Rebalancing the balance. How the WTO's HR policy impacts on its very objectives for welfare enhancement and development

• Pages: 243-254
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/14770021111165517
• Date: 13 September 2011
• Published date: 13 September 2011
• Author: Mervyn Martin,Maryam Shademan Pajouh
• Subject Matter: Economics

Rebalancing the balance

How the WTO’s HR policy impacts on its

very objectives for welfare enhancement

and development

Mervyn Martin

School of Social Sciences and Law,

Teesside University, Middlesbrough, UK, and

Maryam Shademan Pajouh

Teesside Business School, Middlesbrough, UK

Abstract

Purpose – The purpose of the paper is to highlight the lack of fairness in the international trading

system, including the HR policies in the WTO which have wider implications on the participation of

developing countries in the multilateral trading system.

Design/methodology/approach – The main research methodology undertaken for this paper is

based on the quantitative approach, predominantly from sources such as books, articles and

WTO reports.

Findings – There is a correlation between the HR policies employed by the WTO and the usage by

developing countries of the WTO DSU.

Practical implications – The implications of the research/paper indicate that discrimination

against developing countries in the international system goes beyond their inherent weakness as

poorer members of the international order. Such discrimination is deep rooted within the institutional

governance of the system.

Social implications – The need to re-evaluate policies practices by international institutions in the

light of the developments of the twenty-f‌irst century.

Originality/value – There has been no work undertaken in relation to the use of language as a

criterion for job selection and its implications on the participatory value of developing countries in the

WTO DSU.

Keywords WTO, Developingcountries, Language criteria, HR policy,DSU,

Human resource management

Paper type Research paper

The term globalisation has been used in various ways and contexts. Owing to its cross

cutting implications it has become one of the most contentious issues of modern times

as an all-encompassing def‌inition remains elusive ( Johnson and Turner, 2003, p. 4).

The extent of this multifaceted phenomenon has led some writers to thin k it futile to

attempt a universally acceptable def‌inition for it, and therefore, according to them it is

best def‌ined by way of its impact (Bagchi, 2005).

Indeed, it would seem that the cross border implications of globalisation would be the

only element upon which there is general acceptance in relation to this phenomenon.

Whatever def‌inition one places credence upon, globalisation has brought ab out

dramatic changes in the ways in which people live and work, opening up new

opportunities but also creating new risks and uncertainties from forces that seem remote

The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available at

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Rebalancing

the balance

243

Journal of International Trade Law

and Policy

Vol. 10 No. 3, 2011

pp. 243-254

qEmerald Group Publishing Limited

1477-0024

DOI 10.1108/14770021111165517