Analyse Ethics in Relation to Kale’s Principles †Free Samples

Question: Discuss about the Analyse Ethics in Relation to Kales four Principles. Answer: Introduction Ethics is a concept that does govern our daily interactions with each other. The aspect of being ethical often follows a set of principles that have been ingrained by the society as one grows up. Ethics is a moral compass that dictates the actions we take when faced with different challenges. There are a number of theories that have been presented by various scholars on ethics, but this report will focus on Kales ethical intercultural communication. Kale 2013 purports that there is an interaction that, takes place between our human spirits with that of other people from different cultures during association when it comes to ethical issues. He formulated four principles that form the foundation of ethical intercultural communication. The four principles to some extent are wholesome in their approach as they have incorporated some elements of the various known ethical theories. The report uses the four principles of Kales theories in expounding the decisions that the companies and the government in Brazil took when the Bento Rodriguez dam disaster occurred. The disaster was a tragic event that resulted in loss of lives, property and their source of livelihoods. The Germano mine that was the cause of the disaster was owned by the Samarco Minercao that was owned by two multinational corporations one Brazilian and the other Anglo-Australian(Szoke, 2015). The two companies come from different cultures and the application of Kales ethical intercultural communication plays a central role in dissecting their reactions to the situation. For a long time corporations around the world have been profit oriented, but that is changing with the introduction of corporate social responsibility (CSR). The various companies have to consider their impact of their actions on the societies around them. The implementation of CSR determines the continuity of the company in different parts of the globe. The report will try to focus on how the Kales principles are entwined with other ethical theories in resolving the Bento Rodriguez dam disaster strategy. Description of Kales 4 Principles The first Kales principle is founded on people from different cultures relating to each other with the same level of respect that they would like to accord them(Kale, 1991). In other words, respect is a two way traffic the way one treats another person is the same way they will be treated. The respect often flows when we accept the differences in the different cultures and focussing more on factors that unite us all. On the same breath, acceptance means that we do not ridicule the other peoples cultural identity either non-verbally or verbally via our communication(Jandt, 2012). Acceptance is intertwined with respect since it makes it easier for human beings to ignore the aspects that we do not like and tolerate those that glare at us on a daily basis. The second principle among ethical communicators is that they should focus on accuracy and truth when they give their perceptions on different aspects. The concept of truth varies from one culture to another as it is often construed by the societal way of life. The ethical aspect comes into play when one tells the truth based on what they understand from their own point of view of a situation. Truth tends to free ones spirit and brings a peace of mind to the person telling it and to the people listening. Truth does open an avenue for the wrongdoer to correct their mistake and starts the healing process for the injured party(Kale, 2003). In other words, being truthful does liberate the society and institutes a form of continuity in their daily lives. The third principle is enshrouded on the freedom of expression. People from different cultures should feel free to express their own uniqueness and individualism(Kale, 1991). The first principle discussed in the report places a boundary on the way one does express their unique cultural identity. The freedom to voice out ones ideas should not interfere with the respect instituted among the parties involved. Respect does govern how we relate and express ourselves in intercultural settings. The third principle does enforce the respect of the minority and their inclusion of their ideas in decision making(Hall, 2013). The fourth principle deals with the ethical communicators working towards seeking identification with people from the different cultures. The principle is different from the first three as it is not founded on protecting the human spirit, but establishing contact with the other cultures. It is more interlinked with seeking recognition from the other cultures by focussing on the common attributes instead of the differences(Jackson, 2014). The last concept leads to an acknowledgement that our differences create a delicious salad bowl than eating a single fruit. In