Ethical Governance-Bangladesh perspective

 

Bangladesh and evolving Business ethics spectrum in 21st century

 

In the 21st century observers find it increasingly difficult to subdivide management into functional categories. More and more processes simultaneously involve several categories. Further, management programs related to civil-society organizations have also spawned programs in nonprofit management and social entrepreneurship. To be noted that many of the assumptions made by management have come under attack from business ethics viewpoints, critical management studies, and anti-corporate activism.

 

In the 21^st century management has got two important branches Areas of management, viz., Environmental management and Social entrepreneurship, among others without which no strategic management decisions could be implemented. In Europe and USA there are specific corporate obligations towards implementing the laws relating to environment and social responsibilities which are not applicable in Bangladesh due to non-availability of any constitutional rights on natural properties, corruption at corporate and political levels where law makers not active enough to make such laws, nor, any social action groups or civic societies are pro-active for civic rights.

 

 

Within the cynicism how the domain of corporate philanthropy promotes causes:

 

Companies are adopting strategic philanthropy; they are assuming an activist stance on social issues in the West. As a result, many causes, including the following issues, have become national movements. We could look into some of those issues in brief.

 

Hunger: Marketers arranged for a portion of product sales to be donated to anti-hunger programs, human resources staffs deployed volunteers, operating units provided free food, and CEOs joined the board of Chicago-based second harvest, the food industry’s anti-hunger voice. As a result of those efforts, a complex infrastructure of food banks and soup kitchens was developed.

Community and economic development:

At least 60 banks in the USA have created community development corporations to assist run-down neighborhoods.

Literacy:

There are companies who have mobilized their marketing, human resources, and lobbying power to establish workplace literacy programs. While human resources budgets fund such programs, philanthropy dollars go mostly to volunteer organizations.

School Reform:

About 15% of the USA’s cash gifts go to school reform, and a recent study estimated that at least one third of US school districts have partnership programs with business.

Environmentalism:

Environmental support varies across industries. In high-tech companies, environmentalism is largely a human resources issue because it’s the favorite cause of many employees. Among the makers of outdoor apparel, environmentalism is largely a marketing issue, so companies donate a portion of the purchase price to environmental nonprofit. In industries that pollute or extract natural resource, environmentalism is often a government affairs matter.