Florian Krause

Voluntary cooperation between NGOs and corporations from the perspective of German trade unions – a micropolitical analysis

The article gives a micropolitical analysis of the position of German trade unions on voluntary agreements between nongovernmental organisation (NGOs) and corporations, mostly subsumed under the label CSR (corporate social responsibility). In the German system of industrial relations, trade unions have a hybrid character: On the one hand, they are part of the company through their members and especially through unionised works councils and share similar goals with the company. On the other hand, trade unions also merge political positions of society, keep an eye on companies’ actions, and share similar goals with NGOs. The micropolitical analysis of their positions towards voluntary agreements as well as their interaction raises general questions on how cooperation between firms and NGOs can secure decent working conditions and environmental protection.

Corporate Social Responsibility and Diversity Management: A Win-Win Situation? Comments from the Case of Germany

Although diversity management and corporate social responsibility share some similarities, their similarities and differences have rarely been discussed. The chapter provides a systematic comparison between diversity management and corporate social responsibility as managerial concepts. It outlines their respective origins as well as societal drivers. Deriving from mostly German companies, general ways of implementation and common instruments are described. Furthermore, difficulties of measuring the benefits of CSR and diversity management are discussed. The chapter concludes with thoughts on the relation between corporate social responsibility and diversity management focusing on possible areas of conflict and synergies.

Dolores and Robot Sex: Fragments of Non-anthropocentric Ethics

The new generation of sex robots raises questions about a potential moral responsibility by human beings toward robots. In our paper, we develop a pathocentric approach to normative ethics that goes beyond the mere well-being of human beings by searching for a broader perspective that includes a morality towards objects. First, we demonstrate that the moral line between living beings (e.g. human beings, animals) and objects is much blurrier than it seems and relate these general considerations back to the issue of robot sex. We then discuss possible consequences of our approach, outlining in particular ideas on how sex robots will change our social norms. We argue that the influence robots can have on our norms does not only concern our perception of them, but also of ourselves.