other words, diversity opens new avenues and it does enrich everyone. Responses from the company or the government Company Government In 2013, the Institute Pristino carried out a research which termed the dam to be dangerous and recommended the institution of contingency measures. The company in 2015 countered the analysis by hiring their own investigation company (VOGBR). The company stated that the dam was safe and could handle the residue deposited by the company. Contrary to their findings the dam collapsed within months, indicating foul play(Szoke, 2015). The Brazilian Federal police carried out an investigation that revealed that the company knew of the risks that the dam would cause. The dam had drainage issue which they failed to properly monitor hence leading to the tragedy. In other words, the company was negligent in reinforcing the dam(Philips, 2016). The Samarco, Vale and BHP Billiton have stated that the water is safe since the sludge was made of mud and no toxic elements. The high commissioner for Human Rights at the United Nations contradicted the statements of the company by stating that the water contained toxic chemicals, hence it was unsafe for use (Ali,2015). The Brazilian Federal environment agency has criticized the efforts of Samarco geared at salvaging the environment where they are rerouting the rivers(Lopes, 2017). Samarco has worked towards providing the people affected by alternative residence as they search for long lasting solutions to them(Lopes, 2017) The government responded to the tragedy by fining Samarco, Vale and BHP Billiton $66 million, which it increased to nearly $ 5 billion as fines for the tragedy they caused. The figure is part of the fines that the company is facing with respect to the tragedy(Lopes, 2017) The company says it is willing to compensate nearly over half a million people even as the negotiations continue(Philips, 2016). The government is working towards reinforcing their mining laws to prevent the occurrence of a similar tragedy(Cowie, 2016). Evaluation of the responses based on Kales theory and other ethical theories The first principle in respect of the other peoples cultures in this case applies to the companys efforts to restore the mining operations(Kale, 1991). The people of Bento Rodriguez are dependent on mining as their main source of livelihood. The halting of the companys operations has altered their way of lives as most struggle to make ends meet (Philips, 2016). The company with the aid of their shareholders have come up with an alternative plan where they will store their waste in a 33 foot dike for two years as they seek a permanent residue disposition means. The plan will ensure that the 3,000 people employed in the company are able to resume their way of life (Leahy, 2017). According to Leahy 2017, Samarco set up the Renova foundation in 2015 with the aid of its two shareholders and the government to carry out the clean-up. The companies injected over $3.3 billion to aid in the recovery exercise. The CEO said that they will provide 10% direct compensation. 450,000 people will be the first beneficiary receiving R$ 800-R$1000 daily Additionally, the foundation is carrying out negotiations with the locals to identify a reasonable compensation for their loss. According to Kales principles the formation of the foundation is the first step in acknowledging that the disaster was a mistake that was attributed to their actions(Jandt, 2012). It deals with the second principle of being truthful, based on the facts presented before them. Despite their efforts it is important to note that they are not entirely true. The company is purporting the water is safe while based on further analysis it contains toxic chemicals. Their lies tend to negate the work that they are doing with respect to redeeming themselves in the public eye. If people use the water according to the UN analysis of the situation they are prone to get affected(Cowie, 2016). The third principle deals with allowing the people to express their own uniqueness (Kale, 1991). In this context the principle deals with allowing the locals to express their own views on the disaster. The company has been involved in a number of lawsuits where they have prevented their case, while the locals have expressed their view points. The company has accepted to pay the compensation and indemnities that the courts have ruled. The company agreed to carry out $5.6 billion settlement to cover the damages of the incident. In addition, they have provided the residents with alternative areas to stay and have paid $300 million as compensation(Lopes, 2017). The fourth principle deals with identification with the people in different cultures(Kale, 1991). The mine disaster did not only incapacitate the people involved in mining. It altered the farming, fishing and tourism in the nearby region. The peoples cultures were changed by the single tragedy and the Samarco Company has decided