The Philosophy of Human Resources Management: Ethical Obligations to Employees in Nigerian Manufacturing Firms

This study examines the philosophical ethics of human resources management and the moral obligations that Nigerian manufacturing firms bear toward their employees, with case studies drawn from the North West geopolitical zone, particularly Kano and Kaduna States. Human resources management raises fundamental philosophical questions about the moral status of workers, the ethical limits of managerial authority, and the obligations of employers beyond legal minimum standards. Using a professional practice design, the study draws on labour philosophy from Norman Bowie, Kantian workplace ethics, and Ubuntu relational ethics, supplemented by secondary literature published between 2020 and 2024. Structured interviews with 25 HR managers, factory workers, and philosophy of work academics in Kano and Kaduna provide the primary data. The study analyses specific HRM practices including retrenchment decisions, workplace safety standards, and performance management systems through philosophical ethical frameworks. Findings reveal that HR practices in the surveyed manufacturing firms reflect an instrumental view of workers as factors of production rather than as ends in themselves, generating systematic violations of Kantian respect principles and Ubuntu relational obligations. The study argues that a philosophically grounded HRM ethics framework would require manufacturers to adopt worker dignity standards exceeding current legal requirements. Recommendations include philosophy-informed HRM ethics codes for the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria. Keywords: HRM ethics, employee rights, manufacturing, Kantian ethics, Northern Nigeria.