Corporate Social Responsibility and Ethics-Case Study Essay

Corporate Social Responsibility and Ethics-Case Study - Essay Example This has brought forth the term Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) implying the moral and social welfare promoting aspects that a modern day corporate must posses besides its financial or profit making goals. In a single sentence Corporate Social Responsibility is the culmination of the duties towards the stakeholders that encompasses promotion of social welfare, moral development and sustainable environmental safety. Brief analysis of Bhopal Gas Disaster: The majority of the Indian population lies under the poverty line and are technologically backward. 26 years earlier when the disaster took place the situation was even worse. Furthermore the concerned state Madhya Pradesh was regarded as one of the least developed states of India where the labourers were equipped with little technical expertise. This background does not confer the mentioned state as an ideal place to establish a plant that would eventually be handling a substance as toxic as Methyl Isocyanides. The concerned co mpany Union Carbide ignored these technical issues and made a grave mistake in terms of the strategic management and planning. However, the mistakes made that way become the outcome of greedy business steps when the availability of cheap labours that were hired in the process is taken into account. Ignoring technological impediments regarding the poor standards of the knowledge base of the labourers along with the ignorance of environmental standard those were needed to set a plant of such a complex technology at that place in search of financial gain is the brief but ultimate verdict of the Bhopal disaster. Ans 1 An issue dependent and logical reasoning of blaming Mr. Warren Anderson Once the dreadful early December (December 2 and 3) of 1984 was passed claiming thousands of lives, the famous or infamous chairman of Union Carbide Mr. Warren Anderson was immediately taken into custody in charge of sheer negligence of corporate responsibility. Ironically the person who was responsibl e for thousands of death soon got a personal bail of only USD3000 and came out of custody. Anderson then carried out some sort of investigation that came out with dubious results. On one instance Anderson blamed the entire management team of the company for their negligence that brought the catastrophe and on another instance he gave a much narrowed version while blaming the local plant operation manager alone. (Camino, 1989, p 3; Peterson, 1985, pp. 196-197) Whatever doubtful is the explanation of Mr. Anderson; owing to a political-corporate nexus that is like any other country is operative in India as well; Mr. Anderson was protected and managed to get back to his country USA. Questions had been raised against the then Prime Minister of India Mr. Rajiv Gandhi for protecting and eventually helping him to get back to his country. 26 years later of that event, Mr. Arjun Singh the Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh though turned down all these allegations against the late Prime Minister Mr. Rajiv Gandhi; yet pleaded against the heinous acts of Anderson and raised his voice for the immediate arrest of him. Mr. Singh requested the present Prime Minister Mr. Manmohan Singh to initiate a talk with the USA President Mr. Barrack Obama regarding the extradition of Anderson to India where he can be prosecuted for killing of thousands of Indians in front of an Indian court. (Arjun Singh breaks silence on Bhopal gas tragedy, Aug 11, 2010) Owing to the growing agitation regarding