Nope, it’s not the game and neither am I addicted into gaming. This is the REAL thing. Temperature has dropped to 10 C for the past few nights and its freaking cold in the morning. I walked to classes at 8 this morning and everybody on Locust Walk was in their sweatshirt or jacket. I wonder what its like here during winter.......
Anyway, I had this class on Legal Studies: Corporate Resp. and Ethics (its a very rigorous but awesome class) this afternoon before the temperature starts dropping (again). The professor brought up this topic on the issue "Corrupt-ion", which is very dear to most Malaysians. The issues that were discussed.....
- US corporate companies take pride in placing themselves in prime position in third world-countries to capture the vast market of these countries. The notion that was brought up was that these countries are ‘corrupted’ which poses the question of corporate responsibility and ethics.
Case Study 1 :
Shell (the petroleum company) didn't want to invest in some Eastern Europe country because the officers there were demanding 'under-the-counter' money to set up an operation base. The Shell officer pulled out of the deal at the 11th hour because 'he can't sleep well' if he were to resort to bribing.
Case Study 2 :
In Kosovo, a local high school teenage boy (there aren’t many there) inherited his family business. After Nike set up an industrial zone there, the boy shut the business and went to sew Nike shoes instead in return for USD 0.50/hour, which happened to be 5 times the amount he could reap from his family’s business.
Case Study 3:
Coca Cola started a plant in Serbia through a local beer company. Talking about oppression and fascism, Coca Cola ditched this beer company after establishing themselves in the market and the irony is that Pepsi hired the same company to start their operations a few years later to give Coca Cola a run for their money.
Well said.
Then the bells started ringing and a session of 'corruption-bashing' promptly ensued...yada..yada ..yada
Now put yourself in a Serbian Officer’s shoes. Isn't corruption stemmed from the low wage rate and the insufficient of money supply in the social market? You are not only answerable to the public, government and the world community in regards to your ethics and responsibilities as officer, managing the corporate companies/government sectors but don't you think that you have the same, if not bigger, responsibility to answer to your spouse, parents, and children?
These same officers have to lay food on the table for their families, provide the basic necessities and fund an education for their offspring. Having laws and legislation to 'punish' the habit of 'corruption' may, to a certain extent, curb the problem but in the long run, the effect is an iota in influencing the social contour.
As unethical as it seems, but these are the same officers who need to 'sleep well at night' without having worries of the harsh realities of life. The world is indeed not round or a bed full of red roses and 'life' there is indeed difficult.
Penetrations into the local market of foreign conglomerate companies (read American companies) are seen by the locals as a threat of foreign invasion and have led to the shutdowns of many local cottage industries, cutting off the supply line local businesses. What an irony....
Well, why not simply grow the economic pie (easier said than done)? These corporate fellas should take up the responsibility to help support budding local businesses and ethically provide substantial numeration for the human resources used besides their pushing their main business of 'reaping' the profits from the local market.
Now, that is a true Responsible and Ethical Corporate Organization.
Well, of course, this is just an ideal situation and is not feasible due to the ‘unwanted’ competitors. AHA !
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