labor, capital and corporate social · pdf file2 running head: syllabus and you are a part of...

Running head: LABOR, CAPITAL… i

Labor, Capital and Corporate Social Responsibility

A 4-Unit Course Created by

Ruth Tappin © 2012

Capella University

Running head: LABOR, CAPITAL… ii

CONTENTS

Course Syllabus .............................................................................................................................. 1

Introduction and Welcome Message: .......................................................................................... 1

My Teaching Philosophy: ........................................................................................................... 1

Class participation: .................................................................................................................. 3

A safe learning place ............................................................................................................... 3

Class introductions .................................................................................................................. 3

Course Overview ............................................................................................................................ 4

Course Assessment ...................................................................................................................... 8

Information for Each Unit ............................................................................................................. 12

UNIT 1: The Mercantile System, Capitalism, and the Industrial Revolution ........................... 12

Unit 1 Objectives ................................................................................................................... 12

Unit 1 Introduction ................................................................................................................ 12

Unit 1 Readings or Internet Searches .................................................................................... 13

Unit 1 Group Activities or Discussions ................................................................................. 14

Unit 1 Use of Technology ..................................................................................................... 15

Unit 1 Online Components .................................................................................................... 15

Unit 1 Course Deliverables .................................................................................................... 15

UNIT 2 Laissez Faire Economics and Free Market Capitalism ................................................... 16

Unit 2 Objectives ....................................................................................................................... 16

Unit 2 Introduction .................................................................................................................... 16

Laissez-faire: a “hands off” economic policy ........................................................................ 16

Unit 2 Readings or Internet Searches ........................................................................................ 17

Readings ................................................................................................................................ 17

Unit 2 Presentation(s) ............................................................................................................ 17





UNIT 3 Globalism and Free Trade ............................................................................................... 19

Unit 3 Objectives ....................................................................................................................... 19


iii

Running head: SYLLABUS…

Readings ................................................................................................................................ 21





UNIT 4 Perspectives on Corporate Social Responsibility ............................................................ 24

Unit 4 Objectives ................................................................................................................... 24







APPENDIX ................................................................................................................................... 28

Background: Course Information and Setting ........................................................................... 28

Course Information and Setting: ............................................................................................... 28

Class demographics for four-week course: ............................................................................... 29

Rationale for creating this course: ............................................................................................. 29

Adult Learning Theories Applied to This Course ..................................................................... 30

Course Setting ........................................................................................................................... 30

Course Syllabus ......................................................................................................................... 31

Assessments of Learning ....................................................................................................... 32

Course Deliverables ............................................................................................................... 33

Running head: LABOR, CAPITAL… 1

Course Syllabus

Introduction and Welcome Message:

Hello, Class!

I am Ruth Tappin and I welcome you to course ED7312: Labor, Capital and Corporate Social

Responsibility Labor, Capital and Corporate Responsibility! This is a hybrid course (part in-class

and part online), designed to lead you on a path of discovery that will help you to gain a basic

understanding of capitalism, its relationship to labor, laissez-faire economics and its relationship

to corporate social responsibility. What you learn in this class will help you to better understand

the economic and political world you live in and, perhaps, empower you to make decisions that

are in your best interest. I want to take the time to introduce myself to you, and allow you to

introduce yourselves to me and to each other; then, I will explain to you how the class will be

conducted and, finally, we will go over the syllabus. Please feel free to ask questions or add

comments at anytime. All of this information will be also available in the online course room so

you will not miss anything.

My Teaching Philosophy:

The design of this course reflects my personal teaching philosophy, which can be

summed up in the following lines from Alfred Lord Tennyson’s poem Ulysses, which can also be

accessed online by following the link provided:

I am a part of all that I have met;

Yet all experience is an arch wherethro’

Gleams that untravell’d world, whose margin fades

For ever and forever when I move.

How dull it is to pause, to make an end,

To rust unburnish’d, not to shine in use!

(Tennyson, A.L. (1842). Ulysses. Retrieved from http://www.online-literature.com/donne/733/).

You see, you and I, as learners, are on a never-ending journey that makes us a part of all

that we have met. You are now forever a part of me because we have met here in this classroom;

http://www.online-literature.com/donne/733/

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and you are a part of each other…and what binds us together is a common purpose, which is

quest for knowledge and a desire to learn – regardless of our motivations! And now that we have

met in this place, at this time, sharing a common purpose, we have begun to express the idea of

community. This common interest for learning that we share is the foundation of our learning

community in this class. I want you to keep this idea of “community” in your mind as we

proceed through this class because, when you introduce yourselves, I would like you to express

in a simple sentence what “community” means to you.

In keeping with my teaching philosophy, I believe that each of you bring something

valuable to this class; that is your own work and life experiences that have shaped your thinking

and informed your own philosophies about life. This makes your perspective unique and that

uniqueness is what will stimulate, invigorate and motivate each of us as we interact with each

other, share knowledge and debate ideas. New learning can be an exciting and powerful thing: it

can cause us to examine, reject or validate deeply held assumptions. And this process can

sometimes be a little messy; it can produce conflict when we feel challenged; it can make us feel

very exposed and vulnerable when we are called upon to comment or share ideas, However, it

can also inspire us to do things that we never imagined ourselves doing. In one of my Education

classes at Capella University a classmate shared an excerpt from a book by Jean Hanff Korelitz,

which exemplifies the dynamic forces at play in a learning community:

"And they would come here and fight among themselves and make things and learn from

one another and break one another's hearts and push their professors to rise to their own

level of curiosity and effort and come out of the closet and get engaged and get religion

and change their religion and make the university better and then make the world better.

It gave her a sense of almost calm, almost happiness. All things shall be well...All manner

of things shall be well." (Korelitz, 2009).

