Category: business ethics

Barry Lynn at INET, Decoupling our Corporations (via Rortybomb)

On By southwerkIn business ethics

I have been assigning some of my students the mission of discovering how the Japanese disasters are effecting the United States. This would be a good place for them to start.

The invaluable web site, Rortybomb, talks about the problem of specific parts made largely or only in Japan and what that lack is doing here in the United States.

Unfortunately it is likely we are only seeing the beginning of the dislocations caused by the loss of Japanese manufacturing.

James Pilant

If you are not subscribing to Rortybomb, you should be.

As you may know, Toyota has many plants in the United States. This kind of regional diversification has to be good for the company in the wake of the Japanese earthquake, right? Even though the Japanese plants are in trouble the US ones can up production, hopefully making as many cars as the Japanese-based plants cant, balancing out what is a scary time for the company. Well, no. The US ones cant run without specific parts from Japan, and since … Read More

via Rortybomb

Forbes on firing your bad boss

On By southwerkIn business ethics

!!@@#dddddd444hmlbr35Forbes on firing your bad boss.

SEC is now considering a rule that would require public companies to disclose to their shareholders how they are using corporate resources to fund political activities.

On By southwerkIn business ethics

Everyone reading one of my blogs should go to the SEC site linked in this post and write in support of a rule that would require public companies to disclose to their shareholders how they are using corporate resources to fund political activities. In the wake of Citizen’s United, it is a critical step for our country and shareholder democracy. jp

eslkevin's avatarTeachers, Peacemakers, Witnesses for Justice and Learning Societies. Let´s Get Smart. Let´s Get Active. Let´s Be United. Improve the Planet NOW!!!

Dear Kevin –

 

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has the authority to counteract the flood of special interest, corporate money into our elections that was unleashed by the Supreme Court’s Citizens United decision. The agency is now considering a rule that would require public companies to disclose to their shareholders how they are using corporate resources to fund political activities. But the SEC won’t act without public pressure, and it is taking public comments now – click here to submit yours. 

This particular rule has been in the works for several years, but was quietly dropped from the agenda sometime after the agency’s chairman, Mary Jo White, was pressured by Republican lawmakers to abandon it. In the hearing, Republicans warned White not to drag her agency into the political fray by tackling such a partisan issue… Pressing White to remove the rule from the agency’s annual agenda…

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Destruction of the Planet, a Sinful Act

On By southwerkIn business ethics

Destruction of the Planet, a Sinful Act

Ethics: an area of study that deals with ideas about what is good and bad behavior : a branch of philosophy dealing with what is morally right or wrong.

Business ethics is narrowed branch of ethics devoted to the economic and organizational activities of societies. The power of these organizations, private enterprises, corporations etc., are such that they surpass in influence and the ability to do things like harm the environment on a scale almost beyond human understanding (think gulf oil spill or Fukushima). Is the environment a value in itself that business and industry should take into consideration?

One of the more popular philosophies today is Christianity, in this case, the branch known as the Roman Catholic Church. And what do they say about the destruction of the environment?

Read the article below for the most recent declaration on the subject.

James Pilant

Pope Francis Makes Biblical Case For Addressing Climate Change: ‘If We Destroy Creation, Creation Will Destroy Us’ | ThinkProgress

Pope Francis made the religious case for tackling climate change on Wednesday, calling on his fellow Christians to become “Custodians of Creation” and issuing a dire warning about the potentially catastrophic effects of global climate change.

Speaking to a massive crowd in Rome, the first Argentinian pope delivered a short address in which he argued that respect for the “beauty of nature and the grandeur of the cosmos” is a Christian value, noting that failure to care for the planet risks apocalyptic consequences.

“Safeguard Creation,” he said. “Because if we destroy Creation, Creation will destroy us! Never forget this!”

The pope centered his environmentalist theology around the biblical creation story in the book of Genesis, where God is said to have created the world, declared it “good,” and charged humanity with its care. Francis also made reference to his namesake, Saint Francis of Assisi, who was a famous lover of animals, and appeared to tie the ongoing environmental crisis to economic concerns — namely, instances where a wealthy minority exploits the planet at the expense of the poor.

