As was explained during the course ethic practices had an important impact on international business decision because they could lead to create a well recognition as aware or responsible, as (Ronald. R. Sims, 2003) explain: “ethical behavior is acting in ways consistent with one’s personal values and the commonly held values of the organization and society.”
In Colombia mining sector is one of the most controversial, there are plenty aspect as security, legalization on issuing permission to exploits mines; regulation and control that are not yet fully standardize and applied in most of the 8.828 active mines by the date. Since 2004 investment in gold, emerald, cold mining is growing as well as deaths caused by the lack of safety in those places. Responsibility of accidents, as the last one in Santander that took 34 lives, lies not only on the local authorities that does not follows properly the rules to issue permission, or made all the inspections and demand for example to proper medical assistance allocated near mines with technological equipment to act more effectively in case of an incident; but also implicates the ownerships of mines that in order to reduce cost or gain more benefits took deliberately advantage of the situation and fails on regulations, and do not take the proper measures to protect their employees. Besides the obvious problems, in accordance to “the International labor organization (ILO) and data from DANE, in 2007 there were registered 8.499 children working in mines and quarries exploiting gold, emerald and cold”[1], the previous situation is an example of how this organizations face a dilemma from an ethical point of view, is there labor practices, respect for human rights and fair operating practices? Since when reducing cost is an enough reason for hiring people from vulnerable sectors in order to pay less money, or use children only because their high is appropriate and fits within the mine as Lucero representative from Bogota town hall affirmed. Children used as a labor force is a problem that not only exits in Colombia, but in countries such Peru, Bolivia and Guatemala to mention some of them. This remark how ethical decision are faced worldwide and unfortunately in those cases economic and growing desires had been stronger than altruism. As part of the workshop I will answer: what does the statement “all capitalism is crony capitalism” is referring to? Do you agree with this statement or not? Give an example. The text explains crony capitalism as the strategic or connections that some enterprises use by creating relationships with others in order to receive some benefits, those practices creates a kind of elite where the ones that are in highest positions covers each other, do favors a receive some as a retribution. People in lowest positions are the ones that suffers consequences from that because in some cases are the ones privatize from important information and opportunities. One example could be the recent investigation to the senator Ivan Moreno rojas for his intervention in allocating construction contracts for public works, to the group Nule, as a retribution for having helped in the campaign of his brother Samuel Moreno in Bogotá.
[1]http://www.elcolombiano.com/BancoConocimiento/I/ilegalidad_y_muerte_codenan_la_mineria/ilegalidad_y_muerte_codenan_la_mineria.asp
Ronald. R. Sims, (2003) Ethics and Corporate Social Responsibility: Why giants fall. PraegerPublisher. United States of America. Pp. 100.
Carolina, Thank you for sharing this relevant case. It enlightens the topic we are dealing with.
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