... Martha ; DiStefano, Joseph & Dietz, Joerg. (2009) International management behavior : leading with a global mindset. 6th ed. Hoboken, N.J. : Wiley. "Montsanto Europe (A)", pp. 119-133. CASE 1 Monsanto Europe (A)1 We should diligently explore the possibilities of non-chemical methods [of pest control] ....Until a large-scale conversion to these methods has been made, we shall have little relief from a situation that, by any common-sense standards, is intolerable.2 Erwironmentalist Rachel Carson, author of Silent Spring On November 5, 1996, the captain of Ideal Progress piloted the large freighter into the calm waters of Hamburg harbor. Suddenly the still autumn air was pierced by a shrill noise and large floodlights momentarily blinded the captain. The engines ground to a halt as some of the deck crew gathered around the bow to listen to the chants of their strange assailants. The captain was one of the few who understood what the commotion was about; a Greenpeace ship had come to protest the arrival of the first shipment of genetically modified soybeans from the United States. IVEY Richard lvey School of Business The University of Western Ontario � Northeastern � U N I V E R S I T Y David Wesley, Professors Francis Spital and Henry W. Lane prepared this case solely to provide material for class discussion. The authors do not intend to illustrate either effective or ineffective handling of a managerial situation. The authors may have disguised certain...
Words: 1891 - Pages: 8
...don't seem to coincide with those ideals. It is exactly what people hope to see when reading any company's code of ethics. Upon researching Monsanto and it's ethical issues, I have come to the conclusion that I do not believe them to be very ethical actors, or at the very least, they know how to operate in gray areas. While they do donate to charities, those donations seem to have motivation beyond altruism. To me, their donating seeds to third world nations is really only an attempt to get in to an untapped market that will eventually rely on them. The reason I believe this is because they have shown through past actions that their main goal is to control the majority of the world's GMO supply whether it is seeds or Prosilac, the hormone used to produce more milk in cows, or any other product they produce. They sued DuPont, a competitor, for trying to create their own seeds that could withstand Roundup (a Monsanto product that has all but completely saturated the marketplace). If DuPont didn't try to engineer seeds that could withstand Roundup, they literally wouldn't be able to compete as Roundup is so widely used. Their seeds would not produce crops and they wouldn't have customers. Also, the fact that their customers cannot reuse seeds from year to year shows profit motivation. Obviously, businesses rely on profit, but I feel like Monsanto has abused the power it has secured over the food supply. If their goals were simply to wipe out world...
Words: 3303 - Pages: 14
...When Monsanto decided to introduce its genetically modified soybeans to Europe, they were faced with numerous uncontrollable forces in which they had to contend. Monsanto had little opposition to the product in the US. Consumers were indifferent to the technology and for the most part, embraced it. With this success, they assumed that the sentiment would be shared internationally. After all, Monsanto had good intentions. They had aspirations to reduce pesticide use and subside world hunger. Despite these intentions, they failed to realize that foreign environments have differing values and can be difficult to assess especially regarding political, legal and cross-cultural differences. Ultimately the product was not accepted in Europe mostly out of concern for food safety. It is important to analyze and understand the forces they were faced with to have a sense of why Monsanto failed. Monsanto failed in Europe for two main reasons. The first (outside of Monsanto’s control) was the recent outbreak of Mad Cow disease linked to British Beef, yet downplayed by the government. This event just so happened to coincide with the introduction of the genetically modified soybeans. There had been a loss of trust in government and food safety. We can refer to uncertainty avoidance in Hofstede’s four dimensions model to understand this further. Many European countries rank high in uncertainty avoidance and are risk averse. Members of this type of society have high anxiety...
