Transcript Good Governance & Corporate Social Responsibility: A Critical View

Good Governance and
Corporate Social Responsibility:
A Critical View
Muhammad A. Al-Buraey, Ph.D.
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“This certainly provides us all with an
opportunity to reflect on an area that is growing
in complexity and importance at a rapid pace,
and poses a real challenge to modern leadership
in general and Islamic leadership in specific.”
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76%
countries across the world score less than 5 on a scale
of 1 to 10 on the Corruption Perceptions Index
of the largest American companies acknowledged
Having been victims of corrupt practices during the
Preceeding year.
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Modern International societies:
The Children in Education Systems.
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The grassroots of modern International
societies: the children in the educational
systems
80% of Students Cheated
56%
“Competition for
Good Grades.”
53%
“Cheating Didn’t
seem like a big
deal.”
Reported by “Who’s Who Among
American High School Students.”
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59%
Are willing to serve a 6 month jail sentence to commit an illegal act
resulting in large financial benefits.
67%
“Yes, I plan to inflate my expense account when I get out in the business
world”
50%
Would File false insurance claims.
66%
Would lie to achieve a business objective
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Reported by the Pinnacle Group
Are we just talking about children? Of course not; via
these children, we are talking about our future: We
are talking about the middle manages of the year
2020, about parents of the year 2025, and about the
CEOs, holders of leadership posts in society and
heads of major organizations in the year 2030!.
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“What’s needed, then, is recognition that
there is a core set of values that need to be
and must be taught, right from the
childhood.
......
But while we are interested in ethical
conduct and good governance, there is a
serious concern about whether we are
doing anything about it.
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“Huge resources amounting to billions of dollars are
now being rallied, to research and in institutionalizing
good governance.”
......
Is it enough?
Is it effective?
And is it sustainable?
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“Ethics can hardly be taught by a set of classroom
courses. Rather, they need to be built-in through training
and live examples.”
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The Golden Rule of Monotheism (or Tawheed in
Arabic): namely one and only one God of all, the
creator, the sustainer, the nourisher, the provider, the
redeemer, who is the source of all knowledge, all
guidance, all existence and all morality.
....
To mention just one example, “Love for others what you
love for yourself.” is what Prophet Muhammad (PBUH)
stated 14 centuries ago. That is the law. Common ethical
ground? I would say so! Pragmatic? Down to earth!
Teachable? Certainly!
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The Islamic perspective on excellent leadership and
good governance.
• In choosing excellent leaders and making appointment of public officials, only
merit matters, nothing else
• Governance powers are prudently disciplined, checked, and the rule of law is
ensured through supremacy of God's (Allah’s) direction“And whosever does not
govern by that which Allah has revealed, such are the wrongdoers” ( Quran 5:45).
• The Quran narrates: “And by the Mercy of Allah, you dealt with them gently. And
had you been severe and harsh-hearted, they would have broken away from about
you; so pass over (their faults), and ask (Allah’s) Forgiveness for them; and consult
them in the affairs. Then when you have taken a decision, put your trust in Allah,
certainly, Allah loves those who put their trust (in Him)” (3:159).
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“And do not devour your wealth among yourselves through falsehood,
and offer it not as a bribe to the authorities that you may knowingly
devour a part of the wealth of other people with injustice.” (2:189).
“If you fear treachery from any people throw back (their covenant) to
them (so as to be) on equal terms (that there will be no more covenant
between you and them). Certainly Allah likes not the treacherous”.
(8:58).
“There is no governor who rules Muslim subjects and dies, having
played foul with them, but Allah will forbid him Paradise”
“If he does not strive diligently to promote their welfare, he will not enter
Paradise with them.”
“Verily, Allah commands you to make over the trusts to those entitled to
them. And that when you judge between them, you judge with justice.”
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(4:58)
These are but a few vital building blocks of excellent
leadership and good governance that an Islamic
system establishes. To sum up, it provides for merit,
rule of law and discipline of authority, collective
decision-making, tolerance, compassion, basic rights,
transparency, and enforceability of contracts,
integrity, community welfare, free and fair justice, ad
accountability. These have to be absolute and all
pervasive, and must be sought with perfection
(Ihsan).
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Islam has a set of goals and values encompassing all
aspects of human life, including social, economic and
political. Since all aspects of life are interdependent and
the Islamic way of life is not fragmented but a consistent
whole, its goals and values in one field determine the
goals and values in the other fields as well in a very nice
synergistic way.
....
The rules of good governance and excellent leadership
are fully scalable right from individual, to small,
medium and large corporations and all the way to megagovernments regardless of race, religion, place, or time!
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Here a stark question should arise:
If Islam does indeed offers such
superb roadmap, why then are most
of the current Muslim societies and
states
are
corrupt?
My short answer to this is the
Prophet’s saying: “Your actions
determine
your
rulers!”
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All Muslim countries with no exception should strive to attain the following as part
of
their
duties
and
responsibilities
towards
the
world:
1. Bring to the forefront examples of excellent leaders in contemporary time who
transformed their countries to advance steps in the ladder of development.
2. Develop and put into practice the practical concept of the Islamic Common
Market
as
the
first
step
to
political
unity.
3. Emphasize the non-Machiavelli approach where ends justify the means and show
the world how Islam acts when put into practice in all spheres of life (political,
economic, social, etc.). Theories and existing literature are abundant on this topic.
4. Show the world through actual practice that Islam is for international peace, and
harmony as it used to be in the past and a chance to govern and rule.
5. Emphasize the role of Islamic Mass Media, which will portray the true picture of
Islam in all aspects and stands face to face against grossly-biased Mass media
which aims at the distortion of Islam.
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It may not surprise you to learn that Islamic
approach
is
holistic.
No such thing as “business ethics”, neither is there
any such thing as “medical ethics”, or “religious
ethics”,
or
“political
ethics”.
There is only ethics. No dividing up of ethics into
compartments:
There’s only ethics.
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Finally, let me conclude with a piece of advice drawn
from the literature:
“Fear of God and REAL
accountability to Him is the heart of wisdom”. May I ask
everyone to bear this in their consciousness, all the time?
And, with God's loving guidance, help and mercy the
world will indeed be a lovely place for all and forever.
“Fear of God and REAL accountability to
Him is the heart of wisdom”
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Thanks
‫شكرا جزيال‬
Terima Kasih
Have a Good day!
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