This panel will focus on the efforts of trade unionists and social activists to promote social responsibility in corporate activities during the 1970s. The decade witnessed several disruptive events, including international monetary crises and two oil shocks, that contributed to widespread uncertainty for business leaders, workers, and consumers alike. At the same time, the reduction of trade barriers and the arrival of a floating exchange rate system facilitated the rapid expansion of multinational production, which quickly became a major source of social concern. In advanced industrialized countries, labor unions were asking for a larger share of the benefits and more democracy in the workplace, especially regarding investment and restructuring decisions. Meanwhile, Third World governments were eager to witness the rise of a new international economic order in which they would control the exploitation of their natural resources and benefit equitably from economic activities undertaken on their soil.
Panelists will consider a range of strategies pursued by trade unionists and activists to guide multinational firms toward socially-responsible ends, including activism at corporate shareholder meetings, regulation at the national and regional levels, and the establishment of voluntary guidelines at the international level. Moreover, the panel will discuss corporate responses to these efforts, including coordination of lobbying activities and engagement in dialogue with activist groups to temper their demands.
Papers will be presented by Sabine Pitteloud, Harvard Business School; Marvin Schnippering, University of Glasgow; and Melanie Sheehan, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill