National Geographic, 160 million of the Indian population is considered untouchables[footnoteRef:1]. The Untouchables are, according to the caste system in India, individuals that are deemed to be impure and, as a consequence, individuals against whom human rights violations are committed on a regular basis. These human rights abuses range from discrimination, to relegation to the lowest possible jobs and to outright violence. [1: Mayell, Hillary. 2003. India's "Untouchables" Face Violence, Discrimination. National Geographic News. On the Internet at http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2003/06/0602_030602_untouchables.html. Last retrieved on March 14, 2013]

IBM hiring untouchables in India presents a complicated situation for the company, in many ways. The main dimensions that will need to be examined are the ethical and social responsibility component, as opposed to the cultural differences component. It is easier to start with the latter in order to better understand the potential dilemma in which IBM is placed when recruiting untouchables in India.

The...
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