The effective balancing of stakeholder interests requires the identification of various categories of stakeholders and analyzing their expectations and needs of the organization. The basic stakeholders whose needs must be addressed are suppliers, the farmers as customers, the consumers of the foods produced by the farmers that use the Monsanto seeds, the society in which the organization operates, company employees, shareholders, and investors. Some of the stakeholders falling in the above categories can have interests that conflict with the activities of the company (Ferrell & Hartline, 2012). An example is a case in which shareholders and investors are interested in the growth of profits; thus, showing high support for any profit-generating initiative without considering the impacts on other stakeholders.
Farmers as customers typically have interests that vary from those of the shareholders (Ferrell & Hartline, 2012). Their main interest is the reduction in prices of seeds since this would reduce their overall cost of production. If this interest is adhered to and those of other stakeholders neglected, the shareholder interest of increased profits can be damaged. On the other hand, the key interest of the end consumer is the reduction in the prices of seeds since it is directly associated with the decline in the cost of food items. Another interest is the safety of the foods for consumption to avoid risking diseases such as cancer and allergic reactions that arise from
1 Farmers may not totally understand the product value. They may not easily accept new product that they have never heard about.
The stakeholder theory made popular by Ed Freeman (1984) does seem to represent a major advance over the classical view (Freeman, 1984). It might seem inappropriate to refer to the stakeholder position as neoclassical. Bowie (1991: 56-66) has defined stakeholders as a group whose existence was necessary for the survival of the firm--stockholders, employees, customers, suppliers, the local community, and managers themselves.
The farmers then give their products to the manufacturers, who represent the bottleneck of the food system (21). “The ten largest companies control half of the world’s seed supply. …Ten firms control 90% of the nearly $38.6 billion pesticide markets (111-112).” Monsanto, being one of the ten companies that controls the world’s seed supply, is a company that has patents on all of its seeds and products. It produces genetically modified crops that are resistant to its own pesticides and herbicides, so that when a pesticide or herbicide is sprayed and it destroys all plants, the Monsanto seed survives because of its resistance. The reason that Monsanto is able to stay in business is because of the economic benefit it poses for the farmers. They are able to produce their crops at a much higher yield because they are losing less of their crops to pests. This higher yield results in lower costs for the consumers as well (Planes). As discussed
The purpose of this paper is to recognize the definition and what a stakeholder is and what it does. I will also explain the two groups of the stakeholders and put the stakeholders in the group where they belong. I will explain what the stakeholders responsibilities are, what their ethical responsibilities to the company. Will explain what would be the appropriate response to the situation in the company. And finally explain what Joe should propose to the management team and how Joe should support his proposal.
When one company controls ninety-percent of a market, it is reasonable to open the doors to the possibility of a monopoly. This word is a board game to some, a boring econ principle to others, but a harsh reality for twenty-four million American farmers and their families. (Farmers Feed Us) Monsanto has taken control of the farming world and it is hitting farmers hard. The powerful company controls ninety-percent of the soybean market and much of other farming markers which are a lifeline for farmers across this country. It is clear to many that it is a monopoly, but nothing is being done to break up Monsanto. There is much controversy behind the issue on a political level and on what motifs there may be to keep the company together. Monsanto is hurting farmers by monopolizing the farming market and there are political ties behind the master plan to keep control.
Farming policy of seed patenting should be abolished, and farmers should have the right to reuse seeds. The farming polices like seed patenting is eliminating ancient farming practices and controlling the food supply and the farmers, as journalists Donald L. Barlett and James B. Steele revealed “Whoever provides the world’s seeds controls the world’s food supply” (165). Congress and seeds industries like Monsanto should not have the power to change the farming policies. The ancient farming practices of saving seeds from season to season is diminishing due to farmers buying seeds from Monsanto. Monsanto prohibits farmers to save seeds from their harvest and replant those seeds. Monsanto’s genetically modified (G.M.) seeds, that resist to its
Stakeholders are comprised of a multitude of people that have an interest in a company including employees, customers, special interest groups, board of directors, regulatory agencies, and investors (Ferrell, Fraedrich, Ferrell, 2015). Monsanto has an interesting history, and has impacted stakeholders in a negative manner throughout its beginnings in 1901. The current stakeholders that are impacted by Monsanto activities are all of the above listed. The company has had legal issues in the past with the widely known issue of the development of Agent Orange and the impact on our veterans. After settling for 180 million dollars, the company became a biotechnology company developing biotechnology products in the farming industry. Stakeholders on both sides of this issue have voiced positive and negative concerns. Positive
Monsanto has quite a few stakeholders group in the company. Among those groups there is a primary and secondary stakeholder. The primary stakeholders are the ones that continuous engagement is absolute necessary for the survival of the company. These include employees, customers, shareholders, investors, government and community. The government and the community maintain infrastructure for the company. Secondary stakeholders are not involved in the day to day operations of the company. These include media, trade associations and special interest groups.