Words: 556 - Pages: 3
...The Monsanto Company is the world’s largest company that specializes in biotechnology and genetic manipulation of organisms. This worldwide company is well known by farmers because it helps them increase food production and revenues. Nowadays 90% of the world’s GM seeds are sold by Monsanto. The company's innovation can solve a huge world’s problems such as hunger, because of intensive growth of population and lack of food and resources. That would feed all people worldwide but only thought the use of biotechnology. During the long history of Monsanto, there were different ethical, health issue and problems in each period of time. According to the company in the period 1901, when company was founded, the production of the artificial sweetener saccharine that was sold to Coca cola, this time Monsanto was well known as a Chemical company. They supplied the U.S. Army (Agent orange) which military sprayed over Vietnam and then it lead to genetic mutations in Vietnam event after 40 years. In 1981, they determined that the biotechnology would be the company new strategic focus. Then in 1994, they introduced their first products, and then sold soybean, cotton, and canola seeds. So other herbicides killed good plants that consider as not ethical at all. After production of insecticide DDC make a debate about safety in food, that it can be cause of some dangerous illness. Ethical issue was that it could lead to changes in natural ecosystem and distorted natural balance, but also...
Words: 430 - Pages: 2
...Case 1 1. There are several ethical issues in this case. The first issue is the most significant, the alteration and manipulation of crop seeds and its effect on humans and the environment. Although the seeds lead to higher crop yields, they have not been sufficiently tested on humans and we have no idea what effects they could have on human health. More specifically, the issue of allowing seeds to produce their own insecticide and the harm that ingesting glyphosphate, even in small amounts, could have on humans and animals. Currently, farmers do not have to show when food is genetically altered on food labels, so individuals may not know they are consuming these products. Through cross-pollination insects can easily carry the seed genes to other plants and create weeds that are pesticide resistant and uncontrollable. The second issue in this case concerns the patenting of Monsanto’s products and preventing fair competition. Monsanto requires farmers to purchase new seeds every year and can also sue farmers whose crops are contaminated through cross-pollination. Their actions have already gained the attention of the American Antitrust Institute and the Department of Justice for anticompetitive activities. Third, Monsanto has already been prosecuted for bribery in foreign countries and dumping of toxic chemicals in Alabama. They may be participating in more illegal and unethical practices to ensure their products use in new markets. Lastly, it seems the company is continually...
Words: 612 - Pages: 3
...495 Case #3 – Monsanto I: Situation Analysis Monsanto is a company that some people may not be explicitly familiar with on a first name basis. However, the work that the company has done over the last century, with a larger emphasis on its most recent ventures, have been deeply engrained in our lives, our food, and our economy. Monsanto has those who advocate on their behalf in addition to their naysayers. While Monsanto has made huge strides in terms of biotechnology over the last couple of decades, their accomplishments, and the relevant methods, have not been free of criticism and controversy. In order to analyze Monsanto’s corporate environment, it is important to first explore their Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats through conducting a SWOT analysis. <Insert Exhibit 1 Here (See end of file)> Now that Monsanto’s internal and external environments have been analyzed through the SWOT analysis featured in Exhibit 1, it is necessary to determine what information is still necessary, and what assumptions might need to be made in order to be better-informed to make a decision. II: Assumptions and Missing Information The first piece of information that comes to mind that is only briefly mentioned in the case but that is very important to know about is the availability of alternatives and the presence of competitors. Considering that Monsanto held a considerable market share and sold a staggering majority of GMO crops at the time of the case, it doesn’t...
Words: 1553 - Pages: 7
...Case 1: “Monsanto Attempts to Balance Stakeholder Interests” Dr. Obradovich Case 1: “Monsanto Attempts to Balance Stakeholder Interests” Harry Stevenson September 15th, 2015 Monsanto is one of the world’s largest industrial agriculture businesses, especially focusing on genetically modified products. The company specializes in biotechnology, modifying crops and genetic manipulation of organisms. These modifications help farmers by using less land and creating more crops, which equals more profits. Genetically modified (GM) food also helps create solutions to world hunger problems and is a rapidly growing product for famers. GM products have stirred up controversy everywhere they are distributed, and Monsanto, being a huge multinational corporation and a major producer, is at the center of the debate. Throughout the company’s history, Monsanto has been attacked with criticisms from governments, farmers and activists groups because of their controversial products. This case deals with the ethical implications of producing and selling a product without understanding the environmental and physical implications of the products. Monsanto claims that its products are safe, and the FDA has proclaimed that GM food is safe to consume but critics are not convinced and continue to try and stop the use of GM products. Monsanto has showed a clear disregard for ethical obligations in its history and continues to downplay the importance of environmental and physical risks to the...