So, you see, my teaching philosophy also embraces the idea that, ideally, teaching and learning

can be a dynamic, transformative experience that can inspire us to action. Which brings me to

another kid of action, that of class participation.

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Class participation:

For the duration of this course we will be meeting once a week in class, and also online. I

have sat where you are sitting now, and I am very well acquainted with that knot at the pit of the

stomach when it comes to verbally participating in class; it feels like taking a risk - it makes one

feel vulnerable. It is much easier to participate in discussions online because for one, everyone

must answer the discussion questions and since we have the benefit of thinking about the

question, researching information, and creating a thoughtful Word document before posting, it

reduces or eliminates that feeling of vulnerability. However, if you are hesitant to participate in

discussions because you worry that you might say the wrong thing - believe it or not, almost

everyone else has, or has had, the same fear, so you are not alone!

A safe learning place

My teaching philosophy also holds that the classroom should be a safe place where you

feel supported by myself and your peers, unafraid to voice your opinion and willing to be

challenged. So, if you consider yourself to be a shy person, one goal that I hope you will set

yourself in this class will be to challenge yourself to be an active participant in discussions –

push yourself out of your comfort zone, trust us to support and encourage you! This is the type of

topic that can arouse emotions; I encourage vigorous discussions and debates, but I discourage

personal attacks. If we are truly committed to learning, that means that we must also be willing

to learn about ourselves and others; we will not always agree on everything, but we can disagree

with respect and without assaulting another’s dignity. Therefore, let us remember to always treat

each other in exactly the manner that we would want to be treated. Now, before we turn to the

syllabus, let us take the time to get to know each other.

Class introductions

Starting from the back, left corner, please stand up and introduce yourselves, and remember to

tell us what the idea of “community” means to you in a simple sentence – or even in one word if

you wish. (Class introductions begin).

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Course Overview

The Industrial Revolution began in Britain 1760, and spread to America in the early 19th

Century, forever transforming America from an agrarian society to an industrial one, giving rise

to a factory and wage system. In order to understand the effects of industrialization on working-

class men and women then and now, in this course you will be introduced to:

A brief history on the Industrial revolution

A brief study of modern capitalism and its roots in the Industrial Revolution

The economic “doctrine” of laissez-faire

A study on the influence of capitalism and laissez-faire economics upon working class

The birth of unionism and collective bargaining as a response to capitalism and laissez-

faire economics

As part of this course you will be required to visit specific websites and view online video

presentations on the history of unions in America. Since this is a hybrid course, all course

materials will be available in your online course room. These may be accessed by clicking on the

links provided, or from the Web Links icon on the course menu at the left of your screen.

Course Goals

To successfully complete this course, you will be expected to:

1. Understand the relationship between capital and labor

2. Discuss the relationship between corporate social responsibility and laissez-faire

economics

3. Evaluate the relevancy of unionism and collective bargaining in today’s domestic and

global economy in relation to capitalism and laissez-faire economics

4. Evaluate the relevancy of unionism and collective bargaining in today’s domestic and

global economy.

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Course Materials

Required Reading

The materials listed below are required to complete the learning activities in this course.

Books

Dowd, D. (2000). Capitalism and its economics: A critical history. Ann Arbor, MI: Pluto Press.

ISBN: 0745322794

Heal, G. (2008). When principles pay: Corporate social responsibility and the bottom line. New

York: Columbia Business School Publishing. ISBN: 9780231144001

Articles

Clark, C. S. (1992, May 29). Fairness in salaries. CQ Researcher, 2, 457-480. Retrieved from

http://library.cqpress.com.library.capella.edu/cqresearcher/document.php?id=cqresrre199205

2900&type=hitlist&num=0

Friedman, M. (1970). A Friedman doctrine: The social responsibility of business is to increase its

profits. NY. New York Times

Nelson, J. I. (2001). Inequality in America: The case for post-industrial capitalism. Research in

Social Stratification and Mobility, 18(0), 39-62. doi:10.1016/S0276-5624(01)80022-6

Witkowski, T. H. (2005). Fair trade marketing: An alternative system for globalization and

development. Journal of Marketing Theory and Practice, 13(4), 22-33.

http://search.proquest.com/docview/212168178?accountid=27965

Pdf. Presentation

Elwell, F., 2001, “The Industrial Revolution,” Retrieved December 23, 2011 from

http://www.faculty.rsu.edu/users/f/felwell/www/Ecology/PDFs/IndRevolution.pdf

http://library.cqpress.com.library.capella.edu/cqresearcher/document.php?id=cqresrre1992052900&type=hitlist&num=0


../Syllabus%20articles/Friedman_Social%20responsibility.pdf


../Syllabus%20articles/Nelson_Post%20industrial%20capitalism_Inequality%20in%20America.pdf

../Syllabus%20articles/Witkowski_Fair%20trade%20marketing.pdf


../Syllabus%20articles/Elwell_The%20Industrial%20Revolution.pdf

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Web Sites

Bangladesh Fire kills 21: Factory produces for H&M, Marks, other labels. (2010). Institute for

Global Labour and Human Rights. Retrieved from

http://www.globallabourrights.org/alerts?id=0002

Compa, L.A (2010). A strange case: Violations of workers’ freedom of association in the United

States by European multinational corporations. Cornell University. Retrieved from

http://digitalcommons.ilr.cornell.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1334&context=article

Forsyth, M. (1999). Adam Smith’s Relevance for Today. Retrieved from

http://www.adamsmith.org/sites/default/files/resources/adam-smith-relevance.pdf

Lichtenstein, N. & Johansson, E. (2011). Creating hourly careers: A new vision for Walmart and

the country. American Rights at Work. Retrieved from

http://www.americanrightsatwork.org/dmdocuments/ARAWReports/creatinghourlycareer

s_jan2011.pdf

The triangle shirtwaist factory fire: The legal legacy. (n.d.). The Historical society of the Courts

of the State of New York. Retrieved from

http://www.courts.state.ny.us/history/essay/2011/Triangle_Shirtwaist_Factory_Fire_articl

e.pdf

Videos Online:

History.com.J.P. Morgan Battles Coal Miners. Retrieved month day, year, from URL .

http://www.history.com/topics/labor/videos#history-of-labor-day


http://www.history.com/topics/labor/videos#the-fight-to-end-child-labor


http://www.history.com/topics/labor/videos#jp-morgan-battles-coal-miners-in-1902

Optional Reading

The materials listed below are for optional learning activities in this course.




http://www.americanrightsatwork.org/dmdocuments/ARAWReports/creatinghourlycareers_jan2011.pdf

http://www.americanrightsatwork.org/dmdocuments/ARAWReports/creatinghourlycareers_jan2011.pdf

http://www.courts.state.ny.us/history/essay/2011/Triangle_Shirtwaist_Factory_Fire_article.pdf




http://www.history.com/topics/labor/videos#jp-morgan-battles-coal-miners-in-1902

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Optional Books

Collins, C. & Wright, M. (2007). The moral measure of the economy. New York: Orbis Books.

ISBN: 9781570756931

Dowd, D. (2009). Inequality and the global economic crisis. New York: Pluto Press. ISBN:

9780745329444

Optional Articles

Cleaveland, C. Without wages of benefits: Disconnected TANF recipients’ struggles to achieve

agency. Affilia: Journal of Women and Social Work. 22(4), 321-333. doi:

10.1177/0886109907306342

Hian Chye Koh, & El'fred H Y Boo. (2004). Organisational ethics and employee satisfaction and

commitment. Management Decision, 42(5/6), 677-693. Retrieved from

http://search.proquest.com.library.capella.edu/docview/212099540?accountid=27965

Taylor, C. (2000). NAFTA, GATT, and the current free trade system: A dangerous double

standard for workers rights. Denver Journal of International Law and Policy. Retrieved

from

http://www.lexisnexis.com.library.capella.edu/hottopics/lnacademic/?verb=sr&csi=15304

1

Bowie, N. E., & Dunfee, T. W. (2002). Confronting morality in markets. Journal of Business

Ethics, 38(4), 381-393. http://search.proquest.com/docview/198193442?accountid=27965

Optional Web Sites

Child Labor Education Project. (2012). Retrieved from

http://www.continuetolearn.uiowa.edu/laborctr/child_labor/

International Labor Organization. (2012). LO Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights

at Work and its Follow-up. Retrieved from

http://www.ilo.org/declaration/thedeclaration/textdeclaration/lang--en/index.htm

http://search.proquest.com.library.capella.edu/docview/212099540?accountid=27965

../Syllabus%20articles/Taylor_NAFTA_GATT_Workers%20rights.pdf

http://www.continuetolearn.uiowa.edu/laborctr/child_labor/

http://www.ilo.org/declaration/thedeclaration/textdeclaration/lang--en/index.htm

8


The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (2012). Retrieved from

http://www.un.org/en/documents/udhr/

Course Outline

Week 1: An Overview of the Industrial Revolution in America

Week 2: Laissez Faire economics and free market capitalism

Week 3: Globalism and Free Trade

Week 4: Perspectives on Corporate Social Responsibility

Course Assessment

Assessments help you to: understand your grasp of the material, evaluate your ability to synthesize

ideas in a scholarly manner, control of your own learning and aid you in measuring your progress.

The assessments that will be used for this course will be formative assessments and summative

assessments. Formative assessments measure your progress throughout the course; summative

assessments measure your final project.

The types of assessments that will be used in this course are:

1. Discussion Rubrics (formative assessment)

2. Project Selection and Rationale Rubric (formative assessment)

3. Final Project Rubric (summative assessment)

4. Final paper (summative assessment)

Rubrics are useful guides that will help you to comply with task requirements so please read the

criteria that are outlined in each rubric carefully.

Course Assessment: Grading

Activity Weight

http://www.un.org/en/documents/udhr/

9


1. Discussion Participation 50%

2. Topic Selection and Rationale 5%

3. Final Project 45%

Total 100%

Final Course Grade

Your final course letter grade is determined by a cumulative percentage, a total of the graded

percentages you receive for each weighted activity above.

A = 90–100%

B = 80–89%

C = 70–79%

F = 69% and below

Final Project Description

This course will culminate with a written paper on a union-related topic of your choice that

reflects your understanding of the relationship between capital and labor, and a reflection of

your beliefs about relevancy (or irrelevancy) of unions and collective bargaining in the 21st

century. This will be due on the last day of week 4 (Sunday), at 12 midnight.

Issues that you might consider include but are not limited to: worker’s voice, workplace safety,

child labor, minority and women’s rights, democracy, the creation of a middle class, labor laws,

outsourcing to underdeveloped and developing countries, present day attitudes to labor and

management and government support for or against labor unions and organizing.

Defend your position on the relevancy (or irrelevancy) of labor unions and collective bargaining

in 21st Century America in a 10 – 15 page, excluding the title page and references, formatted to

APA 6th

edition standards.

Final Project Instructions (due Sunday midnight of last day of the course)

Length of paper should be a minimum of 10 pages (maximum 15 pages), excluding title

page and reference pages

10


Double spaced, 1” margins

APA 6th

Ed. formatting

Times Roman font, size 12

Final Project Components

Project Component Grade Weight Week Due

Topic selection and rationale 5 Week 2

Final Paper 40 Week 4

Total 45

Faculty Expectations

This hybrid course is designed to engage learners and faculty in a transformative, collaborative,

interactive learning experience through questions and discussions, sharing of ideas, and critical

thinking that will challenge and broaden the perspective of all participants. Learners are

encouraged to broaden their research on the topic beyond the course materials and to consider

the concepts presented in relation to today’s 21st Century labor environment. Learners are

expected to:

Read the course syllabus.

