week 5 globalisation and csr. it is impossible that such governments as have hitherto existed in the...
TRANSCRIPT
It is impossible that such governments as have hitherto existed in the world, could have commenced by any other means than a total violation of every principle sacred and moral
Paine (1792) - Rights of Man
We know that the IMF and World Bank programs have greatly exacerbated
poverty and undermined the basic human and democratic rights on people in
Southern countries to determine our own destiny.
Jubilee South Africa, 1999
Ugandan coffeeprice per kilo
Grower = $0.14 Exporter = $0.31 Transport = $1.19 Processor = $15.96 Retailer = $8.80
(source = Oxfam, 2002)
Features of globalisation
Market mediation Price competition Free movement of capital Free movement of labour? Transaction cost minimisation
Classical Liberal Theory
freedom of the individual to pursue own ends assumptions:
reason rationality
society is merely the aggregation of self interest organisations are mechanisms for pursuing self
interest markets as mediation
The conflicts of liberalism
collective needs v individual freedom society to protect private rights
Locke government as regulation
De Tocquville metanarrative as explanation
Utilitarianism
the greatest good of the greatest number Bentham, Mill
actions judged by their consequences economics as explanation accounting as tool of analysis power differentials?
The three leading causes of death in Zambia today include AIDS, malnutrition
and malaria. Each of these is related to the slavish pursuit by the Zambian
Government of the IMF imposed structural adjustment programs.
Africa Faith and Justice Network
The World Bank
‘…organs of international aid and so-called Third World development were invested with socialist error’ Ronald Reagan, 1981
Bank usually acts in support of American political and strategic interests 1982 USA investigation
The Third World debt to the North is at once fraudulent, odious, illegal, immoral,
illegitimate, obscene and genocidal.
Declaration of the Dakar 2000 Pan-African Meeting
Enacting globalisation
Cost saving = downsizing = efficiency Effectiveness negated Public = bad; private = good Trickle down theory
We denounce and reject the globalization of the Neo-liberal model as exclusive,
undemocratic, exploitative, pillaging and genocidal, imposed on the world….
Declaration of the South-North Exchange, Chiapas, Mexico,
October 2000
The results
Wealth transfer – from the poor to the rich Structural adjustment =
Impoverishment Worsening public services Lower life expectancy Cash cropping instead of sustainability
Proliferation of arms
CSR does not exist
Managerial primacy Returns to shareholders Short termism Conflicting claims of stakeholders
People of the same trade seldom meet together, eve for merriment or diversion,
but the conversation ends in a conspiracy against the public, or in some contrivance
to raise prices. It is impossible indeed to prevent such meetings, by any law which
could either be executed, or would be consistent with liberty and justice.Adam Smith
The myth of the market
Ideology of the free market Utilitarianism Liberalisation = utopia Trickle down effect Benefit to all? Power imbalances
“After the genocide in Rwanda the situation was awful. There was also no infrastructure to get to the people in
need. And so there were United Nations convoys that just couldn’t get through. This delegation literally just sat there on the road for hours going nowhere. By the time
they finally reached their destination, they discovered that Coke had already been there for two weeks
distributing what they needed. What a fascinating thing – Coke got there before the UN. It shows you just how
powerful the global market is and this brand in particular… I suppose if Microsoft needs to be there,
they’ll be there too.”NGO administrator
The Free Market
Dominant ideology of the modern western world
If unregulated: Maximises economic wealth Optimises its distribution
Assumption of perfect competition ignored Power differentials ignored
Problems with the free market
Assumption of perfect competition Information asymmetry Power asymmetry Number of buyers / sellers
Role of the state Regulation Redistribution
Regulation
Mediates for market inefficiencies Alleviates power imbalances Allows for wealth / income / welfare
redistribution Imposes sanctions
The role of government
Minimal = safety (internal & external) Regulatory Redistributive Collective The End of History?
Benefits of CSR
Image Increased turnover Reduced future costs Reduced future liabilities Lower staff turnover Easier recruitment