The Dark Side: Critical Cases on the Downside of Business

ISBN-13: 9781906093204 / Angielski / Twarda / 2009 / 294 str.

Raufflet, Emmanuel

Opis

The discredit of a certain brand of capitalism - and the managers that practice it - continues apace. The increasing lack of tolerance for short-term thinking and a systematic neglect of the social, regulatory, and economic conditions in which business ought to operate means we are entering a time of trouble and questions - an era of economic, social, and environmental turbulence.

Recenzje

I often get asked, "What if we don't consider sustainability/do environmental management/implement a safety program?" by company managers and owners. This book is a sober warning of what could happen if businesses cut corners on social, environmental, ethical and regulatory standards. The book is split into four parts:- Part one covers "gray areas in the behaviour of businesses"; Part two looks at "business and local communities"; Part three explores "creating (or managing) crises"; and Part four looks at "gray areas in the global context". The editors have chosen an eclectic selection of case studies ranging from entrepreneurship and sexism to the responsibilities of (South African) mining companies and informal settlements, sub-standard underground mine safety, and lead-tainted toys. All of the case studies pose questions which do not always have clearly defined solutions, but illustrate the importance of dialogue with stakeholders (whoever they may be). The book also demonstrates the value of developing case studies as a means of identifying key management and communication strategies. So often, corporates will focus on a one way communication strategy which does not listen to responses and reactions. This often results in vital intelligence and status information being lost or not collected. A fascinating case study included in the book relates to Google's decision making on whether or not to enter the China market and locate a Chinese language version of the Google search engine on Chinese servers. The ethical questions raised here make absorbing reading. The Westray mine explosion case study was also a powerful tale of corporate deceit and irresponsibility. This book has many useful and thought provoking messages for Sustainability Mangers and directors dealing with corporate social responsibility and ethics issues. It will not provide all the answers but it will indicate what and how things can go wrong and provides a powerful motivation to understand the dynamics in your organisation and ensure that stakeholder communication channels are open and two way. - Eagle Bulletin 19.3 (November 2009) - Arend Hoogevorst || Challenged with complex business problems from the very first page, readers are confronted with the 'ugly' reality of the modern capitalism through an analytical lens throughout the book. As suggested by the title, the book represents a unique viewpoint on business ethics which is often missing or neglected in similar text books. Raufflet and Mills share a strong sense of responsibility to encourage an alternative approach in management education – one that respects and values ethical rules and prepares managers with judgmental skills in the ever-complicated business environment. The book comprises 16 case studies selected from the finalists and award-winners in the past seven years of the Dark Side of Business Case Competition at the Academy of Management Conference. The editors separate the book into four parts: grey areas in the behaviour of the businesses, business and local communities, creating (or managing) crises and grey areas in the global context. Each case includes a brief introduction from the editors, followed by a set of discussion questions. Along with the core text extra material for the teaching staff are offered online. The cases are set in a diverse collection of scenarios, ranging from internal organizational issues to external relationships. Crossing from various sectors, sizes, types and managerial involvement levels, the book succeeds in its goal of challenging the readers to employ analytical thinking when facing complex problems regarding corporate responsibilities and business ethics. The complexity of the situations examined is such that it forces the readers to be exposed and confronted with the limitations of the methods used to solve simpler problems. The book appears as a refreshing alternative to books of successful management stories that fill the shelves. It is one of the few books in the market that deal with problematic cases and managerial failures. Readers are offered the chance to understand how specific managerial decisions can lead to failure and have undesirable effects. Moreover, the book is easy to read and follow by providing the clear objectives outlined in each chapter. Although the book is designed to be used as a textbook in management education, it is structured in a way that makes it approachable as self-study material. Although throughout the book the cases are well written and thorough, the book may have been more cohesive with a modified organization of the chapters. A separate section for human resource management or internal organization issues, opposing to other external activities may provide more focus and impact. It is a pity that most of the authors and the cases are western-centric which somewhat limits the scope of the book. Despite the parts focusing on business in the global context, the culture perspective is therefore overlooked. Notwithstanding the above, the book succeeds in achieving all its goals and aims as

Spis treści

1. Gray areas in the behavior of businesses1.1. Leading the team out of the hazing blues yonder: the case of the Windsor Spitfire hockey teamFrancine K. Schlosser1.2. John Hamilton’s work and eldercare dilemma. Break the silence? Sustain the silence?Rosemary A. McGowan1.3. Hugh Connerty and Hooters: what is successful entrepreneurship?Mary Godwyn1.4. Antiquorum Auctioneers: building brands on ignorance?Benoit Leleux1.5. The Lidl international career opportunity: from dream to nightmare in eight weeksMatt Bladowski and Rosemary A. McGowan2. Business and local communities2.1. Food Lion vs. the UFCW: time for a change?Paul Michael Swiercz2.2. Manipulation, placation, partnership or delegated power: can community and business really work together when surface mining comes to town?Sherry Finney2.3. The smell of power: Yves Rocher in La Gacilly, FranceEmmanuel Raufflet and Monique Le Chêne2.4. Who takes responsibility for the informal settlements? Mining companies in South Africa and the challenge of local collaborationRalph Hamann3. Creating (or managing) crises3.1. The Westray mine explosionCaroline J. O’Connell and Albert J. Mills3.2. The story behind the water in Walkerton, OntarioElizabeth A. McLeod and Jean Helms Mills3.3. Dark territory: the Graniteville chlorine spillJill A. Brown and Ann K. Buchholtz4. Gray areas in the global context4.1 The dark side of water: a struggle for access and controlLatha Poonamallee and Anita Howard4.2. Mattel, Inc.: Lead-tainted toysAdenekan (Nick) Dedeke and Martin Calkins4.3 Google, Inc.: Figuring out how to deal with ChinaAnne T. Lawrence4.4. Genocide in Rwanda: Leadership, ethics and organizational ‘failure’ in a post-colonial contextBrad S. Long, Jim Grant, Albert J. Mills, Ellen Rudderham-Gaudet, and Amy Warren

O autorze

Albert J. Mills, Emmanuel Raufflet