Corporate
Social Responsibility
Lacey Robertson
Journal #2
Summary
and thoughts:
In week four we finished watching
the documentary “The Corporation” and learned about exploitation and
externalities. In the documentary “The Corporation” it said that they sell
directly to children to advertise products. They hire professional to analyse
data about children to know how to manipulate their target audience. I remember
that the most because I think its horrible that they exploit children and just
say if it works then I’m doing my job. I don’t think that’s ethical in any way.
Another thing we learn about was privatization of water. I looked into the
subject and found about that some states in the United States privatize water. I
never buy bottled water because I don’t believe we should pay for something
that is a necessity of life but there’s places that cant even collect rain
water. I feel there are more bad externalities then good because the effects
from the bad externalities are more easily recognized.
In week five Les said, “ When
decisions are hard to make it’s because you cant easily choose the thing that
matters most to you.” I think this statement sums up making ethical decisions because
we never really know what believe to be ethical until we have to make a
decision that goes against what you believe. We learned about corporate social
responsibility practices and the argument for and against them. If every
business followed the three pillars of CSR (Sustainability, Corporate
Philanthropy, and Stakeholder Management Model) they wouldn’t look like
monsters and have the trust of the government and consumers. I think when
Milton Freeman said there is a lack of expertise that he was extremely right
and should have regulations to help that. I also think the government should
punish business for bad ethical behaviour. It’s so sad that work that used to
pay enough money for people to live on is now in a different country to save
the business money.
In week six we learned about sustainability
in lecture and how sustainable of a person we are. In lecture we were told a
story about Easter Island and since I have never been told this story before I
was blown away. I am horrified about what will happen to the earth if we don’t
become sustainable soon because I do believe that Easter Island is a prime
example of what will happen to humanity. It made me realize that I’m not a sustainable
person and I am now trying to change. I am not only informing others and myself
now but also implementing those actions. I think business will change for the
better because of people like me. We have to pay more taxes in order to
implement action plan’s to help clean the earth that people wouldn’t care if they
were properly informed and I do think it’s a good investment. My biological footprint
is so big that it would take 3.8 worlds to sustain people if everyone where
like me. To support my lifestyle it would take 8 global hectors. To reduce my
lifestyle I will reduce the amount of time and distance that I travel, use less
energy, eat less animal products, and walk to local destinations instead. One
thing we talked about that I thought was crazy was that there is an argument
against recycling. I never thought about recycling being bad but It does make
sense that it is as good as it is bad. All the emissions going into the air and
time spent when really we shouldn’t be making so much packaging.
Questions and Opinions:
If grocery stores and gas stations closed tomorrow, would you be able
to survive?
I would like to say yes but I am
very depended on businesses. I love to buy cool things and go home too use them
once and forget about it. For the first year or so of the stores closing I would
struggle until I was able to harvest vegetables. I would be very hungry and the
taking the adjustments in at first but I’m good with change so I think I could
adapt.
What is the basis upon which people should receive rewards? Equality,
ability, merit, or need?
I believe everyway is a good way to
reward someone but there are negativities to each of the ways. If people were
rewarded equality then the people who work really hard will feel like they
worked for nothing. If you rewarded people by merit then the people who couldn’t
do it or were good at other things then they wouldn’t get rewarded at all. If
you rewarded people by need then the people who strived to do the best will
feel unrewarded. I think the best reward system is ability because if people
try there hardest they will do there best. I think everyone can achieve this
and its fair and justifiable.
Do you want everything to be owned (privatized) or regulated?
I think that something’s, not
everything, should have strict regulations. I think this because there will always
be someone with bad motives and the strict regulations would deter him or her.
Is CSR a meaningful new force or a misguided redirection of profits?
I believe CSR is very important to
every business even to people them selves. It helps give meaning to regulations
that help being sustainable. Because businesses/corporations have such a huge
impact of society it is there responsibility to ensure that they aren’t
negatively effecting there stakeholders, shareholders, and consumers. The
global scan website is a great example and proof of how CSR is actually
something that consumers and investors care about and impact their buying
decisions.
Does it matter if the company is doing it to make money or to make a
difference?
No as long as the company is actually
making the difference and being honest about what there doing or what they did;
then it doesn’t matter. The more sustainable they are, the more profits; I
think that’s fair for both parties.
What is business evolving too?
I believe the business world is
changing because its stakeholders and consumers are changing their needs. It is
becoming a trend to be environmentally friendly and buy recycled products. It
is now a need to become more sustainable and find new technologies to help
increase the amount of time the earth has until it can no longer sustain humans.
I know for myself its important because I am always looking for new things and
when I buy something its usually just because the business has made an effort
to be sustainable. Just the other day I bought head phones that were recycled I
could have chosen the most trending brand of headphones but I chose those one
just because they’re good to the environment in someway. I believe this era
goes out of their way to inform themselves and with new technologies its easier
and easier. I don’t believe people will turn their heads to child slavery or
any other horrific business practice anymore because people have much more power
now and we can make a difference. Through the Internet, especial social media
sites, we reach out to so many people at once and share the message to at least
have awareness about the issue.
Definitions:
Privatization: To remove from government control and place it in
private control or ownership. To make private: to change from public to private
control or ownership.
Despotism: rule by a ruler who has total power and who often uses
that power in cruel and unfair ways.
Merit: a good quality or feature that deserves to be praised; being
good, important, or useful.
Externalities: are defined as third party effect arising from the production
and/or consumption of goods and services for which no appropriate compensation
is paid. It can either be positive or negative.
Sustainable Development: The World Commission for Environment and
Development defines it by it “meets present needs without compromising the
ability of future generations to meet their needs.” (WECD, 1987)
Links
provided in class:
·
Documentary “The Corporation”- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z4ou9rOssPg
·
Canadian Ethical Mutual Funds Providers- http://resps.org/emfcdnlist.htm
·
Dow Jones Sustainability index- http://www.sustainability-indices.com
· Issues and trends shaping our environment, health and economy- http://www.sustreport.org/
· Sustainably flooring company- http://www.interfacesustainability.com/
· Centre for Sustainability and the Global Environment- http://www.sage.wisc.edu/
· Find your Biological footprint-http://footprintnetwork.org/en/index.php/GFN/page/calculators/
Reference:
·
Desire to learn.
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