Abstract:
It all began with a cup of tea... As the University and Dunedin came to lead New Zealand in the move to buying fair trade products, the decision to switch to a Fairtrade brand was intuitive and nearly automatic. However, was it rational? This presentation aims to raise more questions than it answers, drawing loosely from the fields of ethics and globalisation (as well as tea and coffee). The purpose isn?t to provide a literature review (although a few items may be mentioned), but to link concepts across fields to help build a more systematic perspective on what it means to be or to buy ?fair? trade. No answers ? but an attempt to provoke discussion and potentially engender some worthwhile research bridging business, ethics, agriculture, trade, culture ? and tea.
Bio: Dr. André M. Everett is Associate Professor of International Management at the University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand, and Adjunct Professor at Huazhong University of Science and Technology in Wuhan, China. His writings on international and operations management strategy have been published or presented in over 30 countries, and he has taught MBA-level courses in Argentina, Austria, Brazil, Chile, China, France, Israel, New Zealand, and the USA. He is a member of the Academy of Management, Academy of International Business, Decision Sciences Institute, Pan-Pacific Business Association, Production and Operations Management Society, and several New Zealand societies.