Abstract

This publication considers a range of issues relating to corporate responsibility, including how companies should deal with the harmful side-effects of their business operations and how to conduct business in a responsible manner in countries where human rights abuses are widespread, or where the environment is being degraded. It offers an approach to corporate decision-making based on the principles of 'just war theory', primarily the 'principle of double effect'. The proposed normative framework can be used both as a tool for performance evaluation, and as a set of guidelines for conducting business in an ethically responsible manner. It contains a number of case studies which highlight the usefulness of incorporating the 'principle of double effect' into corporate decision-making, and show how the proposed framework can help companies assume responsibility for the impact of their operations on multiple stakeholders.