional Prerequisites for the Integration of World Markets

Michael Ehret, Michaela Haase and Martin Kaluza 11

3 Diagnoses of Our Time:

Theoretical Approaches to the Globalised Age

Manfred Prisching 27

4 Globalisation as a Gendered Process:

A Differentiated Survey on Feminist and Postcolonial Perspectives

Silvia Bauer and Tatjana Schönwälder-Kuntze 57

PART II GLOBALISATION, BUSINESS AND CORPORATE GOVERNANCE

5 Globalisation of Corporate Governance:

The Difficult Process of Bringing About European Union Internal and

External Corporate Governance Principles

Klaus J. Hopt 81

6 Transparency and Integrity: Contrary Concepts?

Frits Schipper 101

7 Tangible Ethics: Commitments in Business Organisations

Eberhard Schnebel and Margo A. Bienert 119

PART III GLOBAL JUSTICE

8 A Theory of Global Justice Focusing on Absolute Poverty

Elke Mack 145

vi Globalisation and Business Ethics

9 Just Relations between North and South in International

Financial Markets

Bernhard Emunds 159

10 Access to Essential Medicines: Global Justice beyond Equality

Georg Marckmann and Matthis Synofzik 173

PART IV GLOBALISATION, PHILOSOPHY AND CULTURE

11 Social Glue under Conditions of Globalisation:

Philosophers on Essential Normative Resources

Christoph Luetge 191

12 Sovereignty of Interpretation: A Dubious Model of Cultural

Globalisation

Michael Neuner 203

13 Business Ethics in Globalised Financial Markets

Peter Koslowski 217

Name Index 237

Subject Index 243

List of Contributors

Silvia Bauer, M.A, Interdisciplinary Institute for Cultural and Gender Studies,

München, Germany

Prof. Dr. Margo A. Bienert, Georg-Simon-Ohm University of Applied Sciences,

Nürnberg, Germany

Dr. Michael Ehret, Marketing-Department, Freie Universität Berlin, Germany

PD Dr. Bernhard Emunds, Nell-Breuning-Institute for Economic and Social

Ethics, Hochschule Sankt Georgen, Germany

PD Dr. Michaela Haase, Marketing-Department, Freie Universität Berlin,

Germany

Prof. Dr. Dr. Karl Homann, Chair for Philosophy and Economics, Ludwig￾Maximilians-Universität, München, Germany

Prof. Dr. Dr. Dr. h.c. mult. Klaus J. Hopt, Max Planck Institute for Comparative

and International Private Law, Hamburg, Germany

Martin Kaluza, M.A., Department of Philosophy, Freie Universität Berlin,

Germany

Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. Peter Koslowski, Professor of Philosophy, especially Philosophy

of Management and Organisations and History of Philosophy, Free University

Amsterdam, The Netherlands

PD Dr. Christoph Luetge, Chair for Philosophy and Economics, Ludwig￾Maximilians-Universität, München, Germany

Prof. Dr. Elke Mack, Institute for Christian Social Ethics, University of Erfurt,

Germany

Prof. Dr. Georg Marckmann, MPH, Institute for Ethics and History of Medicine,

University of Tübingen, Germany

Dr. Michael Neuner, Department of Business Studies and Economics, University of

Applied Sciences Ludwigshafen/Rhine, Germany

viii Globalisation and Business Ethics

Prof. Dr. Manfred Prisching, Department of Sociology, University of Graz,

Austria

Dr. Frits Schipper, Department of Philosophy, Free University Amsterdam, The

Netherlands

Dr. Eberhard Schnebel, Württemberger Hypo Bank, Stuttgart, Germany

Dr. Tatjana Schönwälder-Kuntze, Chair for Philosophy and Economics, Ludwig￾Maximilians-Universität München, Germany

Matthis Synofzik, Institute for Ethics and History of Medicine, University of

Tübingen, Germany

Introduction

Karl Homann, Peter Koslowski and Christoph Luetge

We are confronted with the problems of globalisation daily. Globalisation has become

a common phenomenon, yet one that many people experience as a threat not only to

their economic existence, but also to their cultural and moral self-image. Some join

protest organisations like ATTAC and others. Their protests regularly lead to violence

at international summits. Moreover, the current situation after September 11th can

be seen as an indirect consequence of problems associated with globalisation. The

terror could not have developed in such a way without an environment of people that

feel threatened by globalisation.