Acknowledge that you have read and understand the Learner Expectations by posting to

the “Ask Your Professor” discussion board, or by in-course email.

Keep up with assignments and readings.

Online: Make a minimum of two substantive postings per week that advance the quality

of the discussion.

Respond to the postings of at least two of your peers

In class: engage in discussions by asking questions, sharing information and responding

to classmates in a respectful manner

11


Contact your instructor or academic advisor immediately if you are unable to attend class

or complete assignments for any reason. Contact information for your instructor is:

[email protected] or 603-868-1534 (Mon – Sunday, 9am – 9pm).

Be respectful of diverse perspectives and refrain from making inappropriate comments in

course-room discussions and personal interactions.

Additionally, students are encouraged to participate in, and contribute to the blog that has

been set up for this course. This is an extracurricular activity, the purpose of which is to

provide you with a platform that gives you a voice to express yourself on current affairs

and to further extend the conversation on capitalism, labor and corporate social

responsibility. The purpose of the blog is to give you the opportunity to develop your

voice, and to help you to extend this conversation to a broader community.

mailto:[email protected]

12


Information for Each Unit

UNIT 1: The Mercantile System, Capitalism, and the Industrial

Revolution

Unit 1 Objectives

Upon successful completion of this learning unit, you will be able to:

1. Discuss the effect of industrialization and the factory system on British and early

American society

2. Explain the difference between a protectionist and a capitalist trade policy

3. Explain the fundamental philosophy of capitalism

4. Explain the fundamental philosophy of laissez-faire economics

5. Discuss the roots of unionism and collective bargaining

Unit 1 Introduction

The period of the Industrial Revolution (sometimes referred to as the 1st. Industrial

Revolution) is generally understood to have begun in 18th

Century England c. 1760, and ended in

the early 19th

Century in America. In terms of human history, the era of the Industrial Revolution

spanned a relatively short period. Previous to the Industrial Revolution economic growth was

slow and opportunities for households to improve their standard of living were very limited

(Vogt, 2003) as most of the population was only able to eke out a subsistence living as tenant

farmers, or in cottage and other small industries. In these peasant economies individuals or

families owned the means of production such as the tools and animals that they used in order to

produce goods and services. The transformational changes that took place during the Industrial

Revolution were gradual but nonetheless profound enough to change the culture and make-up of

societies, and the ways that nations had conducted commerce and other economic and social

activities for centuries. Two major changes that still resonate today were the changeover from

the economic system of mercantilism (protectionism) to capitalism (free market economics), and

13


the change from an agrarianism to a wage-earner system that was brought about by the rise of the

factory system.

The term “mercantile system” has been attributed to Adam Smith in his book Wealth of

Nations (1776). This economic system existed throughout Western Europe between the 16th

and

18th

Century and ended during the Industrial Revolution. It was a heavy-handed, government-

controlled, protectionist economic system through which nations sought to restrict import trade

in order to increase their wealth. During the Industrial Revolution merchants who had

accumulated significant wealth under the mercantile system invested their wealth in capital

(land, buildings, factories, equipment, labor and entrepreneurship) and became known as

capitalists; they were, for all intents and purposes, what we would call today venture capitalists1

- investors who financed the development of new inventions and who now owned or controlled

the factors of production that were needed to produce the goods. With the rise of the factory

system, instead of being producers of goods and services who owned the factors of production,

households now became employees who sold their labor to the factories for wages that were

determined by the new capitalists. In effect, labor became a commodity – a product or service

that could be bought and sold on a very large scale. In America the Industrial Revolution started

in the northern states and factories were built close to rivers and streams whose water provided

fuel for steam energy. More efficient production of factory goods caused a demographic shift as

cottage industries were displaced by more efficient means of production and cheaper goods and

populations moved from rural communities to seek work in factories. Immigrants from all over

the world were lured to America by promises of work and wealth and soon the abundant labor

supply drove wages down. Workplace abuses, low wages, unsafe working conditions, and long

working hours eventually led to worker resistance and the formation of labor unions.

Unit 1 Readings or Internet Searches

Readings

Use your Capitalism and its Economics text to complete the following:

Read the Prologue What Has Capitalism Done for Us, to Us? (pages 1 – 13)

1 Venture Capitalists are basically wealthy investors who assume risk for profit by investing in new firms or

inventions.

14


Read Chapter 1, Industrial Revolution and Classical Political Economy, pages 19 - 44.

Read the pdf. Presentation by Elwell The Industrial Revolution

Clark, C. S. (1992, May 29). Fairness in salaries. CQ Researcher, 2, 457-480. Retrieved from

http://library.cqpress.com.library.capella.edu/cqresearcher/document.php?id=cqresrre199205

2900&type=hitlist&num=0

Online activities:

Navigate to the following web sites:

(1) The triangle shirtwaist factory fire: The legal legacy. (n.d.). The Historical society of the

Courts of the State of New York. Retrieved from

http://www.courts.state.ny.us/history/essay/2011/Triangle_Shirtwaist_Factory_Fire_articl

e.pdf

(2) Bangladesh Fire kills 21: Factory produces for H&M, Marks, other labels. (2010).

Institute for Global Labour and Human Rights. Retrieved from


Unit 1 Group Activities or Discussions

In Class Activity:

Debate: Class will be divided into 3 groups of five. Learners will choose from among themselves

2 representatives who will debate an opposing team. (note: A list of debate topics will be

provided). The purpose of these weekly debates will be to engage learners in lively discussions

that allow them to consider the topics from perspectives that may differ from their own, and

allow them to disagree in a way that focuses on the topic and not on personal attacks.

