Information Package / Course Catalogue
| Business Administration | |||||
| Bachelor | Length of the Programme: 4 | Number of Credits: 240 | TR-NQF-HE: Level 6 | QF-EHEA: First Cycle | EQF: Level 6 |
Ders Genel Tanıtım Bilgileri
| School/Faculty/Institute | Faculty of Econ., Admin. and Social Sciences | ||||
| Course Code | POLS 329 | ||||
| Course Title in English | The State, the Corporation and Human Rights | ||||
| Course Title in Turkish | Devletler, Şirketler ve İnsan Hakları | ||||
| Language of Instruction | |||||
| Type of Course | Flipped Classroom | ||||
| Level of Course | Intermediate | ||||
| Semester | Fall | ||||
| Contact Hours per Week |
|
||||
| Estimated Student Workload | 132 hours per semester | ||||
| Number of Credits | 5 ECTS | ||||
| Grading Mode | Standard Letter Grade | ||||
| Pre-requisites | None | ||||
| Expected Prior Knowledge | None | ||||
| Co-requisites | None | ||||
| Registration Restrictions | Only undergradaute students | ||||
| Overall Educational Objective | To learn the role of states and corporations with respect to human rights. | ||||
| Course Description | The primary focus of this course is on corporations and their impact on human rights. Although human rights are mostly conceived as the rights that protect individuals from the state, corporations are also alleged to have serious impact on multiple human rights. States have some obligations to protect and fulfill human rights. However, multinational corporations (MNCs) pose some regulatory challenges for nation-states in terms of protection of human rights as MNCs are capable of conducting corporate activities beyond the regulatory scope of states. In effect, some non-governmental/hybrid organizations and corporations themselves, along with inter-governmental organizations, claim to fill this governance gap with respect to human rights protection. This course therefore shall primarily focus on the relationship between states, corporations and the construction of new hybrid/private regulatory institutions in relation to human rights. | ||||
| Course Description in Turkish | Bu dersin odak noktasını şirketler ve şirketlerin insan haklarına olan olumsuz etkileri oluşturmaktadır. Her ne kadar insan hakları genellikle kişileri devlete karşı koruyan haklar olarak görülse de, son yıllarda şirketlerin de insan haklarına olumsuz etkisi ciddi bir şekilde tartışılmaktadır. Devletler insan haklarının korunmasında en büyük rolü üstlenseler de çok uluslu şirketler gibi faaliyetleri ulusal sınırları aşan işletmeler, devletlerin insan haklarını koruma konusundaki rolünü sınırlamaktadır. Bu noktada bir yönetişim boşluğu ortaya çıkmaktadır. Aslında bazı hükümetler arası örgütler, sivil toplum kuruluşları, devletler ile özel işletmelerin bir araya gelerek oluşturduğu hibrit kuruluşlar ve hatta şirketlerin bizzat kendileri insan hakları ile ilgili bu yönetişim boşluğunu doldurduğunu iddia etmektedir. Bu ders devletlerin insan haklarının korunmasıyla ilgili olarak şirketler ve diğer özel işletmeler arasında oluşturduğu bu ilişkiye odaklanmaktadır. |
Course Learning Outcomes and CompetencesUpon successful completion of the course, the learner is expected to be able to:1) Understand the role of states to prevent human rights abuses of corporations 2) Understand whether businesses have obligations with respect to human rights 3) Identify international and domestic developments in terms of accountability of corporations for human rights 4) Understand the construction of new private/hybrid global regulatory institutions |
| Program Learning Outcomes/Course Learning Outcomes | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1) Has a broad foundation and intellectual awareness with exposure to mathematics, history, economics, and social sciences | ||||
| 2) Demonstrates knowledge and skills in different functional areas of business (accounting, finance, operations, marketing, strategy, and organization) and an understanding of their interactions within various industry sectors | ||||
| 3) Applies theoretical knowledge as well as creative, analytical, and critical thinking to manage complex technical or professional activities or projects | ||||
| 4) Exhibits an understanding of global, environmental, economic, legal, and regulatory contexts for business sustainability | ||||
| 5) Demonstrates individual and professional ethical behavior and social responsibility | ||||
| 6) Demonstrates responsiveness to ethnic, cultural, and gender diversity values and issues | ||||
