Question 2 pg. 75) A decision needs to be made at a manufacturing company whose employees show a high cancer rate. Extensive medical history files have been kept on each employee, and the federal government has begun an investigation on this company location. As a member of top management, my first thought would be whether or not there was some way to conceal our mistakes. In this case, it would be very tempting to just destroy the medical records of those employees who did not sign a release, and hope that the feds overlook the missing files. But, doing so could possibly leave the company open for a whole other level of charges. I think the company would do best for itself if it turned over the records, with or without the release forms, and accept the possibility of fines for breaking confidentiality agreements. I think in the end, the punishment levied against them for the break of confidentiality would be small enough to not gamble on destroying records and trying to hide things from the auditing team, which could lead to much more severe punishment.
Question 9 pg. 116)
a. I do not feel that a country’s system of government should dictate whether or not American companies do business inside of that country’s borders. There are many forms of government, and just because a country does not practice democracy does not automatically make them a dictatorship. Many countries that do not practice democracy allow its citizens to work and earn income freely. I think decisions concerning what countries to do business with should be made on a case by case basis, as I’m sure they are, and not blanketed under one criteria such as the system of government in practice.
b. While I personally do not agree with discrimination, I do not believe that a company’s involvement in a foreign country should depend on whether or not they are a discriminatory country. If it is the local culture that certain groups are discriminated against, or not able to work for income, then this should not hinder American companies from doing business in that location. For American companies to pressure the local cultures into changing their ways would be yet another example of how American is forcing its belief system onto other cultures throughout the world. If the groups who are being discriminated against see their situation as a bad situation, I believe it should be on them to make a change, such as the American women’s rights movement. It is not the place of American government or companies to force change in other countries. I believe that individual cultures keep the world interesting and that one massive globe wide culture stemming from American beliefs would be a horrible thing for this world. Consumerism and unchecked corporate greed would mean certain death for billions of people, as the resources of the Earth were exploited to the last drop so to speak, until we place