“Creation is not a property, which we can rule over at will; or, even less, is the property of only a few: Creation is a gift, it is a wonderful gift that God has given us, so that we care for it and we use it for the benefit of all, always with great respect and gratitude,” Francis said.

Francis also said that humanity’s destruction of the planet is a sinful act, likening it to self-idolatry.

via Pope Francis Makes Biblical Case For Addressing Climate Change: ‘If We Destroy Creation, Creation Will Destroy Us’ | ThinkProgress.

Solitary Confinement for Juveniles?

On By southwerkIn business ethics

I recognize that this is not business ethics related but I teach criminal justice courses and this falls under the category of teaching. Please bear will me as I will occasionally write about these subjects. jp

illo-47-thSolitary Confinement for Juveniles?

The idea behind juvenile justice is that young people who are not yet mature make poor choices and given the opportunity will change their behavior. Solitary confinement is not the kind of punishment that should be used on a regular basis in dealing with juveniles. It is very punitive and very damaging. In the case of Ohio, the federal government is insisting on changes to their policy. The feds are absolutely correct. We should not treat young people in a way that can damage them permanently nor should we use it on the mentally ill.

James Pilant

Ohio agrees to reform, eventually eliminate juvenile solitary confinement | Al Jazeera America

The Department of Justice on Monday announced it had reached an agreement with Ohio under which the state will dramatically reduce and eventually eliminate the use of solitary confinement for juveniles — with an emphasis on those with mental illness — in a move some advocates said would have “enormously important implications” for the rest of the country.

Under the deal, Ohio’s Department of Youth Services, which deals with offenders ages 10 to 21, will significantly reduce the duration of solitary confinement and the scenarios in which the punishment would be allowed, according to the DOJ. The state will also increase therapeutic, educational and recreational services for juveniles held in seclusion.

“Overreliance on solitary confinement for young people, particularly those with disabilities, is unsafe and counterproductive,” Attorney General Eric Holder said. “The Justice Department will continue to evaluate the use of solitary confinement so that it does not become a new normal for incarcerated juveniles.”

In essence, the agreement means Ohio would need to provide mental health treatment to young people in its facilities and not use solitary confinement, which involves placing an incarcerated person by themselves with no human contact other than prison staff — usually used as form of discipline, punishment or protection — as a replacement for treatment.

Some of the juveniles in the Ohio detention centers were allegedly held in solitary confinement for up to 23 hours per day, often with no human interaction at all, according to the DOJ.

via Ohio agrees to reform, eventually eliminate juvenile solitary confinement | Al Jazeera America.

From Around the Web.

From the web site, Youth Media for Building Healthy Communities.

http://ymbhc.wordpress.com/2014/05/22/double-charged-the-true-cost-of-juvenile-justice/

Double charged: The true cost of juvenile justice

By Editor on May 22, 2014

The process of charging a youth with a crime involves trials, probation hearings, and now the negotiation of a long catalog of fines and fees that get tacked on for things like staffing, clothing, health care – even a fee for the investigation following the arrest, which is upheld whether the youth is exonerated or not. The charges amount to an average of close to $2,000.  Juvenile offenders are charged for each day they must wear a GPS ankle-device – one accessory no teen wants to wear. And it’s usually on for longer than expected: nearly half of young people who are electronically monitored end up violating probation, and extending their GPS time or going to juvenile hall.

High Administrative Salaries Don’t Benefit Students

On By southwerkIn business ethics

southwerk's avatarPilant's Faculty Senate Page

i_374High Administrative Salaries Don’t Benefit Students

A disturbing new report from IPS, Institute for Policy Studies, show a correlation between administrative salaries and student debt, the more administrators are paid, the more the students owe.

Other findings from the report called The One Percent at State U:

Key Findings:

  • The student debt crisis is worse at state schools with the highest-paid presidents. The sharpest rise in student debt at the top 25 occurred when executive compensation soared the highest. 

  • As students went deeper in debt, administrative spending outstripped scholarship spending by more than 2 to 1 at state schools with the highest-paid presidents. 

  • At state schools with the highest-paid presidents, part-time adjunct faculty increased 22 percent faster than the national average at all universities. 

