Good, Better, Best

Cases and Examples of Ethics and Social Responsibility in Practice

Green Engineer (A)

What are the “red flags” Pat is experiencing?

Do you think Jody responded appropriately to Pat’s query?

Do you think Pat is over-reacting? What else seems intriguing about

this situation? Have you ever experienced

anything like this?

Green Engineer (B)

What would Pat’s decision tree look like? Companies in turbulent industries often

search for any way possible to cut costs and remain competitive. If this was what was happening at BreatheRite, how would this affect Pat’s decision tree?

Do you think Pat’s professor responded appropriately? Why or why not? Was there anything else you think the professor should have brought up?

Green Engineer (C)

Why didn’t Pat know how his news would be received?

What do you think about Charles’s response to Pat’s concerns?

Should the company make some changes so new employees don’t face this kind of stress in the future? If so, what? If not, why?

Green Engineer (D)

Why do you think the BreatheRite board hadn’t paid attention to ethics training before the valve incident?

If you were to write a values statement for BreatheRite, what would it say?

Global Business Citizenship Experiments

Global Compact: voluntary membership organization of businesses agreeing to try to implement Ten Principles, and to post their experiences on-line in a transparent process.

www.unglobalcompact.org

Global Compact’s Ten Principles

Principle 1: Businesses should support and respect the protection of internationally proclaimed human rights; and

Principle 2: make sure that they are not complicit in human rights abuses.  

Principle 3: Businesses should uphold the freedom of association and the effective recognition of the right to collective bargaining;

Principle 4: the elimination of all forms of forced and compulsory labour;

Principle 5: the effective abolition of child labour; and

Principle 6: the elimination of discrimination in respect of employment and occupation. 

Principle 7: Businesses should support a precautionary approach to environmental challenges;

Principle 8: undertake initiatives to promote greater environmental responsibility; and

Principle 9: encourage the development and diffusion of environmentally friendly technologies.

Principle 10: Businesses should work against all forms of corruption, including extortion and bribery. 

Hewlett-Packard

H-P has developed a supplier code of conduct that is becoming the industry standard in attempting to eliminate child and prison labor, as well as inhumane working conditions, from the computer technology supply chain.

In 2004, a new iteration of H-P’s code –endorsed by IBM, Dell, and others – was released to the public and put into effect.

An important benefit: suppliers can undergo a single audit process for all of their corporate customers.

The companies claim that the unified code will “potentially reduce inefficiency and duplication, and make performance easier to audit and verify.”

Calçados Azaléia

One of the world’s largest shoemakers. Sponsors employee daycare centers at its

Brazilian locations, contrary to local custom. The centers offer medical care, educational

instruction, and a great deal of parental involvement.

The company reports greater productivity and employee satisfaction, more success in recruiting, and interestingly, an improvement in student performance and motivation.

The company expresses pride in being able to help the next generation move toward success.

The company was placed on the Global Compact’s inactive list in 2006 because it did not provide the required Communication on Progress.

Holcim/Union Cement

For its new operations in the Philippines, Holcim/Union Cement established a community advisory panel to deal with the residents’ anger and disappointment left over from a merger with a bad-neighbor company.

The advisory panel was so successful in addressing citizens’ concerns that the company, to its surprise, found itself more secure in a politically and militarily turbulent environment.

Hindustan Sanitaryware

Indian company, a large producer of bathroom porcelains.

Developed the first low-water-flush toilets available in India.

Water is a precious commodity in India, and so saving clean water is a worthy outcome in itself.

The low-water-flush toilets also comply with ISO standards, thus enabling Hindustan to sell its products in European markets and making it the supplier of choice for Western companies setting up shop in India.

Famille Michaud Apiculteurs

World-renowned French apiary and purveyor of fine honeys.

Teaching its quality techniques to villagers in developing countries around the world.

The new beekeepers can certify their products for European markets and command a premium price.

William E. Connor & Associates

Hong Kong-based import-export intermediary.

Offers human rights supply chain management as one of its services to clients, many of whom are large, well-known retail chain stores.

The process: when an underage worker is discovered, that worker is removed from the factory, sent to school, and promised a job upon her or his completion of mandatory schooling.

Meanwhile, a family member is offered the youngster’s job so that family support is not disrupted.

The Gap

This retail clothing company, stung by proofs of child labor in its supply chain, partnered with human rights organizations to systematically investigate, retrain, and monitor every one of its global suppliers and subcontractors.

The results, published so far in social reports from 2003 and 2005, show that the company is making progress not only in supply chain management but also in the systematic learning necessary to sustain the human rights and labor practices efforts.

Interface, Inc.

This carpet maker is known for inventing the carpet tile idea, allowing damaged carpet to be replaced in small sections.

Has also been a world leader in social reporting and accountability.

The company has turned its attention to finding new, viable ways to reduce the environmental footprint (that is, the net effect of resource consumption and wastes emitted) of the company itself and all of its products.

According to the founder and chairman, Ray Anderson, Interface aims to become the world’s first zero-footprint company, and then the world’s first restorative company.