the.world.is.flat-第66部分

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for　are　partners　who　can　put　their　purchasing　power　behind　a　set　of　environmentally　
friendly　practices　in　a　way　that　is　good　for　them；　works　for　the　producers；　and　is　
good　for　biodiversity。　In　that　way；　you　can　start　to　capture　so　many　more　decision　
makers。　。　。　There　is　no　global　government　authority　to　protect　biodiversity。　You　have　
to　collaborate　with　the　players　who　can　make　a　difference；　and　one　of　them　is　
McDonald's。〃　
Conservation　International　is　already　seeing　improvements　in　conservation　of　water；　
energy；　and　waste；　as　well　as　steps　to　encourage　better　management　of　fisheries；　among　
McDonald's　suppliers。　But　it　is　still　early；　and　one　will　have　to　assess　over　a　period　
of　years；　with　comprehensive　data　collection；　whether　this　is　really　having　apositive　
impact　on　the　environment。　This　form　of　collaboration　cannot　and　should　never　be　a　
substitute　for　government　rules　and　oversight。　But　if　it　works；　it　can　be　a　vehicle　
for　actually　getting　government　rules　implemented。　Environmentalists　who　prefer　
government　regulation　to　these　more　collaborative　efforts　often　ignore　the　fact　that　
strong　rules　imposed　against　the　will　of　farmers　end　up　being　weakly　enforced…or　not　


enforced　at　all。　
299　
What　is　in　this　for　McDonald's？　It　is　a　huge　opportunity　to　improve　its　global　brand　
by　acting　as　a　good　global　citizen。　Yes；　this　is；　at　root；　a　business　opportunity　
for　McDonald's。　Sometimes　the　best　way　to　change　the　world　is　by　getting　the　big　
players　to　do　the　right　things　for　the　wrong　reasons；　because　waiting　for　them　to　
do　the　right　things　for　the　right　reasons　can　mean　waiting　forever。　Conservation　
International　has　struck　similar　supply…chain　collaborations　withStarbucks；　setting　
rules　for　its　supply　chain　of　coffee　farmers；　and　Office　Depot；　with　its　supply　chain　
of　paper…product　providers。　
What　these　collaborations　do　is　start　to　〃break　down　the　walls　between　different　
interest　groups；〃　said　Prickett。　Normally　you　would　have　the　environmentalists　on　
one　side　and　the　farmers　on　the　other　and　each　side　trying　to　get　the　government　to　
write　the　regulations　in　the　way　that　would　serve　it。　Government　would　end　up　writing　
the　rules　largely　to　benefit　business。　〃Now；　instead；　we　have　a　private　entity　saying；　
'We　want　to　use　our　global　supply　chain　to　do　some　good；'　but　we　understand　that　to　
be　effective　it　has　to　be　a　collaboration　with　the　farmers　and　the　environmentalists　
if　it　is　going　to　have　any　impact；〃　Prickett　said。　
In　this　same　vein；　as　a　compassionate　flatist；　I　would　like　to　see　a　label　on　every　
electronics　good　state　whether　the　supply　chain　that　produced　it　is　in　compliance　
with　the　standards　set　down　by　the　new　HP…Dell…IBM　alliance。　In　October　2004；　these　
three　giants　joined　forces　in　a　collaborative　effort　with　key　members　of　their　
computer　and　printer　supply　chains　to　promote　a　unified　code　of　socially　responsible　
manufacturing　practices　across　the　world。　The　new　Electronics　Industry　Code　of　
Conduct　includes　bans　on　bribes；　child　labor；　embezzlement　and　extortion；　and　
violations　of　intellectual　property；　rules　governing　usage　of　wastewater；　hazardous　
materials；　pollutants；　and　regulations　on　the　reporting　of　occupational　injuries。　
Several　major　electronics　manufacturers　who　serve　the　IBM；　Dell；　and　HP　supply　chains　
collaborated　on　writing　the　code；　including　Celestica；　Flextronics；　Jabil；　
Sanmina…SCI；　and　Solectron。　
All　HP　suppliers；　for　instance；　will　be　required　to　follow　the　code；　though　there　
is　flexibility　in　the　timing　of　how　they　reach　compliance。　〃We　are　completely　prepared　
and　have　terminated　relationships　with　
300　
suppliers　we　find　to　be　repeatedly　nonresponsive；〃　said　HP　spokeswoman　Monica　Sarkar。　
As　of　October　2004；　HP　had　assessed　more　than　150　of　its　350　suppliers；　including　
factories　in　China；　Mexico；　Southeast　Asia；　and　Eastern　Europe。　It　has　set　up　a　
steering　committee　with　IBM　and　Dell　in　order　to　figure　out　exactly　how　they　
collectively　can　review　compliance　and　punish　consistent　violators。　Compliance　is　
everything；　and　so；　again；　it　remains　to　be　seen　just　how　vigilant　the　corporations　
will　be　with　their　suppliers。　Nevertheless；　this　use　of　supply　chains　to　create　
values…not　just　value…could　be　a　wave　of　the　future。　
〃As　we　have　begun　to　look　to　other　＇offshore＇　suppliers　to　do　most　of　our　manufacturing；　
it　has　become　clear　to　us　that　we　have　to　assume　some　responsibility　for　how　they　


