Welcome to UBC Blogs. This is your first post. Edit or delete it, then start blogging!
Hello world!
1
Category Archives: Uncategorized
Ian Smedley — Griffiths Energy International’s bribery conviction.
In 2011, Griffiths Energy International (GEI) agreed to pay $10.35 million in fines after it admitted to bribing a foreign official. While working to take the company public, managers for the company discovered evidence of wrongdoing and reported them to Alberta Justice and cooperated fully with law enforcement. In court the company admitted that while it was looking to drill for oil in Chad, GEI struck a deal to pay the Chad ambassador to Canada a 2 million dollar consultation fee. After being advised that GEI could not make this type of arrangement with the ambassador because he was a government official, the company negotiated a very similar agreement with a consulting firm owned entirely by the ambassador’s wife.
[1]This is the second company to be found guilty under the Corruption of Foreign Public Officials Act. The first company, Niko Resources, bribed a Bangladeshi official in 2005.[2]
Some argue that Canadian companies should not be prosecuted for the way they conduct business in foreign countries. Russia and China do not limit these activities and the extra restrictions impose an unfair disadvantage on Canadian companies. Some also argue that in cases where wrongdoing have been alleged the foreign countries involved are so corrupt that it is impossible to trust the evidence obtained sufficiently to convict in a Canadian court.
Despite these arguments, the current state of Canadian law currently makes it illegal to bribe a foreign official. By coming forward to disclose the wrongdoing, GEI has acted ethically.
References:
http://business.financialpost.com/2011/06/25/niko-resources-fined-9-5-million-for-bribery/
http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2013/01/22/griffiths-energy-bribery-fine-10-million_n_2527517.html
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/story/2011/06/24/calgary-niko-bribe-guilty.html
Himanshu Narang — Nike and the Rise in Minimum Labour Wages
In the second week of January 2013, Nike’s suppliers in Indonesia were seen resisting the pay rises for their factory employees in Indonesia.
After the protests from the labour unions in Jakarta last year, the authorities in Indonesia raised the minimum wages of labour to 2.2m rupiah a month. After the enforcement date, it was noticed that six out of the forty Nike’s factories in Indonesia were resisting the pay rise.
It was also noticed that the employees of those factories were intimidated to sign a document stating their agreement to forgo the pay rise.
Also, some factories got the employees to sign on what they called an attendance sheet. The same sheet was later used as a document stating that they were fine with the company’s reluctance to approve the pay rise.
It is worth a thought that is it ethical for a company to resist a pay rise when it can easily afford it? Does not Nike have a moral responsibility to pay its employees what they deserve? Considering the unemployment in Indonesia, is it not exploitation of labour? Getting people to sign on an attendance sheet and then later using it as a document to support their resistance to pay rise. Is it ethical? Intimidating employees to support the company. Is it ethical?
K Miller — Economic Legacy of the MPB Infestation
Economic Legacy of the MPB Infestation
The mountain pine beetle infestation is finally slowing from its destructive peak and now the province must deal with the lasting ramifications to its heartland communities from years of misguided industry championed response decisions.
MRNM1 Facts
The early strategy to the growing epidemic was to appreciably accelerate the AAC2 in several timber supply areas
The MPB infestation is predicated to peak in 2015 having killed 58% of the merchantable Pine volume in the province3
The combination of these effects has led to a structural harvestable timber deficit (and impending 33% reduction to AAC) that will persist for generations4
This deficit will dramatically effect several forestry dependent communities where 12,000 jobs are predicted to be lost and several interior sawmills at risk of permanent closure5
The response from the Ministry of Forests has been to examine the potential for logging previously protected timber reserve zones composed of: old growth forests, quality objective visual points, wildlife corridors, ecologically bio diverse areas, culturally sensitive reserves, and protected park lands 6
Ethical Implications
The short sighted gerrymandering threatens the long term viability of affected communities and destroys the value of competing stakeholder interests. The recommendation ultimately posits an execution solution that was responsible for exacerbating the deficit we see today. This policy decision runs counter to the long established mandate of forest management as a practice of public stewardship rather than one designed on satiating short term economic metrics.
