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  • March 2004 (Revised June 2004)
  • Case
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Business of Life, The

By: Debora L. Spar
  • Format:Print
  • | Pages:17
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Abstract

Every day, around the world, babies and children are being sold. Frequently, these transactions appear to be above or beyond the market. Orphaned children are never "sold"--they are only "matched" with their "forever families." Eggs are "donated," and surrogate mothers offer their services to help the infertile. Certainly, the rhetoric that surrounds these transactions has little to do with markets or profits. Quite possibly, the people who undertake them want only to help. But neither the rhetoric nor the motive can change the underlying activity. When parents buy eggs or sperm, contract with surrogates, or choose a child to adopt or an embryo to implant, they are doing business. Examines the workings of the baby trade, exploring a realm where technology currently runs far faster than rules.

Keywords

Ethics; Markets; Social Issues; Family and Family Relationships

Citation

Spar, Debora L., and Cate Reavis. "Business of Life, The." Harvard Business School Case 704-037, March 2004. (Revised June 2004.)
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About The Author

Debora L. Spar

General Management
→More Publications

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More from the Author
  • Linda Oubré at Whittier College By: Debora L. Spar and Julia Comeau
  • Hitting Home: Amazon and Mary's Place By: Paul M. Healy, Debora L. Spar and Amy Klopfenstein
  • Linda Oubré at Whittier College (C) By: Debora L. Spar and Haley P. Brown
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