Online Discussion Activity: (note: Black Board learning management system will be used for

the online component of this course)

Discussion Question: How does today’s capital and labor situation compare with those of the

Industrial Revolution era before the formation of unions. How do the goals of capital and labor

compare then and now? Have you identified any issues that are just as relevant today as it was

../Syllabus%20articles/Elwell_The%20Industrial%20Revolution.pdf






15


then? You may refer to current news and official reports on the global and domestic labor

markets.

Unit 1 Use of Technology

Use the internet to locate a current news story that relates to this week’s reading. Be

prepared to give a 5-minute in class presentation on your topic and how it relates to this

unit’s reading activities.

In class viewing of online video shorts of History of Labor Day at:


Unit 1 Online Components

1) Black Board learning management system will be used for online discussions

Unit 1 Course Deliverables

Submit a 3-5 page paper reflecting on this week’s learning. This can be on your thoughts and

feelings about your learning; e.g., what surprised you most, how has it affected your

understanding of the subject? How did you relate it to current events?


16


UNIT 2 Laissez Faire Economics and Free Market Capitalism

Unit 2 Objectives


1. Explain the basic concept of laissez faire economics

2. Evaluate the pros and cons of capitalism

3. Critique the role of government in a free market economy

Unit 2 Introduction

Laissez-faire: a “hands off” economic policy

Although the Mercantile System protected industries and jobs, it discouraged innovation and

encouraged high prices due to lack of competition. Adam Smith criticized this system and

advocated for a laissez faire2 (literally “allow to do”, or more commonly, “leave alone or hands

off”) economic policy in which there was little or no government intervention in trade or

business activities; this type of system stood in direct opposition to the government-controlled

mercantile system. Although Smith believed that under the mercantile system the government

was far too intrusive in the economic affairs of business, he also believed that government did

have a role to play a role in the marketplace and that role was to maintain the conditions under

which a free market could exist and operate. Some of these conditions included a stable legal

system that provided for the protection of property and intellectual rights. In a free trade, free

market system trade and other business activities would be conducted with little or no restrictions

or government interference, businesses would be free to make decisions and seize opportunities

that would enable them to increase profitability, and people would buy and sell freely based on

their needs, desires and means; thus, everyone would benefit. Economic activity would be guided

by what Smith termed “the invisible hand of the marketplace” that steered supply and demand

toward market equilibrium3.

2 From the French expression “laissez faire et laissez passer”, which loosely means “let everyone do as they please

and everything will eventually work out as it should”. 3 That “sweet spot” in the economy when supply equals demand.

17



Readings

1) Use your Dowd, D. (2000). Capitalism and its economics: A critical history to complete the

following:

Read Chapter 2, Maturation: Global Capitalism and Neoclassical Economics: 1850-

1914

2) Use your Heal, G (2008). When principles pay: Corporate social responsibility and the

bottom line to complete the following:

Read Chapters 1 – 2, Introduction and Social, Environmental, and Financial

Performance , pages 1-46

3) Read the article by Friedman, M. (1970). A Friedman doctrine: The social responsibility of

business is to increase its profits. NY. New York Times

4) Navigate to the Web site to History.com.J.P. Morgan Battles Coal Miners. Retrieved month

day, year, from URL . http://www.history.com/topics/labor/videos#jp-morgan-battles-coal-

miners-in-1902

Unit 2 Presentation(s)

(To be developed)


In Class Activity:

Debate: Class will be re-divided into 3 groups of five learners who were not members of a

previous group. Learners will choose from among themselves 2 representatives who will debate

an opposing team. (note: A list of debate topics will be provided). The purpose of these weekly

debates will be to engage learners in lively discussions that allow them to consider the topics

from perspectives that may differ from their own, and allow them to disagree in a way that

focuses on the topic and not on personal attacks.



18




Discussion Question:


Online viewing of labor history short clip video will be viewed. Students may use their personal

laptops.


1) BlackBoard learning management system will be used for online discussions





19


UNIT 3 Globalism and Free Trade

Unit 3 Objectives


1. Explain the differences between free trade and protectionism

2. Evaluate the pros and cons of outsourcing

3. Evaluate the role of unionism and collective bargaining in relation to free trade and

outsourcing

4. Explain and evaluate the role of workers’ “voice” in the domestic and global workplace

Unit 3 Introduction

Globalization and Free Trade: excerpt from Tappin, R.M. (2012). “Labor Unions, Collective

Bargaining, and Their Relevance in the 21st Century”. Work in progress.

Globalization has been generally described as the development of an integrated and

interconnected world-wide economy that is marked by increased free trade among nations,

increased international division of labor freer movement of labor, cheaper labor, freer global

capital flows, increased international technological advances and exchanges, and increased

opportunities to share knowledge (Weede, 2009; Day, 2005, Fletcher, 2005). Free trade has to do

with trade of goods and exchange of information among nations with as few constraints as

possible and it has been described as another word for the statewide expansion of capitalism

(Weede, 2009). The United States (US) has free trade agreements (FTAs) with countries from

the Caribbean to China. FTAs removal of trade barriers facilitated the relocation of factories and

the transference of jobs from industrialized nations to undeveloped or emerging nations such as

Bangladesh, China, Indonesia, Mexico, Nicaragua, the Philippines, Saipan and various African

countries. Many multi-national corporations (MNCs) such as Chevron, Dole Pineapple, the Gap,

General Electric, Nike and numerous others sought to reduce operating costs and maximize

profits by outsourcing to these countries. While a major argument in support of free trade has

20


been that it will open up markets for US goods and aid in the development of poor countries, as

mentioned before, this promise does not seem to have materialized. Opponents of FTAs assert

that the free trade philosophy is a flawed and unfair one that encourages labor abuses and worker

exploitation. In many countries where workers are being denied workplace rights, the right to

join unions exists in law; however, these laws that are generally not supported by government

action and enforcement do not amount to much. Undeveloped countries do not have the

developed infrastructure that developed countries do so often the ability to monitor the actions of

MNCs is weak or simply does not exist and most often, though, these governments actively

suppress workers’ efforts to unionize.

