Global Perspective on Child Labor
Globalization has contributed to various positive and negative ethical issues. Some of the negative impacts include child labour. While the world statistics indicate a decreasing trend in child labour, some studies suggest an increasing trend associated with globalization. This essay discusses how the globalization of business affect my analysis on the ethical issues surrounding the use of child labour, as well as the difference between a temptation and an ethical dilemma.
How does the globalization of business affect how you would analyze the ethical issues surrounding the use of child labour around the world?
Child labour is a trend evident in both developing and developed countries. Some communities view child labour as exploitation for financial gains while others perceive it as an accepted way of helping in gaining income. In regard to the developing countries, poverty is largely connected to child labour. Poor individuals strive to cater for their families through small businesses and opt to engage their children as sources of labour, because they can barely afford to hire adult labourers. In this connection, individual parents contribute a lot to igniting child labour.
With the globalization trend, openness to trade has increased tremendously, and this is associated with child labour. Children from poor backgrounds are burdened with the curiosity to engage in income-generating activities at early ages (Nogler & Pertile, 2016). Although their parents may not support such a move, the circumstances of poverty prompt them to allow such incidences to their children. This can be compacted if the government develops policies to decrease inequalities in income distribution.
Discuss the difference between a temptation and an ethical dilemma in the context of an experience you have had, and describe how you resolved the matter.
An ethical dilemma differs from temptation in various ways, although both pose as opposites of each other. A temptation refers to a right action done under the influence of wrong choices, while ethical dilemma refers to taking the right move after making the rightful decision. From the above context, temptation can be illustrated in a situation whereby, a poorly-earning parent takes advantage of an earning opportunity for their children. In this case, parents would prefer to send their children to work as long as they gain financially than send them to school. The same situation can be viewed as an ethical dilemma. For instance, households that cannot afford basic needs may opt to depend on the income from children’s labour (Nogler & Pertile, 2016). This is more prominent in developing countries where, while education is highly encouraged, the elder children are sent to work to afford education for their siblings. In this regard, the ethical dilemma lies between having to send all the children to school without school fees and have them send back, or sending some to work and at least afford education for the rest.
Identify and discuss an issue confronting 21st-century businesses today, and explain how you would analyze and resolve the issue. For example, what questions and/or research would you employ, and on what basis would you make your determination?
Businesses in the 21st century are faced with numerous challenges. The rapidly changing world of technology prompted the firms to adapt to new marketing (Crane et al., 2019). In this regard, uncertainty about the future is one of the issues confronting businesses in this era (Crane et al., 2019). Business people worry about what might happen in future concerning market and customer trends, considering the dynamic economic climate. However, hiring a business consultant with expertise in reading and predicting such critical trends could produce excellent outcomes. The expertise provides knowledge and information that a business can use to adjust some loopholes and prepare accordingly for such unpredictability.
Generally, globalization has posed numerous dynamics in the business world. Various social issues have arisen as a result such as child labour which is viewed as either a temptation or an ethical dilemma. Businesses also face challenges such as adapting to new technologies and future unpredictability. However, consulting business expertise can help prepare well for the future of the company.
References
Crane, A., Matten, D., Glozer, S., & Spence, L. (2019). Business ethics: Managing corporate citizenship and sustainability in the age of globalization. Oxford University Press.
Nogler, L., & Pertile, M. (2016). Child labour in a globalized world: a legal analysis of ILO action. Routledge.