Introduction
Taking Sides Clashing Views in Management written by Marc and Vera Street diverse into some deep, debatable topics. Upon reading each issue, it is clear that there is no right or wrong answer. Several times I found myself torn on both sides; this is – I was both for and against certain issues. I have always tried to make decisions as informed as possible but realized that judgments are still personal and what we believe in.
Issues
Issue 1: I do believe that corporations have a responsibility to society as a whole, not only to maximize their own profits and benefit the economy but also to respect the community that they reside in. They achieve this by not only providing employment, but also upholding an image. It is up to
…show more content…
corporations to use cheap overseas labor” my first thoughts were yes because of my personal beliefs. But upon further thought and through discovery, I realized that from a business point of view we as a nation should still help promote economic globalization. In order to do so we need to outsource production and encourage trade. However, because we are fiscally involved in another country’s economy that doesn’t give American corporations the right to implement our laws and standards into other countries’ business practices and laws. Just because we see child labor, unfair wages, and violating overtime as immoral, doesn’t mean that the host county does. However global labor standards need to be unified.
Issue 3: Siding with Ira Kay, I agree with his position on the issue. The “American Dream” is to essentially start from nothing, working up the ladder to gain money, power, and the image of a lavish, executive lifestyle; resulting from hard work paying off and wages that compensate for it. Annual pay and stock incentives for most executives will fluctuate with the company’s performance, as well as their personal efforts. If a cap was to be implemented on a CEO’s salary, what would be the incentive to stay at the helm of a corporation when the financial “glass ceiling” has been reached?
Issue 4: Does an employer’s need to monitor workers trump employee privacy concerns? This is one of these controversial issues where I agree with points from both sides.
3. A growing number of firms, for instance soft drink producers, the car companies, fast food restaurants, cigarette companies and so on are under pressure from the government, the media institutions, the environment, the community and society in general for encouraging harmful habits of consumer. However, in the free market economy, individual including consumer and the general public are free to choose the goods they may want to consume (within legal boundaries to emphasize). The questions are: where do you think personal responsibility end and corporate social responsibility begin? How does your personal response change across specific firms? in your own view, what is the role and responsibility federal and states government might play?
Conflicts are realities of life and can be defined as a “situation of competition in which the parties involved are quite aware of the incompatibility of future condition whereby each party wishes to occupy a position that is incompatible with the wishes of the other” (Olu & Adesubomi, 2013, p. 2). They have no boundaries. They occur whether we like it or not, especially when there is disagreement and misunderstanding which stands as major key characteristics of human relationships. The relationship could be domestic, national, or international (Spiroska, 2014). Furthermore, conflicts happen when people are incompatible. In the organizational setting, conflict could arise due to failure of the employer, not honoring certain agreed bargaining. Henry (2009) indicated that if the workers’ right and prerogative is not appropriated rightly, it could cause conflict; such workers’
Dexter Roberts and Pete Engardio in “Secrets, Lies, and Sweatshops,” writes about the various struggles that the United States has with production factories overseas. Wal-Mart claims they have rules for the sweatshops to follow but China still violates the labor laws by hiring consultants to give tips to sneak around auditors. The American people enjoy their everyday items at a low price, which Wal-Mart demands to the sweatshops. The sweatshops are struggling to provide these low price items to Wal-Mart and keep their working conditions humane. Roberts and Engardio explain in the article how companies that have overseas production are attempting to provide the managers and employees with skills to make the overtime required more effective.
