Jess
Case Study 1
1. Does Mansato maintain an ethical culture that can effectively respond to various stakeholders?
Mansato Company understands the importance of maintaining corporate responsibility. First, they have developed a three tiered commitment policy directed at sustainable agriculture. Second, the company illustrates social responsibility in that it has created the Mansato Fund, which contributes millions of dollars to food security projects. Additionally, the Mansato Company supports several youth programs, and has made contributions to countries suffering from natural disasters. With this being said, Mansato Company, historically, has run into serious ethical dilemmas. For example, in the 1970’s, the company was hit with a huge lawsuit due to the product Agent Orange. Then, with “new” Mansato, it was revealed that the company had covered up decades of environmental pollution. For instance, huge lawsuits were filed against the company for the release of toxic wastes into creeks, and the disposal of PCB’s into open pit landfills; Mansato was completely aware of the pollution. Bribes and patents have resulted in additional ethical dilemmas. Although the company has promised to closely monitor these issues, the Department of Justice has begun a civil investigation into Mansato’s practices. Finally, many stakeholders believe that biotech crops are unnatural and impose many health risks for animals and humans. With regards to farmers, the company’s patent restrictions have put a financial burden on farmers, and the company’s power has given farmers a reason to believe that Mansato investigators are unethical. Unless the company can build and maintain a more strict ethical culture, pending legal lawsuits with the DOJ and companies like DuPont could potentially cause destructive damage to the company.
2. Compare the benefits of growing GM seeds for crops with the potential negative consequences of using them.
The benefit of growing GM seeds for
1. Does Mansato maintain an ethical culture that can effectively respond to various stakeholders?
Mansato Company understands the importance of maintaining corporate responsibility. First, they have developed a three tiered commitment policy directed at sustainable agriculture. Second, the company illustrates social responsibility in that it has created the Mansato Fund, which contributes millions of dollars to food security projects. Additionally, the Mansato Company supports several youth programs, and has made contributions to countries suffering from natural disasters. With this being said, Mansato Company, historically, has run into serious ethical dilemmas. For example, in the 1970’s, the company was hit with a huge lawsuit due to the product Agent Orange. Then, with “new” Mansato, it was revealed that the company had covered up decades of environmental pollution. For instance, huge lawsuits were filed against the company for the release of toxic wastes into creeks, and the disposal of PCB’s into open pit landfills; Mansato was completely aware of the pollution. Bribes and patents have resulted in additional ethical dilemmas. Although the company has promised to closely monitor these issues, the Department of Justice has begun a civil investigation into Mansato’s practices. Finally, many stakeholders believe that biotech crops are unnatural and impose many health risks for animals and humans. With regards to farmers, the company’s patent restrictions have put a financial burden on farmers, and the company’s power has given farmers a reason to believe that Mansato investigators are unethical. Unless the company can build and maintain a more strict ethical culture, pending legal lawsuits with the DOJ and companies like DuPont could potentially cause destructive damage to the company.
2. Compare the benefits of growing GM seeds for crops with the potential negative consequences of using them.
The benefit of growing GM seeds for