Review: Transnational Corporations and Human Rights
| Date | 01 June 2005 |
| Published date | 01 June 2005 |
| DOI | 10.1177/002070200506000236 |
| Author | Christopher Spearin |
| Subject Matter | Review |
I
Reviews
|
TRANSNATIONAL CORPORATIONS
AND HUMAN
RIGHTS
Edited
by Jedrzej George Frynas and
Scott
Pegg
New
York:
Palgrave Macmillan 2003. xiv, 223pp. US$65.00 cloth
(ISBN
o-
333-98799-3)
The
concept of global governance is indeed a daunting one. All actors,
state and non-state, have their own areas of expertise, their own limita-
tions,
and their own interests. The development of predictability, stan-
dards, and norms, therefore, would appear to be an exercise of herding
cats.
It also follows that making sense of these developments would be a
challenging
task.
Nevertheless, through examination of a particular
slice
of
global-eco-
nomic
activity, this is the challenge accepted by the editors of
Transnational Corporations
and
Human
Rights.
The book rises to the
challenge
in its analysis of the behaviour of transnational corporations
(TNCs)
and the state and non-state actors with which they interact. The
book's
chapters collectively illustrate the impact of TNC activities and the
advantages and limitations of standards pertaining to human rights that
are set by states, international organizations, nongovernmental organiza-
tions,
industry associations, and the TNCs themselves. Overall, the book
makes plain that standards and norms do exist, that TNCs, in many cases,
do follow (eventually) useful codes of conduct, but that more efforts by all
actors
are required.
The
book works as a coherent whole, rather than as a collection of indi-
vidual essays, because the chapters are consistently pragmatic in approach.
In
a self-conscious way, the authors realize that globalization or the world
capitalist
system cannot be wished away. There is also a similar recognition
that one type of actor cannot control and dominate global governance, even
in a particular sphere of
activity.
As such, the findings in each chapter are
nuanced. Similarly, while the book presents some highly disturbing cases,
it
also offers successes brought about through corporate activity or through
the interaction of TNCs with other actors. And in most cases, the authors
go
the step further and supplement their findings with informed sugges-
tions as to how state and non-state actors alike may improve their efforts so
that human rights are more uniformly respected.
Coherency
of the book is also promoted through its organization: four
introductory conceptual/theoretical chapters lead to five empirical chap-
ters on certain TNCs or industry activities. The initial chapters effectively
I International
Journal
|
Spring
2005
| 605 |
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