  • At state schools with the highest-paid presidents, permanent faculty declined dramatically as a percentage of all faculty. By fall 2009, part-time and contingent faculty at the…

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The Corporation : The Pathological Pursuit of Profit and Power

On By southwerkIn business ethics

An excellent blog post and a good documentary. jp

MHTV's avatarMemory Hole TV

The Corporation is a 2003 Canadian documentary film written by University of British Columbia law professor Joel Bakan, and directed by Mark Achbar and Jennifer Abbott. The documentary examines the modern-day corporation. This is explored through specific examples. Bakan wrote the book, The Corporation: The Pathological Pursuit of Profit and Power, during the filming of the documentary.
The documentary shows the development of the contemporary business corporation, from a legal entity that originated as a government-chartered institution meant to affect specific public functions, to the rise of the modern commercial institution entitled to most of the legal rights of a person. The documentary concentrates mostly upon North American corporations, especially those of the United States. One theme is its assessment as a “personality”, as a result of an 1886 case in the United States Supreme Court in which a statement by Chief Justice Morrison R. Waite[nb 1] led to corporations…

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Protecting the Public?

On By southwerkIn business ethics

!!@@#dddddd444193mProtecting the Public?

Government exists to protect people industry.

James Pilant

Republicans in North Carolina want to make it a felony to disclose fracking chemicals – Salon.com

Just when we thought we were making the first steps toward transparency in fracking — in the form of EPA indicating it might require frackers, at long last, to reveal the names of the chemicals they blast into the ground in order to extract oil and gas — three GOP state senators in North Carolina stepped in to put a stop to all that.

The senators, who seemed to have taken a page out of the ag-gag book, last week introduced a bill that would slap any individual who disclosed information about confidential chemicals with a felony charge. Such individuals could include fire chiefs and health care providers, who might require access to the information in order to respond to emergencies. Environmental groups see the provision allowing for easy access to that information as a good thing, but worry about the bill’s harsh terms for making sure those in-the-know keep it to themselves.

via Republicans in North Carolina want to make it a felony to disclose fracking chemicals – Salon.com.

From Around the Web.

From the web site, Lenin2u.

http://lenin2u.wordpress.com/2014/05/12/fracking-chemicals/

Shale needs to be fracked using a mixture of hot water, sand, and poisonous chemicals, the composition of which fracking companies claim to be proprietary secrets, and disclosing them would make them less competitive. However, scientists who have analyzed fracking fluid discovered the following substances common to diesel fuel: Benzene, Ethylbenzene, Toluene, Xylene, Naphthalene, Methanol, Formaldehyde, Ethylene glycol, Glycol ethers, Hydrochloric acid, Sodium hydroxide. Most fracking companies surveyed by a 2010 Congressional Committee admitted that diesel fuel is part of their fracking mixture. Where diesel fuel was not used, chemical mixtures includes high levels of benzene, a tiny amount of which can poison millions of gallons of water.

Theo Colburn, PhD, director of the Endocrine Disruption Exchange, Colorado, identified 65 chemicals that are probably used in fracking fluids. These included benzene, glycol-ethers, toluene, and ethanol, all of which have been linked to health problems when human exposure is too high. In 2012, ShaleTest visited many fracking sites in North Texas, monitoring ambient air using stainless steel summa canisters. Results showed the presence of the known carcinogen benzene. “It is unacceptable that the natural gas industries are ignoring the devastating impacts they have on citizens and the environment”, commented Susan Sullivan, board member of ShaleTest.

Another study in 2012, led by Lisa McKenzie, Ph.D., MPH, of the Colorado School of Public Health, concluded that air pollution caused by fracking may contribute to acute and chronic health problems for those living near natural gas drilling sites. The study, based on three years of monitoring, found benzene, ethylbenzene, toluene and xylene in the air around the frack sites. Other chemicals included heptane, octane and diethylbenzene ‘The greatest health impact corresponds to the relatively short-term, but high emission, well completion period’. The study said that this was due to exposure to trimethylbenzenes, aliaphatic hydrocarbons, and xylenes, all of which have neurological and/or respiratory effects, including eye irritation, headaches, sore throat, and difficulty in breathing. … ‘We also calculated higher cancer risks for residents living nearer to the wells as compared to those residing further’, the report said. ‘Benzene is the major contributor to lifetime excess cancer risk from both scenarios’.

