This PBS Frontline program re-broadcast on the Australian ABC program Four Corners on Monday night is chilling viewing.
It follows on from our commentary on NASA a few days ago where we observed that an organisation can become poisonous. NASA, at least has high ideals – although the practice is a little different. The Mc Wane Corporation on the other hand is portrayed as simply profit hungry and dangerous.
The real question we would like to explore here is not whether Mc Wane was portrayed accurately or not but rather to what extent do each and everyone of the organisations we work for parallel the Mc Wane described. How often do we all take shortcuts – maybe not to the physical peril of others but certainly to the detriment of their emotional and spiritual health? We dare say that every Australian CEO and board chairman you speak to would, if asked, publicly condemn the alleged work practices of Mc Wane. However, how seriously do we really take the health and safety of our workers?
The sting in the tail of the program for me was the comparison with the American Cast Iron Pipe Company – ACIPCO also based in Birmingham, Alibama. As one commentator noted “I would like to know why it is possible for one iron foundry company in this community to make a profit, have a safe workplace, and have a clean environmental record, and why they can’t.”
Time and time again we see organisations that take shortcuts in the name of profit only to erode their profit.
ACICPCO is another example that looking after your workers isn’t only good morally – it’s good economically. Interesting to note in these times that ACIPCO was founded by a devout Christian who rigorously applied the rule “Do unto others as you would do unto you.” and on his death bequeathed the company to its employees.
We believe as a matter of deep conviction that the real reason companies don’t look after their workers is not profit. Rather the real issue is just how difficult it is for CEOs, board members, managers and supervisors to confront their own inadequacies and to just put all the responsiblilty for problems onto ‘the lazy workers’. On the other hand unions and workers do the same with management.
Maybe we could all do with some devout Christian humility. A deep awareness that we are all imperfect and yet all bound by a common humanity.