title: Do firms with unique competencies for rescuing victims of human catastrophes have special obligations? Corporate responsibility and the AIDS catastrophe in sub-Saharan Africa.
abstract: Firms possessing a unique competency to rescue the victims of a human catastrophe have a minimum moral obligation to devote substantial resources toward best efforts to aid victims. The minimum amount that firms should devote to rescue is the largest sum of their most recent year's investment in social initiatives, their five-year trend, their industry's average, or the national average. Financial exigency may justify a lower level of investment. Alternative social investments may be continued if they have an equally compelling rationale. These duties apply to the global pharmaceutical companies in the context of the AIDS pandemic in sub-Saharan Africa.
authors.forename: Thomas W
authors.initials: TW
authors.lastname: Dunfee
mesh_terms: D000163:Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000191:economics / Q000453:epidemiology; D017954:Africa South of the Sahara / Q000453:epidemiology; D004345:Drug Industry / Q000145:classification / Q000191:economics* / Q000941:ethics*; D005376:Financial Management / Q000941:ethics; D037921:Gift Giving / Q000941:ethics; D007391:International Cooperation; D028681:Moral Obligations; D004364:Pharmaceutical Preparations / Q000600:supply & distribution; D018635:Rescue Work / Q000941:ethics*; D040841:Resource Allocation / Q000191:economics / Q000941:ethics; D012941:Social Responsibility
chemical_list: D004364:Pharmaceutical Preparations