When Duty Called …

On By southwerkIn business ethics

377mWhen Duty Called …

We know today that during the disastrous meltdown at the Fukushima facilities, most of the nuclear plant workers, those highly trained individuals, bold and brave, willing to stay when everything is going wrong and a possible disaster threatens us all, when confronted with an actual nuclear disaster decided to take a day off and fled the scene.

Goodness! Does this call into question all those scenarios where the nuclear plant is in trouble and the steely eyed, workers (who will be played by Tom Cruise in the later film) work those controls, klaxons sounding in the background, and bring that reactor back from the brink?

The government and TEPCO kept this from their public and us until now. It’s embarrassing. After all, if you’ve telling a story of courage and stalwart endurance in the face of nation-wide danger, the revelation that the last ditch defenders against nuclear disaster were searching their pockets for car keys may be less than edifying.

If you think this constitutes an argument against nuclear energy, you’re right.Those systems designed to stop nuclear disaster aren’t all automatic. They need human guidance, and if the workers flee, only the thinnest of chances protects us from disaster.

James Pilant

Business Ethics Implications –

The workers violated their duty to their nation, friends and relatives by leaving their stations. It seems obvious that TEPCO, the utility company, did not properly prepare for the incident and its management handled the events poorly. The Japanese government and TEPCO have actively suppressed information regarding the incident and its aftermath.

If you are a student writing a paper about an incident in which a lack of business ethics actively contributed to the disaster, this is a good topic with abundant sources.

James Pilant

Panicked workers abandoned Fukushima as the nuclear disaster unfolded, report reveals

http://www.salon.com/2014/05/20/panicked_workers_abandoned_fukushima_as_the_nuclear_disaster_unfolded_report_reveals/

As a nuclear disaster began to unfold at the Fukushima No. 1 plant, a full 650 of the 720 workers on hand panicked and abandoned the scene, a previously undisclosed report reveals.

That’s a very different version of events than the one put forward by TEPCO, the plant’s operator, which has said that it evacuated most of its workers, leaving a small, dedicated team behind to risk their lives fighting to contain the crisis. …

When Duty Called,

They Did Not Hesitate,

They Ran Like Hell.

(my thoughts, not in the original article, jp)

The Japanese government confirmed the report, but did not explain why it had been kept secret. TEPCO countered only that Yoshida’s vague order to withdraw to “low radiation areas” technically could have referred to the No. 2 plant, and said that it therefore didn’t consider those workers to have violated orders.

That the plant experienced such a severe breakdown in its chain of command during the 2011 earthquake and tsunami becomes all the more relevant as the Japanese government moves to restart the country’s other nuclear reactors, which were temporarily shut down after the disaster. As the Asahi article notes, “Yoshida’s testimony raises questions about whether utility workers can be depended upon to remain at their posts in the event of an emergency.”

From Around the Web.

From the web site, Japan Safety, Nuclear Power Updates.

http://japansafety.wordpress.com/2014/03/27/tepco-under-calculated-radiation-exposure-for-142-fukushima-workers-rt/

Tepco under-calculated radiation exposure for 142 Fukushima workers — RT

March 27, 2014

” Tokyo Electric Power Co. underestimated internal radiation exposure of 142 workers involved in immediate emergency operations at the damaged Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant in March 2011, according to Japan’s Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry.

After reexamining exposure records provided by TEPCO, the Ministry said Tuesday it had increased the 142 workers’ radiation data by an average of 5.86 millisieverts, The Asahi Shimbun reported.

The Ministry said one male employee was exposed to 180 millisieverts. He was initially reported to have been exposed to around 90 millisieverts.

Two other workers were exposed to radiation of 50 to less than 100 millisieverts, the Ministry found.

According to the International Commission on Radiological Protection a person should be exposed to no more than one millisievert per year from all sources of radiation, though it says only doses of more than 100 millisieverts are associated with a higher risk of cancer.

…

Repent and support fast lanes

On By southwerkIn business ethics

As serious as this subject is, I can still find time to get the joke!