Although globalism implies successful economic development in underdeveloped

countries through increased employment and opportunities for the poor, given the tax advantages

and incentives offered to corporations to relocate to undeveloped nations, the kinds of benefits

globalism is supposed to have produced for undeveloped and emerging nations have not really

materialized. Despite producing millions of manufacturing and servicing jobs in these countries,

contrary to expectations, the economic condition in these nations have not improved much. For

example, Global Issues (2011) quotes the World Bank’s reports of the following startling facts:

:

Almost half the world’s population (3 billion people) live on less than $2.50 a day

The poorest 40 percent of the world’s population accounts for 5 percent of global

income; the richest 20 percent accounts for three-quarters of world income

22,000 children die from poverty each day

Some 1.1 billion people in developing countries have inadequate access to water, and

2.6 billion lack basic sanitation

Almost two in three people lacking access to clean water survive on less than $2 a

day, with one in three living on less than $1 a day

More than 660 million people without sanitation live on less than $2 a day, and more

than 385 million on less than $1 a day

References:

21


Day, R. B. (2005). Globalization, markets, and ethics. Perspectives on Global Development &

Technology, 4(3/4), 251-303. doi:10.1163/156915005775093304

Fletcher Jr., B. (2005). Globalization labor and justice. WorkingUSA, 8(3), 259-269.

doi:10.1111/j.1743-4580.2005.00016.x

Global Issues. (2011). Poverty facts and stats. http://www.globalissues.org/article/26/poverty-

facts-and-stats#src4

Tappin, R.M. (2012). “Labor Unions, Collective Bargaining, and Their Relevance in the 21st

Century”. Work in progress.

Weede, E. (2009). Globalization and inequality. Comparative Sociology, 7(4), 415-433.

doi:10.1163/156913308X306609

Readings


following:

Read Chapter 5, New World Order: Globalization and Financialization; and

Decadent Economics, 1975 - 2000, pages 168 - 199



Read Chapter 9 Getting Rich by Selling to the Poor, pages 176 -196

3) Read the article by Witkowski, T. H. (2005). Fair trade marketing: An alternative system for

globalization and development. Journal of Marketing Theory and Practice, 13(4), 22-33.


Online activities:

Navigate to the following web site to access the following article:

Forsyth, M. (1999). Adam Smith’s Relevance for Today. Retrieved from


http://www.globalissues.org/article/26/poverty-facts-and-stats#src4

http://www.globalissues.org/article/26/poverty-facts-and-stats#src4




22




In Class Activity:











Use the internet to locate a current news story that relates to this week’s reading. Be

prepared to give a 5-minute in class presentation on your topic and how it relates to this

unit’s reading activities.

In class viewing of online video shorts of History of Labor Day at:



(1) Black Board learning management system will be used for asynchronous online

discussion

(2) Optional blog participation



23






24


UNIT 4 Perspectives on Corporate Social Responsibility

Unit 4 Objectives


1. Explain the concept of corporate social responsibility

2. Give examples of corporate social responsibility

3. Critique laissez faire economics in relation to corporate social responsibility

4. Evaluate the role of unionism and collective bargaining in relation to corporate social

responsibility

Unit 4 Introduction

A Libertarian Perspective, excerpted from Tappin, R.M. (2012). “Labor Unions, Collective

Bargaining, and Their Relevance in the 21st Century”. Work in progress.

The core principles of libertarianism concerns the ideas of individualism, self ownership,

free markets, and the “minimal” state (Arnold, 2003). Libertarian ethics hold that there should be

no – or at least very limited - constraints upon individuals; people should be free to basically do

whatever they want so long as they do not impose on the freedom of others, and government

should have a minimal role in market interactions and in the lives of individuals (Nozick as cited

by Arnold, 2003). Libertarianism supports free-market capitalism and the freedom of

marketplace interaction with little or no government intervention (Arnold, 2003). This libertarian

principle would therefore support the argument that businesses have a right to pay low wages,

and low wage workers are free to leave their places of employment in individual pursuit of better

opportunities if they are not satisfied with their working conditions. However, this seems to be a

cynical assertion since in a poor economy where jobs are scarce, or in underdeveloped countries

where all MNCs might be competing for ever lower wages, no such opportunity might exist;

therefore, oppressed workers cannot exercise this freedom or right. Meyers (2007) opines that

when employers take advantage of unfair situations and drive hard bargains against desperate

25


workers, they undermine the autonomy of these workers who have no other realistic options (p.

620).

Concerning the behavior of corporations, libertarianism ethics hold that it is “…the

obligation of publicly held corporations to maximize profits for shareholders within the bounds

of certain moral side-constraints” (Arnold, 2003, p. 156). This view is echoed by Milton

Friedman (1970), who has been hailed as the most influential Libertarian of the 20th

Century

(Bicksler, 2007) and who famously opined that business have no social responsibility other than

to increase profits while engaged in free and open competition. Under Friedman’s

libertarianism, unionism and collective bargaining would be unethical as unionism imposes

constraints upon businesses, and collective bargaining violates individual autonomy.


References:

Arnold, D. G. (2003). Libertarian theories of the corporation and global capitalism. Journal of

Business Ethics, 48(2), 155-173. Retrieved from EBSCOhost.

