MNCs are hailed as national treasures in some countries; but their devil-may-care attitude results in many tragedies – both industrial and health – making them reasons for global shame
Globalisation is inevitable as we reside in a ‘global village’. And the entities which benefit the most, perhaps, out of this phenomenon are modern day centres of affluence and influence – MNCs. As they profit and in the process, enhance employment and production, what goes unnoticed is that their drive to profit, which leaves many in pain, is encouraged by their lack of concern and efforts towards safe working of their industrial units across the globe.
A McKinsey report has exemplified that the cumulative market value of top 10 Fortune 500 companies is equal to the combined GDP of India and Brazil or total forex reserve of six leading Gulf oil exporting countries in 2006; at the same time, the clearly irresponsible, greedy and biased business policies and activities of these MNCs – and we tread quite firm ground when we partake of such suppositions – without considering people, environment and legal aspects, have brought a quasi-apocalypse in the form of fatal industrial accidents, environmental hazards and pollution related health issues affecting millions in innumerable ways. If the Bhopal gas tragedy in 1984 (which we dare say has become a staid benchmark) can be considered the most horrifying industrial catastrophe in history, claiming between 3,000 and 20,000 lives, leaving thousands with serious diseases and injuries, what we consider worse is the knee jerk reaction of Dow Chemicals – the global giant providing innovative chemical, plastic and agricultural products and services and responsible for this industrial catastrophe – which publicly disowned its accountability. Consider the amount with which Dow tried to console affected families – a mere $300-$500. And when some 200 women protested against Dow for its meagre response and for not really taking any proactive mechanisms to clean up the area stacked with dangerous toxic waste which spreads many gas related diseases in the small town Bhopal, Dow sued them in return for raising voice against the company using it’s political, monetary and muscle power. When an explosion and fire ruined a fireworks factory belonging to Bright Sparkles Sdn.
Globalisation is inevitable as we reside in a ‘global village’. And the entities which benefit the most, perhaps, out of this phenomenon are modern day centres of affluence and influence – MNCs. As they profit and in the process, enhance employment and production, what goes unnoticed is that their drive to profit, which leaves many in pain, is encouraged by their lack of concern and efforts towards safe working of their industrial units across the globe.
A McKinsey report has exemplified that the cumulative market value of top 10 Fortune 500 companies is equal to the combined GDP of India and Brazil or total forex reserve of six leading Gulf oil exporting countries in 2006; at the same time, the clearly irresponsible, greedy and biased business policies and activities of these MNCs – and we tread quite firm ground when we partake of such suppositions – without considering people, environment and legal aspects, have brought a quasi-apocalypse in the form of fatal industrial accidents, environmental hazards and pollution related health issues affecting millions in innumerable ways. If the Bhopal gas tragedy in 1984 (which we dare say has become a staid benchmark) can be considered the most horrifying industrial catastrophe in history, claiming between 3,000 and 20,000 lives, leaving thousands with serious diseases and injuries, what we consider worse is the knee jerk reaction of Dow Chemicals – the global giant providing innovative chemical, plastic and agricultural products and services and responsible for this industrial catastrophe – which publicly disowned its accountability. Consider the amount with which Dow tried to console affected families – a mere $300-$500. And when some 200 women protested against Dow for its meagre response and for not really taking any proactive mechanisms to clean up the area stacked with dangerous toxic waste which spreads many gas related diseases in the small town Bhopal, Dow sued them in return for raising voice against the company using it’s political, monetary and muscle power. When an explosion and fire ruined a fireworks factory belonging to Bright Sparkles Sdn.
Source : IIPM Editorial, 2012.
An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri
and Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).
and Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).
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