Critical Issues in Management- a module compulsory to all 3rd year Accounting and Finance students, has brought me lots of pain, frustration, many late nights. However, the very core existence of this module, its structured scattering of knowledge, compulsory attendance of seminars, presentation and QnA based approach to teaching, and the variety of issues that it covered... I have to admit that I could not find its relevance and 'the whole point of it' to start with. Raising my hand and asking questions for the sake of asking (more like for my contribution marks), presenting something with the intention to 'just get it over with'. It wasn't until towards the end of it all, when exams are approaching, that I fully appreciate the whole 'point' of doing this module. Seemingly useless but very thought provoking. My final individual presentation was a good end to it all for me. That was the first time I did one with such passion in delivering the message across, and of course I am happy the audience appreciated that (not least the seminar tutor)
Anyway the main issue I want to draw on today, is the Book Review assigned to me in CIM beginning of the year. The Corporation. With such a boring cover page, one can not help but feel a little put off from reading it.
Well, see for yourself
There are however, many hidden treasures in the book. Its main aim, is to get the readers to be aware of the ruthless legal existence of Corporations. McD, General Motors, Goodyear Tire, BP, Bodyshop... know these names? Yes, it's about them. They have human-like existence according to the law, and we are responsible for giving them that.
Problem number 1: They only have one legal purpose: Make money for shareholders
Problem number 2: They never die
Do you know that in terms of money making capability, Walmart is bigger than the whole of Malaysia?
Given how big they are, needless to say, they also have a big say in how things are run, on the international and national level. Political conspiracy? Definitely. Remember the financial meltdown in 2008, you bet these are involved.
Let's go right down the the basic, personal level and look at how corporations take over our lives. Recently I saw a blogpost on Facebook, with over 2000 comments to that post. It was an incident in Cheras. Now hear me out.
It happened in the middle of the night. There was a car accident involving several cars. Whether the drivers were drunk or not does not matter in this story. End result was that they crashed, and the cars were severely 'deformed'. This blogger was actually a passer-by, and he saw in what was left of one of the car, the girl behind the wheels screaming her lungs out as she was pinned, squashed in it. Seeing that sparks were forming at the rear of the car, this blogger ran to the nearest petrol station begging for fire extinguishers.
Two men were sitting behind the kiosk. Neither were willing to lend the fire extinguisher to this blogger to save the poor girl. Company policy, it was said.
But the girl is going to be burnt alive! She needs help! You can have my ID and I will return it and I will pay for it.
Sorry we cant let you have it. Our boss does not permit lending things to people. Oh, and it you make a scene here, our CCTV has got you captured and we will report your actions to the police.
Due to the insistence of the 2 cashiers to not lend the fire extinguisher to this blogger, the spark turned into fire.
The girl was burnt alive.
Post mortem: Would that action be considered negligent manslaughter? Unfortunately no. Remember the definition of corporations? They are here merely to make money. Saving lives? Sorry, not in the context.
What followed was that the blogger tried to initiate a boycott towards the company involved in that 'crime'. Crime of refusing to save another's life, accusing the 2 of murder. Morally, perhaps, but in no way did their failure to act can be considered manslaughter/murder. Here, I believe 2 issues presented themselves.
1) The lack of common sense of the nation. Education or the lack thereof, has failed to produce a nation with the basic ability to think, and react.
2) What I like to refer to as 'the shell of corporations'. The tendency of people to hide behind the corporation shell avoiding making personal decisions and taking responsibilities. In creating corporations, we created a money making machine, and also a poor excuse that shelters many morally corrupted intentions/actions that ultimately harmed no one but ourselves.
A case illustrating the failure of capitalism and corporations
with reference to Akina Teo
