Could the transnational corporation still be trusted anymore?

China
December 19, 2008 3:23am CST
I think everyone konw the scandal of Siemens,the well-known transnational corporation, which adopted the slogan "be spired" in the mid-1990s. Maybe the simmens carry out this slogan not only in the product field but also other area. So it's not surprised it came to devising novel way to funnel huge sums in backhanders to corrupt officials and politicians across the globe. A company put so much money and energy on the bribery rather than aiming at the reserach of new product and the better service for customer, which is not only a shame for Siemens but also all business field. If we couldn't trust the company like Siemens, what else We can trust? Maybe it's only ourselves.
1 response
@oldboy46 (2129)
• Australia
22 Dec 08
This is one scandal that I missed somewhere along the line but perhaps that was because there was no big mention of it in the media here in Australia. That probaby means that there has been no evidence that anyone was bribed here in Australia or else we would have heard of it. I am not saying that there was no bribery or even implying that it happened here in Austtralia but simply there is no evidence. Unfortunately bribery is wide spread in so many countries and in fact if the truth be known it happens to some extent in all countries. Certainly offering and/or accepting a bribe is a criminal offence here in Australia as it is in most countries throughout the world. However while the government can legislate against it easily enough, it is much harder to get the evidence on those who are offering and/or accepting bribes. Who do we trust? A difficult question really, as in general I think we have to look at each situation on an individual basis. If the business/company appears to be ethical and offering a product we need and at a price we can afford, then we can do business with them. If however we think there is something amiss, it would be very unwise to do business with that organisation. As regard to Siemens, perhaps they felt that the only way they could do business in and with some countries was to pay the bribes. In these instances, not only is the company at fault but more so those who accepted the bribes. I am sure that in many instances these people who accepted the bribes were government employees and to me that makes them the more evil of the two.
• China
24 Dec 08
You are right, the officer receiving the bribery also should be punished.
@oldboy46 (2129)
• Australia
27 Dec 08
Yes the person who takes the bribe could also be the ones who looks for or solicits or proposes money be paid, i.e. they are bribed, to get something done. If the person who takes the bribe did not do that then there would be no bribery, at least in that particular instance. Both parties are guilty as far as I am concerned. It also has to be said that in some countries that nothing gets done if bribes are not paid and that is totally unacceptable for a couple of reasons. One is that the company/person offering or paying the bribe gets an unfair advantage over others, i.e. competitors. The other is that the person accepting the bribe is ensuring that the cost of the product/service for their fellow countrytman will be more expensive. Thanks for giving me best response.