Vodafone Case Study

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Analyze the ethical dilemma presented in the case study. Should corporations influence public policy? How should a corporation respond when a government request conflicts with business strategy?

The ethical dilemma that is presented entails the fact that a global conglomerate such as Vodafone that has its headquarters and primary base in the United Kingdom; this corporation was basically threatened to violate human rights by a tyrannical regime in Egypt or choose to abide by international law to prevent their company being used to violate these human rights. The situation in Egypt entailed the authoritarian Egyptian government requesting mobile telecommunications providers to agree to an internet and mobile social media blackout to stem the impact of the protests emanating from the Arab Spring. Whether or not Vodafone should collaborate with these requirements is the ethical dilemma presented in the case study.

Corporations have a responsibility to uphold human rights when operating in companies around the world, and in the case study presented in this scenario, Vodafone chose to ignore its ethical responsibilities to collaborate with the Egyptian government to carry out the perverse and repressive policies of the Egyptian government against protestors and Vodafone customers. The requirement to uphold human rights is absolute, but companies such as Vodafone often provide their own customers and subscribers information to government agencies while also promoting the propaganda of the authoritarian regimes in repressive governments. Therefore, Vodafone and other international telecommunications' companies must adhere to international standards regarding human rights to prevent the mistakes made by Vodafone wherein the objective must be to represent a global network that espouses ethical usage for its technology to help uphold human rights.

Evaluate the role of CSR in a politically unstable setting. How are corporations and politics interconnected? What is the responsibility of corporations when it comes to human rights?

The use of Corporate Socially Responsible ...