In general, I agree with Milton F as well. But I've been in some situations in which it was incumbent on corporations to make decisions on social responsibility largely because government was not in a position to do it. In the late 1970s and early 1980s I worked for Dome Petroleum on executive interchange. I was tasked with preparing the socio-economic volume of the Dome-Esso-Gulf of the Environmental Impact Statement on oil development in the Beaufort Sea.
In thinking about how the companies should interact with the Beaufort communities, the oil companies were way ahead of government. They were also way ahead of the communities themselves, which were not as yet organized into the competent and powerful Inuvialuit Regional Corporation of today. I recall many meetings in Calgary and the Beaufort area with highly placed oil people concerning what should we done to integrate the communities into oil development. I also recall many meetings in the communities on whether the kinds of things we thought might work in our corporate meetings would take on the ground. Eventually, all of this turned out to be of little use. Beaufort oil development didn't happen then and still hasn't happened. If it or gas development happens now both government and the communities won't need the oil people and guys like me to try to think for them. The Inuvialuit Regional Corporation is a powerful entity that can speak for the Beaufort communities and the Government of the NWT is certainly capable of looking over everyone's shoulder to make sure things go as right as they can. Ed --- On Mon, 10/26/09, Arthur Cordell <[email protected]> wrote: From: Arthur Cordell <[email protected]> Subject: Re: [Futurework] Well, it's a nice thought... To: [email protected], "'RE-DESIGNING WORK, INCOME DISTRIBUTION, EDUCATION'" <[email protected]> Received: Monday, October 26, 2009, 5:19 PM Few trends could so thoroughly undermine the very foundations of our free society as the acceptance by corporate officials of a social responsibility other than to make as much money for their stockholders as possible. -- Milton Friedman It's the function of the corp. to make profits and pay taxes, it's the function of the govt. to set the ground rules of the game and use the taxes to meet social needs. Govts are elected; corporations are not. When corps begin to decide "social responsibility" then clearly they may have their own unelected agenda. When I buy Proctor and Gamble or Kellogs or Kraft products I really don't want them deciding social responsibility. Just turn out a quality product, pay taxes and treat the workers in a fair manner. The govt. can and should do the rest. So I agree with Milton. -----Original Message----- From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Mike Spencer Sent: Monday, October 26, 2009 12:20 PM To: [email protected] Subject: [Futurework] Re: Well, it's a nice thought... > University of Ottawa MBAs swear oath in Canadian first > > by Glen Mcgregor, The Ottawa Citizen, October 26, 2009 > > OTTAWA: About two dozen masters of business administration graduates > stood together Sunday and recited an oath of ethics.... to conduct > their affairs ethically and work toward the well-being of all > stakeholders and not just their shareholders. Beth David Cemetary on line two, something about seismic activity and steam ventng around some grave or other, something Friedman I think they said. > The oath is entirely voluntarily and in no way binding on anyone who > takes it. Oh, well. That's alright then. No smiting off of hands or heaping with burning coals or forensic audits or anything like that. No problem. -Imafa Kinasso, Epist. Eng., MBA Scotia Center for Advanced Monetary Studies --- Few trends could so thoroughly undermine the very foundations of our free society as the acceptance by corporate officials of a social responsibility other than to make as much money for their stockholders as possible. -- Milton Friedman _______________________________________________ Futurework mailing list [email protected] https://lists.uwaterloo.ca/mailman/listinfo/futurework _______________________________________________ Futurework mailing list [email protected] https://lists.uwaterloo.ca/mailman/listinfo/futurework
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