to be the bigger person. The company has consented into recovering over 5,000 streams that are within the River Doce; carry out a reforestation of 10,000 hectares and a restoration of over 30,000 hectares. It is its way of bringing healing and peace not only to the people of Bento Rodriguez but the other neighbouring regions affected by the disaster(Philips, 2016). The government has led Samarco, BHP Billiton and Vale in signing an agreement that will ensure that the company carries out an environmental recovery work for 5 billion over a period of 15 years. The aim is to ensure that the people are able to have a sense of normalcy and that the company can be able to resume their operations. When evaluating the responses of the company the non-consequential theory comes into play. The rightness or wrongness of an action is determined by what the society stipulates. The intention of an action is what matters the most when evaluating a situation and not the outcome(Graham, 2014).An analysis of the tragedy in Brazil clearly reveals that the company was unethical in its approach to the situation. According to (Fadness, 2016), the company was given a warning about the dam being unable to hold the residues and there was a recommendation for the management team to monitor it while they instituted buttress as a reinforcement. The management team did not follow up on the recommendations and when the tragedy struck they went silent. According to some locals, the company did not respond rapidly to the tragedy as they sent their rescue team after the others had arrived despite them being in the centre of the tragedy. The non-consequential theory focuses on looking at the intent behind one action not at the outcome. The company had knowledge of the predicament that would befall the people, but they choose to be profit oriented than societal oriented. The mining activities could have halted for a while as the company carried out the reinforcements, but the result is that the tragedy could have been avoided. The action of the law taking its course by charging the company large sums to indemnify the locals is a step in the right direction. The companys negligence did cost the people around not only their homes and livelihoods, but also lives were lost in the mud tsunami. Conclusion Based on the report analysis if the company had been ethical in the first place the strategy could have been prevented. The profit oriented mentality corrupted their societal compass resulting in the tragedy. The hefty fines that the company and their partners are facing should serve as a lesson to other companies around the globe. References Ali, H.S. (2015). Who should we blame for the Brazil mining dam disaster? The Conversation. Retrieved 7 May 2017, from https://theconversation.com/who-should-we-blame-for-the-brazil-mining-disaster-50521 Cowie, S. (2016). Seeking answer to catastrophic Brazil mine disaster. Aljazeera. Retrieved 7 May 2017, from https://aljazeera.com/indepth/features/2015/12/seeking-answers-catastrophic-brazil-disaster-151224071626923.html Fadness, I. (2016).Brazils Fundao dam collapse: The silence after the mud. Aljazeera. Retrieved 7 May 2017, from https://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/features/2016/05/brazil-fundao-dam-collapse-silence-mud16051006544213.html Graham, G. (2004). Eight theories of ethics. London: Routledge/Taylor and Francis Group. Hall, B.J.(2013. Cultire, Ethics, and Communication. Ethics in intercultural and international communication. Jackson, J. (2014). Introducing language and intercultural communication. Routledge. Jandt,F.E. (2012). An introduction to intercultural communication: Identities in a global community. Sage Publications. Kale, D. W. (1991). Ethics in intercultural communication. Intercultural communication: A reader, 421-426. Kale,D.W. (2003). Peace as an ethic for intercultural communication. Intercultural Communication: A Reader, 10th ed. (Belmont,CA: Wadsworth/Thomson, 2003),467. Kant, I. (2013). The Metaphysical elements of ethics. Simon and Schuster. Lopes, M. (2017). The Bento Rodrigues Dam Collapsed a Year Ago and Its Nowhere Near Fixed. Motherboard. Retrieved 7 May 2017, from https://motherboard.vice.com/en-us/article/the-bento-rodrigues-dam-collapsed-a-year-ago-and-its-nowhere-near-fixed Philips, D. (2016). Samarco dam collapse:one year on from Brazils worst environmental disaster.the Guardian. Retrieved 7 May 2017, from https://www.theguardian.com/sustainable-business/2016/oct/15/samarco-dam-collapse-brazil-worst-environmental-disaster-bhp-billiton-vale-mining Szoke, H. (2015).Brazil mine disaster exposes BHPs failures. Retrieved 7 May 2017, from https://www.smh.com.au/comment/brazillian-dam-disaster-shows-bhp-falls-short-of-global-expectations-2015118-gl2i8c,html. THEORIES OF ETHICS. (n.d.). Retrieved 7 May 2017, from https://soe.syr.edu/academic/counseling_and_human_services/modules/Common_Ethical_Issues/theories_of_ethics.aspx