Bicksler, J. L. (2009). Classical libertarianism: The economic perspectives of Milton Friedman

including his likely views on the ‘proper’ role of government in the subprime mortgage

debacle. International Journal of Disclosure & Governance, 6(1), 21-39.

doi:10.1057/jdg.2008.31.

Friedman, M. (1970). A Friedman doctrine: The social responsibility of business is to increase its

profits. NY. New York Times.

Meyers, C. D. (2007). Moral duty, individual responsibility, and sweatshop exploitation. Journal

of Social Philosophy, 38(4), 620-626. doi:10.1111/j.1467-9833.2007.00402.x

Nozick, R. (1983). Philosophical explanations. Oxford: Oxford University Press



Readings


following:

26


Read Chapter 6, The Unfolding Crisis of the 21st Century, pages 200 -212



Read Chapter 5 Pharmaceuticals and Corporate Social Responsibility, and Chapter 6

Wal-Mart and Starbucks, pages 96 - 136

Read the article by Nelson, J. I. (2001). Inequality in America: The case for post-industrial

capitalism. Research in Social Stratification and Mobility, 18(0), 39-62.

doi:10.1016/S0276-5624(01)80022-6

Online activities:

Navigate to the following web site to access the following article:

Compa, L.A (2010). A strange case: Violations of workers’ freedom of association in the United

States by European multinational corporations. Cornell University. Retrieved from



(to be developed)


In Class Activity:










27






Short online video of historical union clip will be shown


(3) Black Board learning management system will be used for asynchronous online

discussion

(4) Optional blog participation





28


APPENDIX

Background: Course Information and Setting

Name of Course: Labor, Capital and Corporate Social Responsibility

Room #: 401

Level: Intermediate (Bachelor’s Degree)

Course Type: Hybrid (in-class and online instruction)

Course Information and Setting:

This four-week course will be considered to be a shortened version of a required course that is a

component of the BS in Global Business Management degree program. This course will be

taught at Fictional State College (FSC), New Hampshire (NH). FSC is a public university and

part of the University System of New Hampshire and a term/semester runs for 12 weeks; normal

classes at FSC are held Monday - Friday, primarily during the hours of 5 pm – 9 pm. Classes for

this course will be held at the College’s satellite campus in the city of Dover, NH.

FSC focuses on the adult professional learner and classes are offered in traditional

classroom settings, online, and as hybrids (combinations of online and in class settings). In

addition to the traditional 5-day schedule, for some courses weekend intensive classes that run

from 8 am – 8 pm for 3 – 4 weekends are offered; for students who wish to reduce the length of

their program, these intensive classes are very popular. This course will be presented as an

intensive 4-week hybrid course that meets in class once a week from 5:30 – 9 pm, and online

with 24/7 availability. FSC also offers students the choice to self-design their own degree

programs. Course delivery choices include an Independent Learner program which allows a

faculty member to mentor a student through a course that might not be scheduled. The college

has recently begun to offer Masters level courses in response to growing demands in the

community.

29


Class demographics for four-week course:

Total class participants: 15 students

Age spread: 24 – 60 (Millennials, Gen-Xers, and Boomers)

Gender makeup: 10 females, 5 males

Ethnicity: 1 African American, 1 Asian, 13 White (Caucasians).

Socioeconomic makeup of the class: The class is made up of low to middle income mainly blue-

collar workers and if further comprised of a mix of recently unemployed, married, divorced,

single and single parents. Among them, two students are in management positions at their places

of employment, and two are home makers; all are seeking to upgrade their education in order to

prepare to enter the workforce, have better opportunities at work for job advancement, or to

make themselves more marketable in anticipation of changing jobs. All are concerned with the

state of the economy, and most self-identify as Republicans and as being “somewhat religious”

to “deeply religious”.

This course is based on a subject that is contained in a book (in progress) by this learner which is

entitled Labor Unions, Collective Bargaining, and Their Relevance in the 21st Century

Workplace. The topics that will be covered in this 4-week course are:

Week 1: An Overview of the Industrial Revolution in America

Week 2: Laissez Faire economics and free market capitalism

Week 3: Globalism and Free Trade

Week 4: Perspectives on Corporate Social Responsibility

Rationale for creating this course:

At a time when the average worker assumes a workplace with taken-for-granted rights,

the historical basis of those rights can be forgotten with the passage of time. In today’s hyper-

political environment political parties - based on their particular agendas - frame the discourse on

worker’s rights, capitalism, corporate social responsibility and how these considerations are

affected by unionism and collective bargaining. Talk radio, cable networks and politicians can

30


fill knowledge gaps with information that might or might not be propaganda that is designed to

influence workers to vote against their own self interests. The overarching goal of this course is

to provide learners with the tools to seek out historical and contemporary information that would

help them gain knowledge about themselves as factors of production, and about the economic

conditions and philosophies that control their economic futures. Students will examine and

discuss the goals of capitalism, the worth and value of their labor to themselves and to capitalists,

and whether or not organizations have a social responsibility to workers and how that

responsibility should or should not be expressed.

Adult Learning Theories Applied to This Course

The primary adult learning theories that will underpin this course are Self-directed and

Transformational Learning. The focus of the course in relation to Self Directed Learning theory

will be on the exploration of the emancipative aspect of this theory, and its potential to lead to

social action (Merriam, 2004). Transformational Learning theory is described as a cognitive

process that has to do with how adults make meaning of their lives; it is a more mature process

through which adult learning occurs by “mental construction of experience, inner meaning of

their lives, and reflection” (p. 206).

Part of this course will involve two duplicate surveys, which will be given at the start and

at the end of the course. These surveys will seek to (1) understand whether or not the learning

material and the class experience had a transformational effect on the student by comparing their

thoughts and feelings about the relevancy or irrelevancy of unionism and collective bargaining to

their lives as workers in the 21st Century, and (2) whether or not any student was stimulated to

take a social action due to learning that was attained through this course and course activities.

