On a more positive and less serious note, with the revealing of the new iPhone 5s and 5c, we find ourselves, again, asking: Is it worth breaking our piggy banks again to upgrade from the older, “outdated” iPhone?
Let’s see what others have to say!
Monthly Archives: September 2013
Business Ethics – Oil Companies and Social Responsibility
Just over 2 months ago, on July 6th, 2013, a horrific event occurred in the small town of Lac-Mégantic, Quebec. A 72-section train containing tanks of crude oil from the company Irving Oil Co. was derailed, blowing up and resulting in 47 deaths. Upon further investigation of the accident, it was revealed that the oil tanks containing the substances were indeed mislabelled, sparking up questions about the ethics and social responsibilities of the company. As a result of mislabeling, the oil tanks were carried on older models of tank cars, which may have been a crucial factor in the accident. Was this the result of poor management, or simple irresponsibility and carelessness? No matter the reason, an event like this devastates not only the people and community it directly effects, but our nation as a whole.
Although prosecutors are pursuing “substantial fines” to the ones responsible for the mishap, this isn’t in the people’s best interests. As citizens in a loving community surrounded by family and friends, safety is our number one priority, and should be the company’s as well. Like Freeman describes in “The Stakeholder Theory”, the company’s lack of “corporate responsibility” and attention to “civil society” makes it a “business in decline”. Even now, there are no federal regulations to the limit of rail cars, or dangerous, volatile products travelling through towns, but that does not mean companies like Irving Oil Co. shouldn’t take initiative. Knowing the dangers of moving oil through small towns, finding ways to create a safe method of transportation should be number one on their list, along with a better oversight in the issue of mislabelled goods. Oil companies need to step up and consider the consequences of their actions, and who it affects. Becoming socially responsible and ethically aware will prove to be beneficial not only to the company, but to all of the people that it may encounter.
http://business.financialpost.com/2013/09/11/lac-megantic-label-oil/
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