The calculus used to justify Chiquita’s action of paying enormous amounts of money to the terrorist group FARC left the company at crossroads. At one point Chiquita was an enviable corporation through it reputable social responsibility initiatives, which included the better banana project (Buchholtz and Carroll 656). On the other hand, Chiquita placed itself in calamitous situation by agreeing to pay out the terrorist so as to protect it workers. This placed the company in a calamitous situation because they were left vulnerable to the terrorist threats, as well as the repercussions of their actions, which are against the law. It is, therefore, imperative to note that Chiquita chose both a supportive and non supportive initiatives in the sense that at one point, it was supportive of the business and legal law. Differently, Chiquita became non supportive by involving in illegal payments to terrorists, thereby promoting war.
In relation to Big Pharma marketing tactics, it is vital to note that the pharmaceutical industry is involved in ill manipulations and marketing tactics so as to gain capital gain and ward off government regulations. This is explicitly achieved through the formation of a strong drug lobby group involving high profile personalities such as politicians, thereby ensuring that their ill marketing tactics are protected from the wrath of government regulations. With regards to Chiquita, it would be crucial to get involved in its legitimate business of banana production, but outside Colombia so as to avoid being in a dilemma of making illegal payments, which are used to fund terrorist activities.
The ethical issues involved in Big Pharma’s case revolve around the unethical issue of putting profits first before the consumers’ wellness and safety (Buchholtz and Carroll 664). Big Pharma spends more on advertising rather than research and development. With regards to Chiquita, the payment to the terrorists becomes unethical and unlawful. Stakeholders in the Big Pharma situation include pharmaceutical industries, consumers and the government while stakeholders in Chiquita include the shareholders, the government and the international.
Work Cited
Buchholtz, Ann and Carroll, Archie. Business and Society: Ethics and Stakeholder Management, International. 8th ed. Ohio: South-Western College Publishers, 2008.