(Words: 250)
1
Morally Relevant Non-Moral
2
Annual Allowable Cut
3
http://www.for.gov.bc.ca/hfp/mountain_pine_beetle/Updated-Beetle-Facts_May2012.pdf
4
http://www.for.gov.bc.ca/hfp/mountain_pine_beetle/mid-term-timber-supply-project/MPB-Committee-Presentation.pdf
5
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/british-columbia/confidential-report-warns-pine-beetle-set-to-destroy-bc-forestry-
jobs/article4100979/
6
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/british-columbia/bc-politics/bc-plan-would-open-interiors-protected-woods-for-
logging/article2407131/
Aarti Rupani — Counterfeit goods
The existence of a huge and growing market of Counterfeit goods poses a big threat to the sales of existing luxury brands. Some of the popular frequently faked labels are Louis Vuitton, Gucci and Burberry. The biggest hub of manufacturers of luxury brands is in China. Over 75% of traded goods that are replicas are manufactured in China. A consumer doesn’t mind buying a fake brand because they can own a Louis-Vuitton bag worth $2500 in store for $50.
More dangerous in nature is the manufacturing of counterfeit medicines across the globe. In 2012, forged steroids killed 11 people near Boston and affected even more. These drugs contain inappropriate amounts of required ingredients or sometimes do not have any key ingredients at all.eg: cancer medicine Avastin.
Impact on the society
These practises whether it is about general fashion goods or medicines not only promote unethical behavior but also has serious health implications and in the latter case, erode trust in health care providers. Counterfeit drugs are especially prevalent in developing and underdeveloped countries like India and Africa. In Sub Saharan Africa, the high mortality rate among young children is a big blow to humanity.
A study from the University of North Carolina shows how even buying counterfeit products promote dishonest behavior in people. They tend to cheat more and also judge others as unethical. The irony is that they do not even realize it. Buying fake luxury brands is not a true reflection of self and such people are characterised having low self esteem
Anisha Varghese — Facebook – The Social Network
Facebook – The Social Network
The controversy faced by the social networking website revolved around its founding members. Three Harvard University students (Winklevoss twins and Divya Narendra) appointed Mark Zuckerberg (Founder of Facebook) to create a social networking website. However, Mark Zuckerberg decided to partner with another friend and created the website without informing the others. The Winklevoss twins and Divya Narendra accused Mark Zuckerberg of stealing their idea and decided to sue him for intellectual property theft.
Analysis of issue
Several ethical issues can be identified in the scenario mentioned above. Mark Zuckerberg dishonored his work commitment to work on the website. He also violated trust by stealing a business idea for his own selfish benefit. As business professionals, it is imperative to abide by the commitment made to team members or employers. Integrity and loyalty towards one’s team is of paramount importance in any life setting. The business world is known to be competitive. In the race to succeed, every employee at some point in life faces an ethical dilemma of whether or not to step over the toes of another co-worker. However, one must hold his or her ground and display dignity, team spirit and respect. Abiding by personal/organizational ethical code of conduct will not only bring success but will also help in making the world a better place to live in.
Dhruv Malhotra — BP plays the blame game
BP plays the Blame Game instead of owning up
The BP Oil Spill occurred in the Gulf of Mexico in late 2010 due to
the negligence of British petroleum. The abysmal construction of BP
oil wells in the gulf of mexico led to one of the largest oil spills
in history resulting in 11 deaths and irreversible harm to the flora
and fauna of the region. Approximately 53000 barrels of crude oil per
day was spilled into the gulf, and a total of about 4.9 million
barrels, an equivalent of 205.8 gallons of crude oil. The oil spill
has not only resulted in disprportionate deaths of endangered species
such as whales and dolphins, increasing numbers of mutated crab and
fish it has also destroyed the livelihood of fishermen and the tourism
industry in the area.
British Petroleum pleaded guilty almost two years after the incident
and paid $4.5 Billion in fines. However, BP continues to place blame
on the rig owner and the construction company. Instead of owning up to
its actions and apologizing to the public, BP diverted media attention
by playing the blame game. Instead of empathizing with the victims,
BP’s delayed reactions may have tarnished its image forever and made
the company synonymous with this disaster in the minds of the people.
Now BP is channelizing its efforts to re-brand itself as a green
organization and undertake the sustainability agenda. I believe that
not showing remorse and not taking immediate action towards its
external stakeholders was unethical behaviour on BP’s part.
^ a b c Hoch, Maureen (2 August 2010). “New Estimate Puts Gulf Oil
Leak at 205 Million Gallons”. PBS NewsHour (MacNeil/Lehrer
Productions).
