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Analyses on Monsanto’s Business Ethics Issues and Practices of Corporate Social Responsibility

Ho-Young Lee1 · Donghyun Kim1 · GeeChan Lee1 · Dae Seong Jeong1

1 Yonsei University

Published: November 2016 · Vol. 20 No. 4 · pp. 1-26

DOI: https://doi.org/10.17287/kbr.2016.20.4.1

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Abstract

Mosantoisaleadingmultinationalcorporationwhereitsvisionissettoincreaseproductivity and enable sustainable agriculture for the future demographic increase by utilizing the company’s agricultural solution products. Monsanto has achieved a great managerial success throughfastinnovation,researchanddevelopmentanditsflexibility.Also,theyhaveinvolved invariouscorporatesocialresponsibility(CSR)activitiessuchasprovidingscholarships,granting research funds for non-profit organizations, and supporting water resource conservation, among many others. However, on the opposite side of its success story, Monsanto has exposed to the general publicthroughaseriesofnegativemediacoveragesonsomemanagementstrategiesperformed inseveral countriesincludingIndiaandArgentina. Forexample, theirchemical productssuch as PCB and Agent Orange have caused environmental pollution and deteriorated welfare of humanbeing.MonsantohasalsobeenexposedtomediacoveragesbecauseofviolationofGMO safetyandfakeadvertising,etc.Atthesametime,Monsantohasexertedmuchefforttorecover theirreputationasaglobalcompanybyactivelyparticipatingincorporate socialreasonability activities, contributingtheirresourcestosociety throughcreatingjobsandconductingvarious CSR activities. Inthiscasestudy,weanalyzeMonsanto’sbusinesspracticesconductedinIndiaandArgentina from the perspectives of theories in business ethics and corporate social responsibility. In particular, we analyze two Monsanto’s business practices using prescriptive theories and the four stages of social responsibility. This study provides useful insights to various interested * School of Business,Yonsei University ** School of Law, Yonsei University *** School of Business,Yonsei University ****Instituteof LanguageandInformationStudies, Yonsei University partiessurroundingacorporationandemphasizestheimportanceofunderstandingcontinuous monitoringandcooperationbetweencompaniesandinterestedpartiestoensuresubstantiality and human wellbeing.
Keywords: 몬산토경영윤리기업의 사회적책임