Monsanto has various stakeholder groups all across the globe. The key stakeholders are: members of the global financial community; farmers and other agricultural organizations; Monsanto employees; animal feed producers and distributors; insect/pest control organizations; federal, state and local agricultural, regulatory and environmental agencies; and the list goes on and on (Beyond the Rows, 2012). Monsanto states that their main goals is to provide stakeholders with better information regarding all of their activities and that they are committed to making meaningful strides to report on environmental sustainability performance throughout the world (Beyond the Rows, 2012).
I personally know many farmers who barely make it by without even having to pay for more seeds every single harvest season. Monsanto is very wrong for making farmers pay for their seeds every year and reusing seeds. If that is not bad enough, those who break the rules are sued by Monsanto. Even worse than that, the courts and judges are taking the side of Monsanto, but I will save that for a different time. Countries as a whole should not allow Monsanto to sue farmers for reusing seeds or refusing to pay, especially in countries where farming is a big part of the economy or the country was built on farming. Ever since 1901 when Monsanto was built, farming has been changed drastically in positive and negative ways. Monsanto is continuously digging a bigger whole by punishing more farmers and blaming the farmers as if they are the one at fault in the situation. Many farmers are taking a stand against Monsanto’s tricks and games. There are many petitions online to stop Monsanto from suing more farmers and even stop their company altogether. Though there are many people and groups trying to stop their company, Monsanto is a very large empire in our society. This meaning, it would be very hard for their company to be brought done, almost like them completely breaking a law.
The analysis of Lockheed Martin and it’s affect on stakeholders. Corporations have impacts on a variety of people ranging from shareholders, to governments, to ordinary citizens. This paper analyzes the impact Lockheed Martin has on all stakeholders, both positive and negative.
Nowadays, we are facing a major experiment in privatization. For example, private companies have entered the business of managing public schools, or religious schools. Also, they even run in prison industry. Among them is Private Prison Corporation of America, which is growing fast in prison industry in the United States. Especially, immigration detention business has brought up massive profit for Private Prison of America. Therefore, corporation is planning to join other private prison corporations by making campaign donation and retaining lobbyist to draft and seek the passage of two laws about anti-illegal immigrant and the Intensive Probation Act that will increase opportunities to do
Additionally, big business controls the farmers by capitalizing on widely used commodities. For example, the company Monsanto which is based in St. Louis, Missouri protects its dominance over the genetically modified crops such as the soy bean with the use of a patent law. Because of this, Monsanto’s patented genes “account for 95 percent of all soy beans and 80 percent of all corn grown in the U.S.,” (Associated Press). Although genetically modifying the soy bean crop has made it more readily available and more sustainable, this comes at a high price to farmers. Monsanto continues to raise their prices, which forces farmers to accrue even more debt, and there is no sign of the rise in the seed prices stopping. Since a lot of the farmers are under contract with Monsanto, there is nothing they can do about this unethical policy in fear of losing their job.
Stakeholders are people or groups with interest in an organization that can affect or be affected by the organization itself, its objectives, or its policies (BusinessDictionary, 2015). Each stakeholder brings their own perspective to the table based on their relationship with the organization (e.g. internal or external role), their level of experience, and their area of expertise about the subject matter they are involved with. At a high level, the list of stakeholders for any organization could include people or groups such as: customers, employees, government agencies, suppliers, unions, community resources, shareholders, and business owners. For the purpose of this assignment, I will discuss and review stakeholders relative to the
A stake holder, in general is defined as an individual or organization likely affected by the performance of an organization. In “The stakeholder theory of the corporation: Concepts, evidence, and implications” by Thomas Donaldson , he quotes Stanford research institution and calls stake holders “those groups without whose support the organization would cease to exist.”