The result of the surveys will give insight into the efficacy of the theoretical underpinnings of the

course. The deliverables for weeks 1 – 3 are reflection papers that will allow learners to assess

what they have learned and how it has affected them. This is one way of determining the

transformative aspect of this course, and gaining insight to whether or not it has produced

learning that leads to social action.

Course Setting

31


The demographic makeup of the class (e.g. cross-generational makeup, gender, political,

socio-economic) holds the potential to add a depth of diversity and breadth of perspective that

could help learners to understand the social influences that are unique to their generation, and

which helped to shape and mold their current thinking on the subject. The diversity of this class

represents three generation of learners who bring their own perspectives and life experiences to

the classroom; these generations represent Gen Exers, Millennials and Boomers whose ages

range from 24 years to 60 years old. Boomers are very focused and goal oriented, Millennials are

very “tech” literate and Gen Exers tend to be more fun loving (Forkum and Forkum, 2012), and

perhaps less focused than the Boomers. Due to their longer experience in the workplace,

Boomers can bring a sense of longer term perspective to the subject as they would have

experienced more changes in the workplace than either of the other generations. The online

elements of the course will appeal to Millennials who will find satisfaction in knowing that their

interest in technology is addressed, and the debates will allow for Gen Exers to express

themselves and have fun doing it. The demographics of this class can help to make this course a

transformative learning experience for all participants particularly since the Boomer generation

can situate this subject in a historical context that is unique to that generation to the benefit of the

younger generations.

Course Syllabus

Theories on andragogy posit that learning for adults must be meaningful and relate to

their lives in some way; additionally, adults bring a considerable amount of experiential learning

to the classroom and want it to be acknowledged and respected, and also want to be in control of

their learning (Merriam, Caffarella and Baumgartner, 2007). Furthermore, when their

experiential learning is shared in a classroom context, adults add significant value to the class

experience (Knowles [1984] in Kenner & Weinman [2011]). According to Wlodkowski (2008)

adults are interesting in seeing how their investment in the subject that they are studying might

pay off for them (p. 140, para. 1). The course syllabus is designed to provide relevance and

context to the adult learners’ practical life experiences as they make connections between the

new learning and its application to their own lives. The course materials and activities are

designed to allow the adult learners to seek out their own learning through research and it

requires the application of critical thinking to synthesize the many components of their learning

32


in order to make their own new meaning from the experience. In this process, through in-class

and online discussions, debates, class presentations and by further participation in the blog, they

will share knowledge and give voice to their emerging awareness of the global impact of capital,

labor and corporate social responsibility. They further have the opportunity to express the

meaning that they make from this course through a final group presentation and individual

opinion papers on a course related topic that will express their understanding of the course work.

In accordance with adult learning theories previously mentioned, learners have the

freedom to choose their own topic, thus maintaining control of their own learning. As previously

explained, the theoretical underpinnings of this course are Transformational Learning and Self-

directed Learning. Merizow (1991, 2000) described transformative learning is “learning that

transforms problematic frames of reference …to make them more inclusive, discriminating,

open, reflective, and emotionally able to change” (in Mezirow, 2003). This new knowledge

gained from this course has the power to transform the learner and move him/her to potential

social action (e.g. Merriam, 2004).

Assessments of Learning

Assessments of learning is essential to the desire of the adult learner desire to be in control of her

own learning as it provides her with insight into her understanding of the course work, and also

allows the instructor to gauge the student’s grasp of the materials. I will be applying two types of

assessments to assess the students’ learning: one will be formative, the other summative.

Formative assessment: Rubrics will be used to Spandel (2006) point out that rubrics provide

guidance on a number of levels, provide guidance and direction, and make us critically question

what we traditionally accepted as proficient (p. 19). Holzberg (2005) further posits that since

rubrics list the skills that are to be assessed and the criteria that will be used to assess them, this

is an especially important and useful guide to adult learners in monitoring their own

performance.

Summative assessment:

33


Course Deliverables

Course deliverables are weekly reflection 3- 5 page papers allow the learner to consider the

meaning of the new learning that they acquired in each unit, its application to their lives in

particular, and its application to a larger (global) environment in general. Reflections are useful

to the adult learner as they can constitute a form of summative assessment of what has been

learned.

References

Class lecture: Generational groups in the class and courserooms. (2012). ED7312: Introduction

to College Teaching, unit 1. Retrieved from http://courseroom2.capella.edu/webct

Forkum, J., & Forkum, S. (2012). Generational groups in the class and course rooms. (2012).

Retrieved from http://media.capella.edu/coursemedia/ed7312/

Holzberg, C. S. (2005). Designing rubrics. Tech & Learning, 26(3), 36-36,38. Retrieved from


Kenner, C. & Weinerman, J. (2011). Adult learning theory: Applications to non-traditional

college students. Journal of College Reading and Learning, 41(2). Retrieved from

http://www.eric.ed.gov/PDFS/EJ926365.pdf

Korelitz, J.H. (2009). Admissions. New York: Grand Central Publishing

Mezirow, J. (2003). Transformative learning as discourse. Journal of Transformative Education,

1(58), DOI: 10.1177/1541344603252172

Merriam, S.B. (2004). The Changing Landscape of Adult Learning Theory: Review of Adult

Learning and Literacy. Retrieved from http://courseroom2.capella.edu/webct

Spandel, V. (2006). In defense of rubrics. English Journal, 96(1), 19-22. Retrieved from




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Wlodkowski, R. J. (2008). Enhancing adult motivation to learn: A comprehensive guide for

teaching all adults (3rd ed.). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

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