Special Issue of Business & Society, Call for Papers – Economic Inequality, Business and Society
This special issue is based on the premise that a better understanding of the relationship between business and society is possible by examining it within the context of rising economic inequality. Numerous ways exist to explore how firms contribute to societal economic inequality, but a few potential avenues are: the effect of offshoring on incomes, movement of capital across the world, the role of unions in wage-setting (Lommerud, Meland, & Straume, 2009), the role of technology and structure (Barley, 1990; Gupta, Chen, & Chiang, 1997), as well as the contribution of corporate governance and executive compensation (Bebchuk & Fried, 2004) in maintaining and increasing income inequality. An equal number of ways exist to explore how societal economic inequality might result in negative externalities to firms in the form of an erosion of institutions of governance that support business, a decline of a healthy labor pool that is physically able and mentally capable, and a decrease in social capital that facilitates knowledge sharing and innovation.
Guest Editors:
Hari Bapuji, University of Manitoba
Bryan Husted, York University and Techologico de Monterrey
Jane Lu, National University of Singapore and University of Melbourne
Raza Mir, William Paterson University