I am really busy this week and do not have time to blog the way I want to. I have started several posts, but haven't had time to finish them. I want to stay in the habit of regular posting so I am submitting today a short paper I wrote for a class.
On my blog (in the future), I will discuss Corporate Social Responsibility and Stakeholder Theory, which contains some ideas I am really excited about and I do not think gets enough discussion. Here is an example of Stakeholder theory in action:
This week’s article is based on a piece that I heard on National Public Radio (NPR) Monday morning. It discusses how the multinational corporation (MNC) Cargill has teamed up with the non-governmental organization (NGO) The Nature Conservancy to improve the environment. Though both organizations are based in the United States, they both are interested in the sustainability of Brazil. Therefore, the unlikely duo is working to reduce soy farming on illegally cleared land in Brazil.
Two more players enter the picture, demonstrating the true complexity of stakeholder theory. Greenpeace tracks the deforestation trends, works with Brazil’s government, and carries a big stick in the public affairs arena. The other players are the local farmers who sell their soy to Cargill. Cargill stands to lose some profits in this initiative, but their loss is small compared to the farmers who stand to lose their livelihood if it is determined that the land they are on currently was cleared illegally in the past. They are just trying to feed their family and participate in capitalism, but as usual they are getting the short end.
Click here for NPR's article.