Rebecca Robinson — Robotics: Deserves A Moral Agency Discussion
Robotic technologies are becoming increasingly complex. New products are being built to model human actions and decision making processes. The goal of the developers of these products is typically either to simplify/make easier everyday tasks or complexities, or to enable breakthroughs in previously unexplored arenas. These ‘robotic like’ technologies have the potential to be of great benefit to consumers and society alike. Devices exist today which enable cars to navigate traffic with lower probability of accident, planes to land with greater accuracy, Robotic soldiers to navigate and clear a field of landmines. These products are being designed to mimic our own actions and behaviours. However, these devices, don’t, and may never, have the ability to think with the full breadth or depth of human capacity. A plane with built in landing software may face a scenario in which a car pulls onto the runway at the last second, and the plane can either plow through the car killing the people in it with certainty or dodge the car and risk a bigger crash and the lives of the passengers. The same scenario may occur with a built in steering installed in a car. If these complexities cannot be addressed in the makeup of the technology, is robotics a desirable solution? Are the designers responsible for the potential dangers inherent in the technology? A simple analysis would suggest that if the combined utility of the convenience created plus the net value of the expected number of lives lost minus expected number of lives saved is positive, then the technology should be adopted but we know from experience that these numbers are next to unquantifiable and that the issue is much more complex. It is the responsibility of designers and users of these new technologies to analyze the risks regardless of whether government regulations have been put in place to regulate these new technologies.
Works Cited
The Economist “Morals and the Machine,” June 2nd, 2013
http://www.economist.com/node/21556234?zid=291&ah=906e69ad01d2ee51960100b7fa502595
Maneesh Bagla — Hershey – Poor Working Conditions
In 2001, Hershey signed the Harkin-Engel Protocol to end child labour from all of its cocoa suppliers and the rest of their supply chain by 2005. At the time, eight chocolate and candied goods companies signed the agreement; however, as of November 2012, they remain the only company to not commit to their pledge. Many of these cocoa farms are owned by chocolatiers, including Hershey, and there are reports of child trafficking, sexual and physical abuse, poor living conditions, and low wages. Moreover, Hershey’s poor work conditions extend into the U.S. where a packaging plant hired by Hershey for their products was found guilty for hiding health and safety violations on foreign student workers, resulting in a $283,000 fine as determined by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.
With over $6 Billion in revenue, Hershey declared a $10 Million investment for reduction of child labour in cocoa farms by 2017. The negative press continues to impact their brand image and Hershey refuses to disclose any updates since their announcements. Many of the other chocolate producers have taken a step further from the Harkin-Engel Protocol and have committed to only acquiring fair trade cocoa. It is disturbing and completely unethical to see such a large organization not take issues of child labour and poor working conditions seriously, going as far as backing out of an agreement to implement change in the industry. Hershey should take responsibility for their wrongdoings and finally make a purposeful effort and lead by example.
Relevant Links:
http://www.laborrights.org/sites/default/files/publications-and-resources/HersheyReportExecSum2010.pdf
http://www.sustainablebusiness.com/index.cfm/go/news.display/id/22927
http://management.fortune.cnn.com/2012/11/16/hershey-child-labor-suit/
Luis Loza — School cheating scandal in the Atlanta Public Schools
In a 413-page investigate report revealed by state of Georgia Governor in July 2011 revealed a test-cheating scandal that tarnished the system’s once-stellar reputation of the Atlanta Public Schools. The investigate team after interviewed more than 2,000 people and reviewed more than 800,000 documents identified 178 principal and teachers who were involved in cheating in more than 75 percent of the schools in the district. I was also revealed that such fraud has been taking since at least 2001.
The fraud included holding cheating “parties” to collectively alter student’s test scores. The culture of cheating within the school system has been so pervasive and effective that between 2002 and 2009, the district’s eight graders falsely appeared to have the greatest overall improvement in the National Assessment of Education Progress’ reading test scores compared to students from any other urban district in the US.
It is incredible to find out a cheating scandal of this magnitude and that involved that many people. A teacher who cheats and raises the grades of their students or to promote them to cheat on the exam is not helping them at the contrary are hurting them providing them with low moral ethics. The teachers should encourage their students to learn to be a better person and have better opportunities and a better future. The authorities of the state of Georgia should investigate and impose an exemplary legal punishment to the teachers and principals involved.
Source:
http://www.naturalnews.com/032968_public_schools_cheating.html