| 7) Uses written and spoken English effectively (at least CEFR B2 level) to communicate information, ideas, problems, and solutions | ||||
| 8) Demonstrates skills in data and information acquisition, analysis, interpretation, and reporting | ||||
| 9) Displays computer proficiency to support problem solving and decision-making | ||||
| 10) Demonstrates teamwork, leadership, and entrepreneurial skills | ||||
| 11) Displays learning skills necessary for further study with a high degree of autonomy |
Relation to Program Outcomes and Competences
| N None | S Supportive | H Highly Related |
| Program Outcomes and Competences | Level | Assessed by | |
| 1) | Has a broad foundation and intellectual awareness with exposure to mathematics, history, economics, and social sciences | N | |
| 2) | Demonstrates knowledge and skills in different functional areas of business (accounting, finance, operations, marketing, strategy, and organization) and an understanding of their interactions within various industry sectors | N | |
| 3) | Applies theoretical knowledge as well as creative, analytical, and critical thinking to manage complex technical or professional activities or projects | N | |
| 4) | Exhibits an understanding of global, environmental, economic, legal, and regulatory contexts for business sustainability | N | |
| 5) | Demonstrates individual and professional ethical behavior and social responsibility | N | |
| 6) | Demonstrates responsiveness to ethnic, cultural, and gender diversity values and issues | N | |
| 7) | Uses written and spoken English effectively (at least CEFR B2 level) to communicate information, ideas, problems, and solutions | N | |
| 8) | Demonstrates skills in data and information acquisition, analysis, interpretation, and reporting | N | |
| 9) | Displays computer proficiency to support problem solving and decision-making | N | |
| 10) | Demonstrates teamwork, leadership, and entrepreneurial skills | N | |
| 11) | Displays learning skills necessary for further study with a high degree of autonomy | N |
| Prepared by and Date | BEGÜM UZUN TAŞKIN , January 2024 |
| Course Coordinator | BEGÜM UZUN TAŞKIN |
| Semester | Fall |
| Name of Instructor |
Course Contents
| Week | Subject |
| 1) | Introduction to human rights |
| 2) | Introduction to human rights II - Corporate impact on human rights I |
| 3) | Corporate impact on human rights II |
| 4) | Corporate governance and the stakeholder theory |
| 5) | Corporate social responsibility to respect human rights (and its limits) |
| 6) | Governmental responsibilities and policy options in relation to business and human rights |
| 7) | The limits of national regulation in control of multinational corporations |
| 8) | Human rights obligations of corporations under international law / Midterm |
| 9) | International legal developments for corporate human rights abuses: The United Nations Norms on the responsibilities of transnational corporations and other business enterprises with regard to human rights |
| 10) | Hybrid organizations (public-private partnership): the UN Global Compact |
| 11) | Polycentric multilevel law-governance system and international soft law to curb corporate human rights abuses |
| 12) | Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises (and ILO tripartite declaration of principles concerning multinational enterprises and social policy) |
| 13) | UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights I |
| 14) | UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights II |
| 15) | The idea of International Peoples Treaty on the Control of Transnational Corporations |
| 16) | Final assesment period |
| Required/Recommended Readings | John Ruggie, Just Business: Multinational Corporations and Human Rights, W.W. Norton &Company, 2013. Dorothée Baumann-Pauly and Justine Nolan (eds.), Business and Human Rights; From Principlesto Practice, Routledge, 2016. Olivier de Schutter (ed.), Transnational Corporations and Human Rights, Hart, 2006. David Kinley, Human Rights and Corporations, Ashgate, 2009. Andrew Clapham, Human Rights Obligations of Non-State Actors, Oxford University Press, 2006. Surya Deva and David Bilchitz (eds), Human Rights Obligations of Business: Beyond theCorporate Responsibility to Respect, Cambridge, 2013. Articles and other recommended readings Peter T. Muchlinksi, ‘Human Rights and Multinationals: is there a problem?’ 