AN APPPROACH TO MEASURING THE COMMITMENT OF COMPANIES TO HUMAN RIGHTS: AN ANALYSIS OF SPANISH COMPANIES OF THE IBEX35

The commitment of companies to human rights (HR) has not been widely analyzed by the business management literature. This article aims to cover that gap by examining the policies and commitments voluntarily adopted by Spanish companies that are part of the Ibex 35 regarding human rights. The sample used is composed of the 3S Ibex companies as of December of 2007. To collect the data, an instrument was created consisting of 96 indicators derived from the United Nations Norms, whose metric behavior (reliability and validity) is adequate. The main results show that there is a clear pattern associated with the incorporation of human rights in social responsibility plans and policies. Approximately half of the companies in the sample do not view human rights as important, whereas the rest tend to focus on results but not on processes. The immense majority of companies do not explain what management systems and procedures they use to ensure a level of performance in human rights. One of the main conclusions from the study is that social responsibility policies in terms of human rights management implemented by the companies does not satisfy the demands of society.