Professor Joe Massey, director, Center for International Business.
Tuck International Arena Series looks at child labor in the global economy
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - January 31, 2006
CONTACT: Kim Keating - 603-646-2733
HANOVER, N.H. - The Center for International Business at the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth launched its winter International Arena Series with a lecture by Eric Edmonds, associate professor of economics at Dartmouth, on January 12. The event was the first of the winter term, and focused on child labor in the global economy.
"Professor Edmonds skillfully laid out both the economics and ethics of child labor in the global economy for a standing-room-only crowd," said Professor Joseph Massey, director of the Center for International Business.
Addressing an audience of students, faculty, and staff, Edmonds detailed the case for calling attention to child labor, described why child labor is pervasive in developing countries, and suggested what can be done about it.
He noted that child labor is a heavily politicized term, and followed with two definitions. The first identified child labor as work that is bad for children. Statistically, he said, this is an impossible definition to work with, because whether or not work is good or bad for a child can depend on their circumstances, and what they would be doing if they weren't working. The second definition identified child labor as wage work, where children work for formal salaries. On average, he said that less than 3 percent of children around the world are working for wages, and when they are, they are likely working on farms or in factories next to their parents.
In 2000, the International Labour Organization (www.ilo.org) estimated how many children were working around the world, Edmonds said. They estimated that 211 million children between the ages of 5 and 14 were working—or roughly 18 percent of kids. The types of work children were doing (from largest percentage to smallest) included: market work, work in a family business, unpaid work (labor exchanges), and paid work (work at local markets). He noted that paid employment is greater in rural areas, where work is focused on agriculture, and that children who are paid to work in factories often do so side-by-side with their mothers.
"While most kids are working on the family farm or in the family business helping their parents meet their basic needs, it is important to note that there is still a percentage of kids in very desperate situations that I think unambiguously most people would object to," Edmonds said. "But it is not unusual to see people in developing countries bonding their children in order to purchase drugs for healthcare, pay school fees for other children, or to take out loans for future harvests."
Edmonds concluded that child labor will decline in developing countries only when the needs for a child's contributions decline, and the alternatives for work improve.
"Companies competing in the international marketplace confront a whole spectrum of critical issues—strategic, financial, operational, cultural, and ethical," said Professor Massey, noting that the series' speakers address these issues.
Upcoming speakers will highlight the resurgence of Japan, the world's second-largest economy, which is emerging from a period of profound economic crisis during which non-performing loans amounted to as much as 12 percent of GDP. The speakers will also examine corporate restructuring—a topic relevant to business leaders worldwide —from a multicultural perspective.
Speakers slated for this winter include Kanebo Cosmetics CEO Kunihiko Yogo T'86, who will provide a Japanese CEO's perspective on the corporate turn-around; Shinsei Bank, Ltd. Director J. Christopher Flowers, who will address the same topic from the viewpoint of an American investor; and Aflac Japan Vice Chairman Charles D. Lake II, who will discuss how this American company became the dominant player in Japan's individual insurance market.
The Tuck International Arena Series brings visitors and faculty from Tuck and Dartmouth together with students to explore issues affecting international business and public policy. Most talks are open to the Dartmouth community.
For details about the International Arena Series, please call 603-646-4016. The Center for International Business can be found online at www.tuck.dartmouth.edu/cib.
Founded in 1900, Tuck is the first graduate school of management and consistently ranks among the top business schools worldwide. Information about the Tuck School is available at www.tuck.dartmouth.edu.
|
