In the past decade, business leaders have become increasingly outspoken about their views on capital punishment. This is partly due to increasing awareness of human rights abuses and partly because companies now see themselves as global citizens that have a responsibility to help shape public policy. However, it also reflects a change in how business leaders approach social issues more broadly: instead of simply lobbying for their own interests, they are attempting to use their influence to promote broader societal goals like human rights and justice reform.
While it may seem odd for an industry built around making money not only through but also with other people’s lives (or so many people think), there are strong reasons why businesses should oppose capital punishment—and even potential ways for them to advance those causes without sacrificing profits or other core values.
The death penalty is being challenged all over the world, including in some of the most unsympathetic places.
In recent years, the death penalty has been challenged in many countries. That’s right – it’s not just liberal or progressive nations that oppose it. Also this problem is raised in many popular articles, they write a detailed analysis on the similarity – a death penalty argumentative essay, and they also shoot various instructive videos on YouTube! Continuing our theme, we learned that some of the most unsympathetic places on earth.
The Chinese government has banned the death penalty for a number of crimes and is considering abolishing it entirely. Recently, Indonesia decided to completely abandon the use of the death penalty, despite the fact that they are known for their toughness on crime. And while they still execute people regularly, several countries in Southeast Asia, including Singapore and Malaysia, have also shown interest in abolishing the death penalty over the past few years.
Why are these countries doing this? At least in part because they are trying to improve their image on the world stage. The death penalty has been used as a form of torture, and many countries have been pressured by human rights groups to stop using it. They want to be seen as progressive places where everyone, even those convicted of serious crimes, are treated with respect.
Why do companies take a stand?
Some companies have taken a stand against the death penalty in an effort to be socially responsible and drive change. For example, if a company is based in Europe, where there is no death penalty, it may want to be seen as an ethical company that stands up for human rights.
Some companies may also believe that ending the death penalty will increase their bottom line. For example, if countries with capital punishment were to abolish capital punishment and use life imprisonment instead, businesses would benefit because they would then be able to sell products such as prison uniforms and toilet paper (and even food) without fear of being accused of supporting state-sponsored murder.
Companies that oppose the death penalty may also have a financial incentive to do so. Some companies have been targeted by protesters in countries that have capital punishment because these businesses import goods from countries with the death penalty.
Some companies have decided to take a stand against the death penalty in order to be seen as socially responsible and drive change. For example, if a company is based in Europe, where there is no death penalty, it may want to be seen as an ethical company that stands up for human rights. Some companies may also believe that ending the death penalty will increase their bottom line.
What can they do to effect change?
However, business leaders can also make a difference. They have the power to change the public conversation about capital punishment, as well as open up new avenues for reform. They can help shift people’s thinking from ‘the death penalty is inhumane’ or ‘the death penalty doesn’t work’ to ‘the death penalty is wrong.’ If the business community were to take a stance against capital punishment and use its influence to push for change, it could go a long way towards ending this practice once and for all.
The following are some ways that businesses could contribute toward ending the death penalty:
- Businesses should endorse corporate social responsibility policies that prohibit their employees from working on executions or providing services like prison food or healthcare support related to executions;
- Businesses should consider adding an anti-death penalty clause into any future contracts they sign with government agencies;
- Businesses should publicly condemn state-sponsored executions by boycotting those states until they end them completely;
There are risks to taking a stand
Taking a stand against the death penalty may not be as easy as it seems. There are risks to doing so, including:
- Losing business from those who support capital punishment.
- Being seen as unpatriotic or anti-American.
- Being seen as political or partisan when your organization is nonpartisan.
- Being viewed as hypocritical if you run an organization that operates in countries with the death penalty on their books (e.g., Walmart).
Some causes may be more successful than others
Business leaders have a lot of influence when it comes to social issues. They can use their platforms and connections to bring attention to an issue, which can be enough to move the needle on public opinion. A great example of this is how businesses are using their voices and influence to fight climate change.
Business leaders are also in a position where they can bring people together across different organizations, political parties, and ideologies. For example: If you’re serving as CEO of a large bank or health insurance company that opposes capital punishment but your business partner supports it, you’ll have an opportunity to learn more about why they hold those beliefs and then engage them in conversation about how we should approach this issue as a society.
Business leaders also have access (through their resources) that may not be available elsewhere—for example: One way that CEOs could help reduce America’s prison population would be by providing job training programs for inmates so once they’re released from prison they’ll have better opportunities available than just going back into crime circles again!
Business leaders can make a difference!
While business leaders are not likely to end the death penalty on their own, they can help change public opinion about capital punishment. They can also influence policymakers in states that have already abolished the death penalty but have seen it reinstated in recent years. In addition, they can help change public discussion around capital punishment by framing it as a business issue and by emphasizing what other countries are doing in order to reduce their use of the ultimate punishment.
New avenues for reform
Business leaders can help change the public discussion about capital punishment and open up new avenues for reform. Employing their own unique brand of influence, business leaders can use their power to advance important criminal justice reforms that will safeguard individuals from wrongful convictions and make our communities safer.
Conclusion
Business leaders are increasingly taking stands on social issues. In some cases, this is because their businesses have a direct stake in the outcome of an issue. But even when companies are not directly affected by an issue, executives have found that speaking out gives them a voice in public debates and helps them build goodwill with customers and employees alike.
Business leaders can make a difference in the fight against capital punishment by encouraging other companies to take a stand on this issue or by taking action themselves—for instance, by calling for repeal of laws that allow execution after trials flawed by racial bias or prosecutorial misconduct. These actions may not end capital punishment by themselves, but they will help bring needed attention to these problems so that one day soon our world will no longer condone killing as a form of justice.