Ethics of care in HRD practices: a case study of a Brazilian corporation

Purpose: Ethics of care (EoC) has received increased attention as an alternative approach for organizations with the potential to promote more socially responsive workplaces. Nonprofit organizations and social enterprises have embraced EoC, with positive impact on collaboration, learning, diversity and belonging in the working environment. However, it is unclear to what extent for-profit corporations can successfully adopt EoC, given the scarcity of empirical studies conducted in these organizations. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether EoC principles could also be adopted as a guideline for human resource development (HRD) practices in for-profit organizations. Design/methodology/approach: A constructivist case study approach was used to gather rich data and develop a deep understanding of an exemplary case of the phenomenon under investigation – EoC adoption in human resource development (HRD) practices in a for-profit corporation. Findings: Designing and implementing HRD practices aligned with EoC in for-profit businesses is possible and entails a similar approach adopted by nonprofit organizations and social enterprises. However, additional attention is necessary to ensure the sustainability of the caring approach. Originality/value: This research investigated how a large Brazilian retail company designed and implemented HRD practices aligned with EoC. It proposes a caring HRD framework with practical recommendations to support organizations that wish to embrace EoC in their practices and suggests avenues to advance research on this topic.