However, this could not be more wrong. First off, all of the employees in other nations who flock to Wal-Mart’s factories have the choice to do so. Even though the wages paid in third world nations is inconceivable in United States, those wages will still increase the employee’s income, which in turn increases the employee’s standard of living. The increases in standards of living will lead to economic innovations and increased productivity/efficiency. This process of evolving mirrors that same steps that the United States went through in its early beginnings as well. Secondly, critics want Wal-Mart to enforce labor laws in its overseas factories that are consistent with United States. However, Vedder refutes this demand stating, “We have no more right to expect Wal-Mart to enforce Chinese labor laws than the Chinese have the right to enforce ours” (Vedder). Clearly, this criticism is without reason and impossible. In addition, the regulations and laws in third world countries are not kept up to date as well as in America, not everyone has a birth certificate or passport proving their age. It is unreasonable to assume that Wal-Mart would be able to verify the ages of every single employee in Indonesia or China. (Vedder)
With the addition of China into the globalization world, the world supply of labor far exceeds the demand. With several billion new workers in the global supply of labor, companies may shop for labor and relocate to wherever it is the cheapest. Laborers in foreign countries are willing do the same work that a high paid employee would do for less. If American corporations are to compete in the new global economy, they will have to
In the third world countries such as Vietnam, China, South Korea and Taiwan, we are provided with an example of cheap labour. These corporations could now achieve the benefit of the United States consumer market8, while keeping their costs extremely low in offshore production. The working conditions in the United States were poor for centuries, often little to nothing was done unless a tragedy occurred to influence worker rights by the public. This was the issue during the Industrial Revolution and in the late 20th century. In the United states, improvements have been made and these conditions have disappeared, with the privilege in some agricultural areas. Companies from the United States have moved a considerable amount of their factories
If companies are allowed to outsource jobs from Americans, then we should ban the use of that company’s products. An alternative would be to regulate the price and ensure either import fees are increased or the price must be lower. Ultimately if we put a cap on how much capital an employer can retain as profit. While every company goes into business to make profit, it is the method of underpaying employees that has contributed to the present situation with the wealth gap.
Using cheap labor from the poor countries, US companies gain the massive profit. For example, Walmart is the biggest retailer in America, because the most products of Walmart import from China. To against the competitors, Walmart reduces the prices, but to hold profit stable, the company has to use the cheap labor. Walmart has the biggest numbers of employees, which is over one million workers, but the wage and working condition are horrible. The hourly wage is three cents, and the best workers receive ten cents. Walmart’s workers also include children and women, and these workers even get paid less than a man, even though they have the same amount of work. Walmart is famous with the cheap electronic products, but the quality isn’t good as
Outsourcing, or the practice of Corporations expanding their influence, and labor force to foreign countries needs to stop. As it causes the decline of developed nations labor forces, does nothing to fix inequality in underdeveloped nations, has adverse affects on the economies of developed nations, and outsourcing allows corporations to cause extensive harm the the world, and it’s enviornment. If the practice of globalization were ended, it would improve the lives of many people in developed nations, the policies that affect them, and ultimately the world.
Generally, globalism has been attributed to better worldwide communication, advanced technological development, and a higher international standard of living, and rightfully so. However, with all these new worldwide advantages comes a new type of human exploitation. Many companies, specifically American ones, have been quick to take advantage of the cheap and dangerous labor available in most of the undeveloped world. Countries who are working through their period of Industrialization are being siphoned off and used to maintain America’s economy, while their developing country reaps no reward from the low paying, dehumanizing jobs that American companies offer their low class workers. This type of inhumane job outsourcing can only be compared
It is very sad that our civilization place the human rights of companies or corporations to profit over human and labor rights. In the Western World, some of the working condition and wages are not the best for any human being to experience. This types of conditions hurts the poor and the richer keeps getting richer. Bottom line the globalization is not up to par with what was intended to be,in fact, it is a major problem that what it was expected.
In the twenty-first century, it is not a secret that many American companies are actually setting up factories in foreign countries, with the majority located in Asia. Notable examples of this include athletic shoe companies such as Nike, Adidas, and Reebok Additionally, most people know the reason these companies make their products overseas: “cheap labor.” However, what exactly does the term “cheap labor” entail? Moreover, how are international politics and the global economy affected by this outsourcing? While it may seem like a simple question with a simple answer, the cause of such a relationship and its effects on international commerce are deeply complex and morally questionable.
In 2003 the average pay for CEOs at 200 of the largest U.S. companies was $11.3 million--but there are a good number whose compensation packages approach the $100 million mark. Faced with these figures, Americans from all walks of life--who revile CEOs as greedy fat cats--are overcome with bewilderment and indignation. Astonished to learn that what an average worker earns in a year, some CEOs earn in less than a week--people ask themselves: "How can the work of a
Management is typically thought to be the place where calm, considered and well thought through decisions are taken. Drawing upon writings about the realities of managerial work and the nature of the management advice industry, why might we question this conventional view?
Another large ethical problem that the vast majority of outsourcing companies have is the low salaries for employees. Most employees are migrant workers and aren’t eligible for in house health care or education benefits. To most workers, the current wage seems very high because they are migrants, but in reality they can’t afford to pay for health care or a future education. Even the mid level factory workers can’t afford to buy a single iPhone that they spend 12 hour days putting thousands of chips in, on the assembly line.