Words: 1509 - Pages: 7
...Table of content. |Topic |Page number | |Case analysis |2 | |Case synopsis and themes |3 | |Question 1 |3 | |Question 2 |6 | |Question 3 |8 | |Islamic Perspective |12 | |References |16 | CASE ANALYSIS: MOSANTO BALANCES WORLDWIDE STAKEHOLDER CONCERN. Monsanto company is a multinational agricultural biotechnology corporation which is based in U.S as a headquarter. It is the leading producer of the herbicide glyphosate around the world. The corporation was founded in 1901 by John Francis Queeny, and...
Words: 2708 - Pages: 11
...Monsanto and the Moral Challenge Surrounding Genetically Modified Products Ethics and Humanity: Company Case Briefing Monsanto and the Moral Challenge Surrounding Genetically Modified Products The “good company” operates with four pillars in mind, each a different level for the firm to exhibit its corporate social responsibility. First, the company must ensure its commitment to the health, safety, productivity and profitability of its own employees. Second, the company must be actively customer-focused, establishing clear and open lines of communications and trust, while also demonstrating a duty of care in their operations. Third, the company must be globally-oriented towards the industry as a whole. And fourth, the company must display an investment in their own community. At each of those levels—the individual employee, the customer, the industry and the community, the “good company” should endeavor to uphold its own corporate pledge to deliver results while also taking responsibility for its activities. Applying this framework to Monsanto is a precarious task, but below we will examine the moral challenge that the company faces currently, identifying key stakeholders, and discerning the possible moral outcomes to its many challenges. Monsanto Company provides agricultural products for farmers in the US and abroad. With nearly 23,000 employees, the company has a history of producing and marketing...
Words: 2063 - Pages: 9
...Monsanto Attempts to Balance Stakeholder Interests Monsanto is one of the largest specialized in biotechnology companies that were not the largest ever in the world in this area. It has focused in recent decades on the modification of crops through the introduction of new genes and gene-conditioning inside the seed a better way for the development of specific goals such as control pests and increase production rates. Monsanto produces and markets 90% of genetically modified seeds that have helped farmers around the world. Through its products from seeds or genes used by other companies have the monopoly of Monsanto arrived in some crops in 70-100 of the market share of the foregoing became Monsanto's supporters and anti-where the point of view of the supporters was that Monsanto since reached technology that can contribute to solving the problem of food shortages in the world, including availability of high-yield products and resistance to pests. The opinion of the owners and your monopoly may make Monsanto multinational giant requisition food supplies in the world modified seeds genetically its health effects and the environment and biodiversity with all this division between the pro and anti-Monsanto this giant did not stop from becoming the largest and most govern in crops. All this controversy makes us look into the history of Monsanto where beginnings were in the production of chemicals that make us more wary of Monsanto products, modified Rathian the safety of individuals...
Words: 1389 - Pages: 6
...Monsanto Attempts to Balance Stakeholder Interests Course: MAN 3065 Group#: 1 Date Submitted: Oct. 2, 2014 Member: Evelyn Arfaro Reference#: 810149 Member: Claudia Calmet Term: 2014-15 Member: Claudia Castro Days: T & Th Member: Loanny Martinez Time: 7:05 pm – 8:20 pm Member: Jeanette Ramos Prof: Hoa N. Burrows, CPA, MBA Monsanto is one of the largest seed company in the United States and was found by John F. Queeny in 1901 in St. Louis, Missouri. The Monsanto company has created a variety of products to include the artificial sweetener saccharine used by Coca-Cola. Due to past major legal obstacles (Orange Agent) they shifted their efforts from the chemical realm to an organization focused on biotechnology. Their past history has generated a consensus on the possibility of how biotechnology might affect the environment and peoples’ health (Ferrell 302). In order to look at stakeholder’s interest we must look at whether Monsanto maintain an ethical culture that effectively responds to various stakeholders; we must compare the benefits of growing GM seeds for crops with the potential negative consequences of using them; and how should Monsanto manage the potential harm to plant and animal life from using products such as Roundup. Who are Monsanto Stakeholders? Monsanto Stakeholders are their employees, customers, suppliers, shareholders, communities and investors...
