Assignment:
The world economy is becoming increasingly integrated, and many businesses have extended their reach beyond national borders. Yet the process of globalization is controversial, and the involvement of corporations in other nations is not always welcome. Doing business in diverse political and economic systems and in societies with stark differences in wealth and income poses difficult challenges. When a transnational corporation buys resources, manufactures products, or sells goods and services in multiple countries, it is inevitably drawn into a web of global social and ethical issues. Understanding what these issues are and how to manage them through collaborative action with governments and civil society organizations is a vital skill for today's managers.
Read the Discussion Case: Intel and Conflict Minerals on page 88 and answer the following questions:
1. Define conflict minerals and, in particular, conflict coltan.
2. What groups benefited from the trade in conflict minerals? What groups were hurt by it?
3. Consider the three sectors discussed in this chapter (business, government, and civil society). What were the interests of each, and in what ways did their interests converge?
4. Why was Intel unable to eliminate conflict minerals from its supply chain unilaterally, that is, without the help of others?
You will also review youtube video, Conflict Minerals and post your thoughts about the video in the DQs forum. You must also comment on the response of one of your classmates.