Ethical Challenges of International Management
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Transcript Ethical Challenges of International Management
Welcome
Ethical Challenges of
International Management
Dr. Satyendra Singh
Director, Centre for Emerging Markets
Professor, Marketing and International Business
Editor, International Journal of Business and Emerging Markets
www.winnipeg.ca/~ssingh5
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Why Study Ethical Issues?
MNCs are accused of a # of abuses
relating to business activities:
Corruption
Child labor
Human rights, Environment, Safety
Dumping
Role of MNCs in society
Responsibility: MNCs vs. Government
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Sued over misleading beef
Later charges dropped – counter sue
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The Basic Premise
Corruption
Child labor
Lack of education,
f (Poverty,
Fair trade,…)
Symptom vs. problem
Right vs. wrong?
Right vs. right?
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Corruption…
Pay to get work done
Caused by usually poverty, greed…
Salary lasts for 3 weeks only…?
Survival vs. meeting basic needs
Corrupt individual
Individual primary beneficiary at the
cost of organization
Corrupt organization
Selection, and Socialization
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Corruption…
Arguments for being corrupt!
Tax
Commission
Compensation
Job well done
Appreciation
In West, it is called tips, gifts, bonus
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Corruption: from MNC’s Viewpoint…
Western MNCs pay $80b to get contracts
or concession (Hawley 2000)
$80b can eradicate poverty (UN)
It ↓ GDP in poor countries
Because it undermines mkt. economy
Decisions based on corruption
Not on price, quality, service,
innovation
Raises price for everyone poor suffers
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Corruption: from MNCs Viewpoint…
Divert resources from public services
schools and hospitals
to dams… more scope for corruption
Poor does not get public services
Poor is further impacted
Corruption
undermines
democratic
process and rules of law
Environment is also likely to suffer
Corrupt officer Non-enforcement
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Corruption: from MNC’s viewpoint…
Risk of accusation of corruption
Whether proven or not
Can lead to loss of reputation
If pay bribe, more demands likely
It adds costs of doing business
UN convention against corruption
If you cheat, so will your competitor
Doing business more difficult
Employees/stakeholders lose trust
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Corruption: from MNC’s viewpoint
Customers do not trust companies
Governments do not trust companies
↓ likely to give assistance
↑ likely to audit transactions
↑ expensive to do business
Stock markets react negatively
Compromise personal beliefs
Need justification
Moral philosophies
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The Moral Philosophies…
Ethics moral principles or values
Deontological philosophy
Rule (whatever) based–no matter what
We are the best
Teleological philosophy
Consequence based
Responsible for the consequence
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The Moral Philosophies…
Utilitarian philosophy
Based on net expected benefits
No absolute, relative
But, what is benefit? debatable
Contractarian philosophy
Based on the law of the land, contracts
Anything else is unethical
But, may be difficult to enforce
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The Moral Philosophies
Pluralism philosophy
Based on “do the right thing”
No need for law or contracts
We’ve conscience! Right vs. wrong
Most of us like it
Yet we had 2 WW
Rawls’s Social Justice Theory
Fairness, peace and harmony
But, social contract is a bit ideal
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The Options…
1 Stay away
No country is perfect
Not everybody is corrupt
You lost huge opportunity
You did not try to impact locals
Black-listing a country is easy
Find creative ways of doing business
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The Options
2 Embrace local standards
Impact local culture
Develop ways to combat corruption
Does context change your values?
3 Maintain high global standards
Global firms have global reputation
Transfer of people easy
Can exceptions be made?
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At Macro Level
Education – a national strategy needed
E.g., India, China, USSR, Ghana, Kenya
Build capability
Governments enforce moral guidelines
Government policies for fair trade
E.g., GM Food, Subsidies, Coca price…
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At Micro Level
Strategic — MNCs have the power
School and day care for children
UN Global Compact implementation
Contribution to country’s development
Mode of entry
IJV vs. Wholly-owned subsidiary
Ethics Officer
Pay fair taxes, reduce transfer pricing
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At Personal Level
Personal moral compass
Organizational Culture
Whistle-blower legislation
(Un)realistic performance goals
Volunteer for social cause
E.g., Scotia Bank Winnipeg Public
Library Board
Win-win situation
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Child Labor (300m)
Poverty—survival urbanization
If outlaw (Harkin Bill)
↓ Family income ↓labor supply
↑ Adult wage children go to school
↑ skills ↑ productive ↑ wages
↑ family welfare if demand persists
But, ↑ wages ↓ # of jobs
Effective only if children go to school
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UN Global Compact -- 5
• Abolition of child labor
– ILO conventions Minimum Age Convention No. 138
– Minimum age for admission to employment or work
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Developed countries
Light Work 13 Years
Regular Work 15 Years
Hazardous Work 18 Years
Developing countries
Light Work 12 Years
Regular Work 14 Years
Hazardous Work 18 Years
– Children have distinct rights
• Child labour is damaging to a child’s physical, social,
mental, psychological and spiritual development
• Deprives them of childhood, dignity; separates from families
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UN Global Compact -- 10
• Work against all forms of corruption
– Corruption
• the abuse of entrusted power for private gain
– Extortion
• When asking or demand is accompanied by threats that
endanger the personal integrity or the life of the person
– Bribery, Transparency International
• gift, loan, fee, reward… from a person to do something
dishonest, illegal or a breach of trust
– Steps to fight corruption
• Internal:
• External:
• Collective:
Anti-corruption policies within organizations
Report corruption in the annual Communication
Join forces with industry peers, stakeholders…
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Trends Against Corruption and Child Labor
Transparency International
Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (US)
Corruption of Foreign Public officials (Canada)
OECD Anti-bribery Initiatives
Harkin Bill – Trade Ban
ILO Convention on Minimum Age138
UN Global Compact (UNGC 2007)
HR(2), Labor (4), Environment (3), Anticorruption (1)