Words: 1507 - Pages: 7
...he British tend to assume that something "American" is either odious, or new and improved. In the case of genetically modified foods, the public thinks the former, the Prime Minister thinks the latter. But how are "Frankenfoods" seen in America itself~ In most cases, they aren't seen at all. Estimates vary as to how many cows in the US are regularly injected with the genetically engineered growth hormone "Posilac", or bovine somatotropin (BST). Monsanto couldn't tell me. It might be 7 per cent, it might be 15, it might be 30. Anywhere from 700,000 to three million cows receive it, and their milk is not labelled, nor is the cheese or yoghurt that's made from it. An estimated 45-50 million acres of GM crops (ofthe 69.5 million planted globally) now grow in the US. These, too, go unnoticed by the average citizen. They are grown on huge, isolated farms and then sold in bulk to distributors and processors from where they slip undeclared into all manner of products - as soy beans into sauces, as potatoes into chips at McDonald's, as corn into tins of minestrone, as cotton into garments. According to Monsanto, this is because GM crops are safe and desirable. According to their detractors, they do so because of decades of political cosiness between government and agri-business. Both sides agree, though, that Monsanto won the first round of the battle in 1993, when BST became, in Monsanto's words, "the first product of biotechnology approved for commercial...
Words: 378 - Pages: 2
...Case Assignment 1 1. Does Monsanto maintain an ethical culture that can effectively respond to various stakeholders? Yes, it does. Ethical culture Stresses the importance of ethical behavior dependent of any religious beliefs in relation to life, personal, social, local and international, (“Dictionary.com”). From a surface view Monsanto is adhering to ethical corporate responsibility. They are giving back to the community, and making sure that they do not pollute the environment. They speak of social responsibility and business ethics to create a great reputation with stakeholders. They donate funds to research and low income individuals. All the while these good deeds that are seen from the surface cover up major issues that are very prevalent. For decades Monsanto has been hiding the truth about the environmental pollution from its products. that are harmful for people. The stakeholders have rightfully loss confidence in the company causing stock prices to fall dramatically. 2. Compare the benefits of growing GM seeds for crops with the potential negative consequences of using them. The benefit if one will call it that to growing GM seeds is the high quantity crop productions. The benefit to growing GM seeds mean farmers can expect better yields. This is because of the bug repellant nature of the GM crops and bugs can eat up a very substantial amount of crops. However, many years have “we” grown crops and invented ways of protecting the fields from bugs and animals....
Words: 462 - Pages: 2
...Leona Razdrih 9/23/2013 MONSANTO I chose to write about Monsanto, they are a company who has sued and have been sued. I thought I would pick out and would choose one major lawsuit and write about that in my final paper. Now, I am going to give you a brief summary of the history of the company. Monsanto was founded by John Francis Queenie in 1901, in St. Louis Missouri. He named the company after his wifes Maiden name Monsanto , John was a 30 year veteran in the pharmaceutical business. He invented quite a few things One of his first products was artificial sweetener called saccharin. That was sold to Coca-Cola. By the 1940’s the company was a major producer of plastics which included polystyrene and synthetic fibers. The scientists from Monsanto had a breakthrough research on catalytic asymmetric hydrogenation and they were the first company to mass produce LED lights. Monsanto Company is headquartered in Missouri. It is a leading producer of genetically Engineered seed and the herbicide glyphosate, which is marketed under the brand name of Round-up. This is what I’m generally concerned about, I use this product Roundup for my weeds and have heard that glyphosate is safe and non-toxic, from the research I have been doing that’s not the case. Glyphosate is an active ingredient in some common herbicides used in farming and gardening. This chemical is sprayed on the roadside when people are driving, schoolyards and sports Fields, exposing kids...
Words: 432 - Pages: 2
...Francisco, CA 94107 tel: (415) 293-9900 fax: (415) 293-8394 info-ca@fwwatch.org www.foodandwaterwatch.org Copyright © 2013 by Food & Water Watch. All rights reserved. This report can be viewed or downloaded at www.foodandwaterwatch.org. A CORPORATE PROFILE Executive Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Company History . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Modern-Day Monsanto . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Monsanto’s Environmental Impact . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Market Share . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Figure 1. TIMELINE: A Selected History of Monsanto . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Influence on Government . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Figure 2. Monsanto’s Interlocking Board Members . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Figure 3. Monsanto’s Revolving...
Words: 7321 - Pages: 30