It is the aim of this volume to differentiate the intuitive approaches to globalisation

into different problem dimensions. These problem dimensions will then be worked

on within different disciplines, namely philosophy, economics, sociology, social

ethics, management and cultural studies, with the idea of ultimately re-integrating

these different perspectives into an overall picture.

Globalisation, at first, is a development which increases the internationalisation

of production and manufacturing, governing and financing processes. While

international economic relations are nothing new, the global integration of production,

governing and financing processes within the structures of multinational, globally

operating corporations certainly is. Under conditions of globalisation, products are not

manufactured any more in one country and then exported, rather, products are designed

and produced in production sites in various locations around the world and financed

by global investors and holding companies. Internationalisation is already present at

the production stage, not only at the retail stage. Primary products are increasingly

manufactured at different locations around the globe. The degree of division of labour

increases. Division of labour takes place not only between manufacturers of final

products at different locations, but already between manufacturers of primary products

at different places. Internationalisation is thus boosted beyond traditional international

division of labour both in vertical integration and in the supply chain.

This leads to an increased competition of workers, as corporations can sidestep

into low-wage countries more easily than when the entire, highly differentiated

product was produced in one country. The resulting global supply of labour for

industrial production causes wages to fall in high-wage countries due to competitive

pressure by low-wage countries. This development is seen by many workers as a

threat to their existence.

A prerequisite of globalised production is the globalisation and liberalisation

of financial markets, which enables or dramatically facilitates direct investment

in foreign countries. A flood of mergers in the year 2000 is a good indicator both

x Globalisation and Business Ethics

for the globalisation of financial investment as well as for the global integration of

structures of production.

This development is also accompanied by ecological dangers and increased

migration. Globally acting corporations often promote Western ideals and images

of consumption in marketing and distribution, and they are supported in this role

by the globally dominating position of Western mass media. Some authors regard

‘consumerism’ as the intrinsic Weltanschauung of the West, as its global ideology

which, in other parts of the world, breeds counter-ideologies like Islamism.

Globalisation of markets and production, in another regard, greatly diminishes

the efficiency of national politics, in particular, national economic and labour market

policy, as these markets are not nationally organised any more and can only to a

limited extent be controlled through national legislation and politics.

Globalisation also has normative and cultural dimensions. However, these

dimensions are often discussed quite independent from – or even in direct opposition

to – its economic dimensions. We have tried to avoid this fruitless split between

normative and economic considerations in the present book, by choosing authors

with competences in both domains.

The normative dimension of globalisation includes questions of the cultural self￾images of man, the consequences of accelerating processes of modernisation on

human identity, the increasing insecurity and the human capability to cope with it. It

also includes the problem of winners and losers of globalisation – and the question

how the winners might possibly compensate the losers for their losses or improve

their situation.

A final question is how philosophical ethics can contribute to the processes

described here. Can ethics set limits to global business, indeed, is this the task it has

to fulfil? Or can the processes of globalisation, at least in principle, also be thought

of as fulfilling the expectations that have been associated with the regulative ideas of

universalistic ethics, like human dignity and solidarity? Could it be possible, in this

way, to promote a constructive cooperation of philosophy and economics?

The present volume seeks to find answers to these questions. It is organised in

four sections. The initial section deals with ‘Concepts and Problems’ and sets out the

theoretical framework for globalisation, both systematically and historically:

The first contribution, by Karl Homann, can be seen as a programmatic chapter

for the entire volume. Homann explains how globalisation can be judged both

positively and negatively from a business ethics standpoint. He concludes that the

chances outweigh the risks by far – both in a moral and in an economic sense.

The second chapter, co-authored jointly by Michael Ehret, Michaela Haase

and Martin Kaluza, sets the conceptual framework for an analysis of globalisation

in a more detailed way. The authors describe, from an economic viewpoint, how

institutional structures have shaped the process of globalisation from Bretton Woods

to recent developments.

