Class teaches ethics from across the globe
Who knew bananas could create an ethical dilemma? A group of students at Utah State has discovered that Chiquita Brands International Inc. has created quite a stir, especially in the South American nation of Colombia.
In business strategy (BUS 4880), a class in the Huntsman School of Business, USU students are assigned to work with students at Universidad EAFIT in Antioquia, Colombia to analyze ethical issues involving Chiquita Bananas.
Assistant business professor Chad Albrecht said in 1997, Chiquita made an agreement with Autodefensas Unidas de Colombia (AUC), by which Chiquita would pay AUC a penny for every dollar’s worth of bananas exported, in exchange for security and protection of Chiquita workers and shipments. This was not the first time that Chiquita involvement in such deals has been alleged. Albrecht said reports circulated in the 1980s and 1990s that Chiquita made similar agreements with other groups in Colombia.
Chiquita operates in arguably the most dangerous region of the world. According to Jenny Mead and Andrew C. Wicks from the University of Virginia, in 1996, there were 69.4 murders per 100,000 Colombians. In that same year, the United States had 7.7 murders in 100,000 Americans.
According to mundoandino.com, an event known as the “Banana Massacre” occurred in 1928, when several of Chiquita’s workers began a strike for better pay and working conditions. The month-long strike ended when the Colombian army killed many of UFC’s employees.
Albrecht said what is ethical in Colombia isn’t necessarily ethical here. This is a prime example of the kinds of ideas and discussions the Huntsman School is hoping to foster with the new course. In the class, students answer questions like, “From the Chiquita executive’s perspective, what are some of the positive and negative consequences of paying the AUC one percent of all exports?”, “Is it ever appropriate for paramilitary groups to form inside a country?”, “Do we have the right to go into a country to overthrow the government?” and “Why did these groups form inside of Colombia?”
Kameron Kasparian, senior in finance and a student in the class, said many Colombians believe they have to pay paramilitary groups to keep them safe. He says it’s just something they have to do. It’s not a choice, it’s about survival and maintaining a profitable business. Kasparian said Colombian businesses face challenges of basic security that American companies don’t encounter.
The students from Utah State and Universidad EAFIT work together to learn about the Chiquita case, conversing frequently via Skype or Facebook about their findings.
Casey Humpherys, a student in the class, said, “Thanks to the high-tech world that we live in, it has been just as easy to work on this group project with the Colombian students as it would be to complete it with fellow students in the class.”
Kasparian said it is interesting to see the Colombian students’ perspectives on the issue, because it is drastically different than the American perspective.
Albrecht said the class has been beneficial to the students, because they are learning about other cultures. He says the idea for the class came from the four main pillars of the Huntsman School of Business, which are: Ethical Leadership, Global Vision, Entrepreneurship and Analytical Rigor.
“This class is required to graduate. It encompasses business strategy and global business strategy. It’s been great being able to interact with people from Colombia. It makes me want to visit there to see their point of view,” said Kassie Fisher, senior in business.
Albrecht said even though the class focuses on problems with bananas, there are plenty of lessons to be learned about ethics, problems solving, global culture and strategy.
“The students are learning to work hands-on with sensitive issues with someone from a different culture,” Albrecht said. “Helping with ethical issues in Colombia is a great opportunity for the students and me.”
– tessa.karrington@aggiemail.usu.edu