Uztaro

Gaur egungo enpresaren ingurune orokorraren ezaugarri nagusitzat ekonomiaren globalizazio prozesua eta lehiakortasunaren areagotzea hartzen dira. Egoera honetan, enpresaren gizarte erantzukizuna zertan den aztertzeak interesgarria dirudi. Laburbilduz, esan daiteke, azken urteotan enpresen gizarte erantzukizuna areagotzeko ekimenak izugarri ugaritu direla. Enpresen jokabide arduratsua eta gizarte erantzukizuna bultzatzeko hainbat bide jorratu izan dira, hala nola, konbentzioak, legeak eta merkataritza hitzarmenak, nazioarteko erakundeen ekintzak, klausula sozialak edota presio kanpainak, besteak beste. Artikulu honetan jokabide kodeak (codes of conduct) eta inguruko ekimenak izango dira aztergai. Helburua ekimen horiei buruzko egungo egoeraren berri ematea da, eredu integratu batean eta tresna horien sendotasun-abantaila eta ahultasun-desabantailei buruzko gogoetan murgilduz. Bestalde, tresna horiek enpresaren gizarte-orientazioaren onerako tresnak diren edota erantzukizunari, eta oro har, etikari probetxu komertziala ateratzeko saioa baizik ez diren ere aztertuko da.

Today\'s economic and business world is characterized by the process of globalization and the growing competitivenes  that rules in the markets. Under these circumstances it is interesting to analyse the issue of the social responsibility of business firms. In recent years there has been a rapid increase in the number of initiatives to improve the socially responsible behavior of firms, such as new conventions, norms, laws, and commercial agreements, as well as numerous pressure campaigns. This article takes a look at some of the initiatives that are being put forth in the realm of codes of conduct in order to reach an integrative summary of the current situation, as well as to contribute to the debate about the advantages and disadvantages of these codes of conduct. Among other things, this article examines whether these initiatives do in fact result in increased social responsibility on the part of firms or, alternatively, whether they might not be but an attempt on the part of firms to try to obtain financial advantage from their ethical behavior.