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Slavery

Slavery can be defined as the forced servitude of a person. In the United States, slavery as an institution ended in 1865 with the conclusion of the Civil War. Other countries ended slavery earlier or later than did the United States, and today, no country officially permits slavery. Slavery-like practices, however, still continue in parts of the world, and the effects of prior slavery represent current corporate responsibility issues for many companies. Finally, the idea of slavery is sometimes used as a metaphor by activists to criticize particular labor practices of companies and their suppliers.

It might seem strange to include an entry on slavery in this Encyclopedia. Slavery is often thought of as a long-ended practice relegated to history. But there are still slaves, people working in conditions where they lack true choice, and continuing controversies about the historical effects of slavery, all of which continue to this day. We are not likely to see the end of slavery as an issue for business ethics and corporate social responsibility scholarship and for business practice for some time to come.

Slavery in History

Slavery has occurred in many different cultures and countries throughout history. Slaves were often taken after war by the victorious party or as punishment for a rebellion by a colony. In Europe and the United States, slaves were captured in Africa and then exported. Although some slaves were eventually freed by their owners, most others were kept as slaves—as were their descendents—for their entire lives. Slaves have no control over their lives or their treatment.

Various abolition movements freed slaves in most countries by the late 19th century. These movements also sought (before formal emancipation) to free slaves by moving them to countries and regions that did not permit slavery. But slavery in its most formal sense is still practiced today. Robert Bales has argued that there are still millions of people who are held as slaves in many different—mostly poor—countries. In short, the contemporary view held by many people that the practice of slavery is a historical artifact is inaccurate.

Slavery and Corporate Responsibility

There are three main issues related to corporate social responsibility and slavery. The first issue involves reparations for the descendents of slaves. The second issue involves corporations that are profiting (usually indirectly) from the current use of slave labor. The third issue involves how corporations respond to allegations by activist stakeholders that particular working conditions—in their own or their suppliers' factories—are “like slavery.”

With regard to slavery and contemporary corporate responsibility, slavery in its literal form is unlikely to be directly observed but is still a possible ethical issue in supplier operations. “Slavery” may also be used metaphorically to express stakeholders' concerns about particular labor practices. At the present time, the historical effects of slavery are still current issues for some corporations, but this manifestation of the slavery issue is likely to dissipate over time.

Reparations for the Descendents of Slaves

One ethical issue regarding slavery that affects corporations is that of reparations or some other compensation for the descendents of slaves. Although this has largely been cast as a public policy issue (governments providing apologies for slavery and direct reparations to the descendents of slaves), there are also calls for corporations with links to the slave trade (such as banks) or corporations that benefited in the past from such labor to pay reparations to the descendents of slaves. In the United States, as in other countries, the connections between current corporations and 19thcentury chattel slavery are somewhat remote. There have been a number of lawsuits filed against companies that are alleged to have profited from slavery during that time period, but these lawsuits are not likely to succeed due to various statutes of limitations. However, the publicity that ensues from such lawsuits brings attention to the issue of slavery and its social legacy.

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