Introduction:
In today’s fast-paced business world, organizations strive to achieve their goals and objectives, but sometimes they fall short. This can happen when the organization has a deadly objective that can harm its employees, customers, and stakeholders. In this article, we will explore what makes a deadly organization and how it can be prevented.
The Deadly Objective:
A deadly objective is an unethical or illegal goal that an organization sets for itself, regardless of the consequences. It is a goal that puts people at risk and harms the environment or society. Examples of deadly objectives include:
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Profit over People: When an organization prioritizes profit over people, it can lead to unsafe working conditions, exploitation of workers, and environmental destruction. The case study of the Bangladesh Plaza Factory Collapse in 2013 is a perfect example of this, where more than 1,100 workers died due to the company’s focus on profit over safety.
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Bribery and Corruption: When an organization engages in bribery and corruption, it can lead to illegal activities, loss of trust, and harm to society. The case study of Enron’s downfall is a prime example of this, where the company engaged in fraudulent accounting practices and paid bribes to politicians to gain a competitive advantage.
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Product Harm: When an organization puts profits over people’s safety, it can lead to harmful products that cause harm to consumers. The case study of VW’s emissions scandal is a perfect example of this, where the company cheated on emissions tests and put millions of people at risk.
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Human Rights Abuses: When an organization violates human rights, it can lead to discrimination, persecution, and even death. The case study of Apple’s labor practices in China is a prime example of this, where workers are subjected to long hours, low wages, and dangerous working conditions.
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Climate Change: When an organization prioritizes short-term gains over the environment, it can lead to climate change, which threatens the survival of our planet. The case study of ExxonMobil’s denial of climate change is a perfect example of this, where the company spent millions of dollars on lobbying politicians and spreading misinformation to deny the reality of climate change.
How Deadly Organizations are Created:
Deadly organizations are not born overnight; they are created through a combination of factors, including:
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Lack of Ethical Leadership: When leaders prioritize profits over people and fail to hold themselves accountable for their actions, it creates an organizational culture that values profit over ethics.
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Short-term Thinking: When organizations focus on short-term gains rather than long-term sustainability, they are more likely to engage in unethical or illegal behavior.
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Lack of Regulation: When governments fail to regulate industries and enforce ethical standards, it creates an environment where organizations can engage in harmful activities with little consequences.
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Pressure from Stakeholders: When stakeholders, such as investors and customers, demand profits over people and the environment, it puts pressure on organizations to prioritize profits over ethics.
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Globalization: When organizations operate in a global marketplace, they are more likely to engage in unethical behavior to maintain a competitive advantage.
How Deadly Organizations can be Prevented:
While deadly organizations are created through a combination of factors, they can also be prevented through the following measures:
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Ethical Leadership: When leaders prioritize ethics and hold themselves accountable for their actions, it creates an organizational culture that values people over profits.
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Long-term Thinking: When organizations focus on long-term sustainability rather than short-term gains, they are more likely to engage in ethical behavior.
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Strong Regulation: When governments enforce ethical standards and hold organizations accountable for their actions, it creates an environment where organizations are less likely to engage in harmful activities.
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Stakeholder Engagement: When stakeholders demand ethical behavior from organizations, it puts pressure on organizations to prioritize ethics over profits.
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Global Standards: When global standards are established and enforced for ethical behavior, it creates a level playing field for all organizations operating in the global marketplace.
Conclusion:
Deadly organizations are not only harmful to people and the environment but also to society as a whole. They are created through a combination of factors, including lack of ethical leadership, short-term thinking, lack of regulation, pressure from stakeholders, and globalization. However, they can be prevented through measures such as ethical leadership, long-term thinking, strong regulation, stakeholder engagement, and global standards. It is our responsibility to hold organizations accountable for their actions and demand ethical behavior in the business world.
