Abstract

How can we understand the way the Weyland Corporation in the Alien Franchise devalues its employees? How can we explain our repulsion at such treatment. This article surveys several foundations for the the employee-employer relationship including stockholder theory, stockholder theory, and libertarian theories. The stockholder theory may be the operating view of the corporation, but is is morally questionable due to refusing to grant employees full moral status. The libertarian view is willing to grant employees full moral status, but in attempting to morally justify poor treatment of employees, it relies on several unworkable assumptions highlighted by A. Hirschman's theory about exit, voice and loyalty. Stakeholder theory provides the foundation for understanding and condemning the poor treatment of employees in the Alien Franchise.