THE CORPORATION

Corporations. Retrieved on February 2011 from: http://media.photobucket.com/image/corporations/Pearl00Girl/Corporations.jpg

How can we ensure corporations are held accountable for their actions “ethically” and “legally”?

We as citizens of the world, in this globalize earth, can ensure corporations are held accountable for their ethical and legal actions through previews education, in order to create conscience and patters of appropriate behavior; also with the help of the governments around the world, in order to be much more harder and aware of corporate actions, because in my opinion their flexibility allows these giant to do what they want, regardless the effect the community and society is going to suffer.

Should individuals (directors, employees, shareholders) bear any responsibility for the actions of a corporation? If so, to what degree?

A corporation can be defined as an organization that works or functions under a common purpose: gain large and sustainable profits or as a large group of individuals that work together under a common objective: make more and more money. In the United States, the corporations started as an association of people named by the state in order to do or accomplish a certain task, that represents public trust, but with time and industrialization, this whole idea stated changing and becomes a public person, but at the end a LEGAL PERSON able to buy, sell and demand, just a member of society, with all men right and all this statement can include.

When we start to analyze the responsibility in general context of the corporations, we realize there are millions of opinions and points of view addressing this certain issue. In the documental The Corporation, we are able to see and identify a lot of cases that can be used as a guide to conclude or formulate our opinion about who´s supposed to be responsible for the corporation actions.

In my opinion, the CEO´s or the general managers, the ones uncharged of tacking the important decisions, are responsible for the consequences that the company actions can produce or create, regardless if they are good or bad for the environment and society, because they are the ones that put on track and gave life to that Legal Person that the corporation is.  In other words, the higher the position in the company, the higher the level of responsibility you have on its actions, regardless if they are good or bad.

What are the benefits of the corporate form? Could an alternative model offer these as well?

In order to identify the different benefits that the corporate form can bring, we should be aware that this form bring with it nice and not so nice effects or outcomes. A positive benefit is that when you are in a bigger and important group, you are not alone, what gives you power in order to act and decide according to your own interest, you gain profits, so you are wealthy, and these benefits involve the different effects that you with your decisions may cause on the community or society you are in, as for example development, growth, advance technologies and opportunities, but also environmental damage, for example in a negative way.

Search for a foreign multinational corporation that has operations in Colombia. Research if they are run under Colombian rules or regulations or if they have special regulations?

UNILEVER is a multinational corporation that has worldwide presence covering almost 400 brands in 14 different categories. According to their official web site, they are ruled by the Code of Business Principles which describes the operational standards that everyone that works for Unilever must (follow) wherever they are in the world. This Code also supports the company approach with the governments and the corporate responsibility.

Unilever. Retreived on February 2001 from: http://tantocuento.files.wordpress.com/2009/08/unilever.jpg

Should economic efficiency (Main argument for privatization) be the primary concern for commons and public services? Are there other criteria to determine who should own or operate them?

According to the moment we are living right know in terms of interdependence and globalization, in my opinion the economic efficiency can be consider as the primary concern for common and public services, because consumers and customers everywhere are wanting the lowest price possible, buy with the best quality; but at the same time, education, health, growth, environment, societies welfare and development can also be as important and determinants to be taken into account.

The corporation. Retrieved on February 2011 from: http://www.eviltwinbooking.org/events.cfm?view=FILMs&artist_id=1

MORE INFO ABOUT THE CORPORATION: (Big Picture Media Corporation, 2003-2001)