Rethinking Global Business Ethics: The North‐South Paradigm

This paper looks at the changes that have taken place during the past three decades in developing countries (the South) as reported in the 2013 UN Human Development Report and how they affect the obligations of multinationals from developed countries (the North). It argues that the changes call for greater attention to the growing North‐South paradigm and its implicit Respect‐cooperation model rather than the still dominant Developed/Developing Nations paradigm and its Dependency‐victim model. It examines some of the rethinking such a paradigm change makes in approaching poverty reduction and corporate social responsibility.