77 InternationalAffairs 1 (2001) 31. Beth Stephens, ‘The Amorality of Profit: Transnational Corporations and Human Rights’, 20 Berkeley Journal of International Law (2002) 45-91. Scott Greathead, ‘The Multinational and the "New Stakeholder": Examining the Business Case forHuman Rights’, 35 Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law (2002) 719. Peter T. Muchlinksi, ‘Human Rights and Multinationals: is there a problem?’ 77 International Affairs 1 (2001) 31. Robert McCorquodale and Penelope Simons, ‘Responsibility Beyond Borders: State Responsibility for Extraterritorial Violations by Corporations of International Human Rights Law’, 70 Modern Law Review (2007) 598. Upendra Baxi, ‘Market Fundamentalisms: Business Ethics at the Altar of Human Rights’, 5 Human Rights Review (2005), 1-26. David Kinley and Rachel Chambers, ‘The UN human rights norms for corporations: the private implications of public international law’, 2 Human Rights Law Review (2006) 447. Beth Stephens, ‘The Amorality of Profit: Transnational Corporations and Human Rights’, 20 Berkeley Journal of International Law (2002) 45-91. Christopher McCrudden, ‘Human Rights Codes for Transnational Corporations: What can the Sullivan and McBride Principles Tell Us?’ 19 Oxford Journal of Legal Studies (1999) 167. Scott Greathead, ‘The Multinational and the "New Stakeholder": Examining the Business Case for Human Rights’, 35 Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law (2002) 719. Steven R. Ratner, ‘Corporations and Human Rights: A Theory of Legal Responsibility’, 111Yale Law Journal (2001) 443, pp. 489-524. Markos Karavias, Corporate Obligations under International Law, Oxford University Press, 2013. Philip Alston, ‘‘Core Labour Standards’ and the Transformation of the International Labour Rights Regime’, 15 European Journal of International Law 3 (2004) 457 Olga Martin-Ortega, ‘Human Rights Due Diligence for Corporations: From Voluntary Standards to Hard Law at Last?’ 31(4) Netherlands Quarterly of Human Rights (2013) 44. Guiding Principles for Business and Human Rights: Implementing the United Nations “Protect, Respect and Remedy” Framework, March 2011: http://www.ohchr.org/Documents/Publications/GuidingPrinciplesBusinessHR_EN.pdf. Tony Royle, ‘The ILO’s Shift to Promotional Principles and the ‘Privatization’ of Labour Rights: An Analysis of Labour Standards, Voluntary Self-Regulation and Social Clauses’, 26 International Journal of Comparative Labour Law 3 (2010) 249. Norms on the responsibilities of transnational corporations and other business enterprises with regard to human rights, UN Sub-commission on Promotion and Protection of Human Rights, August 2003, available at: http://www.unhchr.ch/huridocda/huridoca.nsf/%28Symbol%29/E.CN.4.Sub.2.2003.12.Rev.2.En John G. Ruggie, ‘A UN Business and Human Rights Treaty?’, January 2014, available at: http://business-humanrights.org/sites/default/files/media/documents/ruggie-on-un-business-human-rights-treaty-jan-2014.pdf | |||||||||||||||
| Teaching Methods | Lectures-Contact hours using flipped classroom as an active learning technique. | |||||||||||||||
| Homework and Projects | none | |||||||||||||||
| Laboratory Work | none | |||||||||||||||
| Computer Use | none | |||||||||||||||
| Other Activities | none | |||||||||||||||
| Assessment Methods |
|
|||||||||||||||
| Course Administration |
ozyurekm@mef.edu.tr Attendance: Students are supposed to follow the announcements made in class. Missing a quiz or midterm: Provided that proper documents of excuse are presented, a make-up exam will be given for each missed quiz. A reminder of proper classroom behavior, code of student conduct: YÖK Regulations Statement on plagiarism: YÖK Regulations (http://3fcampus.mef.edu.tr/uploads/cms/webadmin.mef.edu.tr/4833_2.pdf ) Disclaimer: The instructor reserves the right, when necessary, to alter the grading policy, change examination dates, and modify the syllabus and course content. Modifications will be announced in class. Students are responsible for the announced changes.Any improper behavior, academic dishonesty or plagiarism is subject to the YÖK Disciplinary Regulation. |
|||||||||||||||
ECTS Student Workload Estimation
| Activity | No/Weeks | Hours | Calculation | ||||
| No/Weeks per Semester | Preparing for the Activity | Spent in the Activity Itself | Completing the Activity Requirements | ||||
| Course Hours | 15 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 90 | ||
| Quiz(zes) | 2 | 10 | 1 | 22 | |||
| Midterm(s) | 1 | 18 | 2 | 20 | |||
| Total Workload | 132 | ||||||
| Total Workload/25 | 5.3 | ||||||
| ECTS | 5 | ||||||