Manfred Prisching, by contrast, tackles globalisation from a sociological

standpoint. His chapter is a tour de force through ‘diagnoses of our time’ that have

been made by writers of many eras since Antiquity. By offering such a broad overview

on historical and contemporary approaches, the many faces of globalisation can be

understood better against their historical and systematic background.

Introduction xi

Silvia Bauer’s and Tatjana Schönwälder’s contribution concludes the conceptual

section. Bauer and Schönwälder present a view on the process of globalisation from

a gender perspective, offering new insights for its ethical dimension, in particular for

the problem of equal opportunities.

After this conceptual groundwork, the second section of the book gets to core

issues of business ethics under conditions of globalisation. The first chapter, by

Klaus Hopt, sets the stage by taking on the legal framework of business ethics in the

globalised world. Hopt concentrates on a particularly important aspect, the European

legislation on Corporate Governance, which already incorporates a number of ethical

aspects.

The next two chapters are concerned with ethical questions within corporations.

Frits Schipper takes a closer look at the relation of two central concepts in

management ethics: transparency and integrity. He shows that these two concepts

are not necessarily in opposition to each other, but can also be considered as

complementary.

Margo Bienert and Eberhard Schnebel analyse the role of commitments in large

corporations. They show how social values form an important part in the functioning

of multi-national enterprises. Bienert and Schnebel distinguish between different

types of communication that are used, and they cite practical examples for this.

The third section, ‘Global Justice,’ is concerned with ethical problems related to

developing countries. Here, the focus is not only on the relation between industrial

and developing countries, but also on the relation between developing countries and

multinational corporations.

The first chapter, by Elke Mack, aims at constructing an ethical theory that is

adequate for dealing with the problem of extreme poverty. She discusses theories of

justice by philosophers like Thomas Pogge and John Rawls as well as theological

approaches. Mack envisages different scenarios in which different means of poverty

reduction can be put to use, ranging from market interaction to transnational

structures of governance.

Like Mack, Bernhard Emunds discusses ethical aspects of the institutional

framework for international business. Emunds argues that international financial

markets could serve the ethical purpose of achieving greater justice between industrial

and developing countries, if certain institutional changes were made, especially in

the banking sector.

In the final chapter of this section, Georg Marckmann and Matthis Synofzik focus

on a particular detail of global justice that has been getting quite a lot of attention

in recent years. Marckmann and Synofzik explore strategies for providing people

in developing countries with essential medicines – both at fair prices and in a way

compatible with the functioning of international markets.

The closing section of this volume, ‘Globalisation, Philosophy and Culture,’

comprises three chapters dealing with ethically relevant topics of globalisation that

arise within a broader context of philosophy and culture. The first one, by Christoph

Luetge, reaches deep into the philosophical domain. Luetge asks whether societies in

the age of globalisation still need some kind of social glue. After critically examining

how philosophers like Jürgen Habermas, David Gauthier and Ken Binmore have

xii Globalisation and Business Ethics

answered this question, Luetge argues in favour of a suggestion by the business

ethics conception of order ethics.

Next, Michael Neuner’s contribution looks at an ethical problem of the

globalisation of culture: the question of the sovereignty of interpretation. Choosing

the different images of the Harry Potter character as his prime example, Neuner

shows how cultural pluralism can impoverish in the globalised age. He ends his

chapter in a rather critical tone.

Finally, Peter Koslowski discusses key questions of ethics in globalised financial

markets. In particular, Koslowski juxtaposes the German and the Anglo-Saxon

system of governing stock corporations. Koslowski argues that while the Anglo￾Saxon system holds a number of advantages, the German system can yield equally

good results in many respects – for shareholders and other stakeholders.

Most of the contributions are revised and updated versions of papers presented at

the 6th Annual Conference of the Forum for Business Ethics and Business Culture

of the German Philosophical Association, which was held in Munich from 3rd to 5th

December 2003. The editors would like to thank the Fritz Thyssen Foundation for

the generous support of this conference.

PART I

GLOBALISATION: CONCEPTS

AND PROBLEMS

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