Maatschappelijk Verantwoord Ondernemen (MVO) is het standaard eufemisme geworden voor het soort van sociale waarden die de meeste bedrijven vaak verwaarlozen in hun dagelijkse praktijk, maar die ze toch nog moeten proberen te bereiken voor allen die belang hebben bij hun beleid en acties. Van massale anti-globalisatie protesten in Seattle en Genua, tot vaak gewelddadige demonstraties op bijna elke grote nationale, regionale en internationale vrijhandel vergadering, hebben gewone burgers en activistische groepen over de hele wereld gezamenlijk de eis gesteld naar meer transparantie en sociaal verantwoordelijke praktijken vanuit multinationale ondernemingen. Uit de plotselinge ineenstorting van bedrijven giganten zoals Enron en Global Crossing, is bovendien gebleken een meer verontrustend patroon van bedrijfshebzucht en bedrog, dat veel te lang ongecontroleerd is gebleven.
"Today, financial success is no longer the sole measure by which corporations are judged by their stakeholders, primarily investors, consumers, employees, and communities in which they operate. Companies are now expected to perform well in non-financial arenas such as human rights, business ethics, environmental policies, corporate contributions, community development, corporate governance, and workplace issues." (Meghan Connolly, CSRwire)
"Those in power have not always encouraged the dissemination of knowledge. History chronicles many battles over socially and economically strategic information: a struggle for transparency. Kings and viziers, apostles and priests, sellers and buyers, socialists and capitalists, dictators and democrats, bosses and workers - all depend on whatever information advantages they can muster. Information monopolies, particularly when exploited unfairly, inevitably lead to conflicts with rivals and victims." (Don Tapscott and David Ticoll, The Naked Corporation)
discussie's
How does "Corporate Social Responsibility" (or lack thereof) affect our daily lives? What are your views on the ever-expanding role of multinational corporations around the world? Is corporate corruption a universal phenomenon, or just limited to a relatively few greedy executives? What can/must be done to alleviate such unethical practices?
"The interests of powerful nations and corporations are shaping the terms of world trade. In democratic countries, they are influencing the ability of elected leaders to make decisions in the interests of their people. Elsewhere they are promoting narrow political discourse and even supporting dictatorships and the 'stability' that it brings them." Learn more about the relation between corporate social responsibility, globalization, and poverty in TakingITGlobal's new 'Understanding the Issues' section.
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