do　that　work；〃　explained　Debra　Dunn；　HP's　senior　vice　president　of　corporate　affairs　
and　global　citizenship。　First　and　foremost；　that　is　what　many　of　HP's　customers　want。　
〃Customers　care；〃　said　Dunn；　〃and　European　customers　lead　the　way　in　caring。　And　human　
rights　groups　and　NGOs；　who　are　gaining　increasing　global　influence　as　trust　in　
corporations　declines；　are　basically　saying；　'You　guys　have　the　power　here。　You　are　
global　companies；　you　can　set　expectations　that　will　influence　environmental　
practices　and　human　rights　practices　in　emerging　markets。'〃　
Those　voices　are　right；　and　what　is　more；　they　can　use　the　Internet　to　great　effect；　
if　they　want；　to　embarrass　global　corporations　into　compliance。　
〃When　you　have　the　procurement　dollars　that　HP　and　McDonald's　have；〃　said　Dunn；　
〃people　really　want　to　do　business　with　you；　so　you　have　leverage　and　are　in　a　position　
to　set　standards　and　＇therefore＇　you　have　a　responsibility　to　set　standards。〃　The　
role　of　global　corporations　in　setting　standards　in　emerging　markets　is　doubly　
important；　because　oftentimes　local　governments　actually　want　to　improve　their　
environmental　standards。　They　know　it　is　important　in　the　long　run；　but　the　pressure　
to　create　jobs　and　live　within　budget　constraints　is　overwhelming　and　therefore　the　
pressure　to　look　the　other　way　is　overwhelming。　Countries　like　China；　noted　Dunn；　
often　actually　want　an　outside　force；　like　a　global　business　coalition；　to　exert　
pressure　to　drive　

new　values　and　standards　at　home　that　they　are　too　weak　to　impose　on　themselves　and　
their　own　bureaucrats。　In　The　Lexus　and　the　Olive　Tree　I　called　this　form　of　value　
creation　〃globalution；〃　or　revolution　from　beyond。　
Said　Dunn：　〃We　used　to　say　that　as　long　as　we　complied　with　the　local　law；　that　was　
all　we　could　be　expected　to　do。　But　now　the　imbalance　of　power　is　so　huge　it　is　not　
practical　to　say　that　Wal…Mart　or　HP　can　do　whatever　they　want　as　long　as　a　state　
government　or　country　does　not　stop　them。　The　leverage　HP　would　leave　on　the　table　
would　be　immoral　given　its　superior　power　。　。　。　We　have　the　power　to　transmit　global　
governance　to　our　universe　of　suppliers　and　employees　and　consumers；　which　is　a　pretty　
broad　universe。〃　
Dunn　noted　that　in　a　country　like　China　there　is　an　intense　competition　by　local　
companies　to　become　part　of　the　HP　or　Dell　or　Wal…Mart　supply　chain。　Even　though　it　
is　high　pressure；　it　means　a　steady　volume　of　considerable　business…the　kind　that　
can　make　or　break　a　company。　As　a　result；　HP　has　huge　leverage　over　its　Chinese　
suppliers；　and　they　are　actually　very　open　to　having　their　factory　standards　lifted；　
because　they　know　that　if　they　get　up　to　the　standards　of　HP　they　can　leverage　that　
to　get　business　from　Dell　or　Sony。　
Advocates　of　compassionate　flatism　need　to　educate　consumers　to　the　fact　that　their　
buying　decisions　and　buying　power　are　political。　Every　time　you　as　a　consumer　make　
a　decision；　you　are　supporting　a　whole　set　of　values。　You　are　voting　about　the　barriers　
and　friction　you　want　to　preserve　or　eliminate。　Progressives　need　to　make　this　
information　more　easily　available　to　consumers；　so　more　of　them　can　vote　the　right　
way　and　support　the　right　kind　of　global　corporate　behavior。　
Marc　Gunther；　a　senior　writer　for　Fortune　magazine　andthe　author　of　Faith　and　Fortune：　


The　Quiet　Revolution　to　Reform　American　Business；　is　one　of　the　few　business　writers　
who　have　recognized　how　global　corporations　can　be　influenced　by　progressive　politics。　
〃To　be　sure；〃　wrote　Gunther　in　an　essay　in　The　Washington　Post　（November　14；　2004）；　
〃there　are　plenty　of　scoundrels　out　there；　indifferent　to　the　rights　and　wrongs　of　
corporate　behavior。　And　some　executives　who　talk　of　social　is302　
sues　may　be　only　mouthing　the　words。　But　the　bottom　line　is　that　a　growing　number　
of　companies　have　come　to　believe　that　moral　values；　broadly　and　liberally　defined；　
can　help　drive　shareholder　values。　And　that　is　a　case　study　from　which　everyone　could　
learn。〃　
This　progressive　tilt　of　big　business　has　not　generated　much　press　attention；　Gunther　
noted。　〃Partly　that's　because　scandal　stories　are　juicier。　Mostly　it's　because　
changes　in　corporate　practices　have　been　incremental…and　because　reporters　tend　to　
dismiss　talk　of　corporate　social　responsibility　as　mere　public　relations。　But　chief　
executives　of　closely…watched　firms　like　General　Electric　do　not　promise　to　become　
better　global　citizens　unless　they　intend　to　follow　through。　'If　you　want　to　be　a　
great　company　today；'　Jeff　Immelt；　GE's　CEO；　likes　to　say；　'you　have　to　be　a　good　
company。'　When　I　asked　him　why　GE　has　begun　to　talk　more　openly　about　corporate　
citizenship；　he　said：　'The　reason　why　people　come　to　work　for　GE　is　that　they　want　
to　be　about　something　that　is　bigger　than　themselves。'　As　Immelt　suggests；　the　biggest　
driver　of　corporate　reform　is　the　desire　of　companies　to　attract　people　who　seek　
meaning　as　well　as　money　from　their　work。　Few　of　us　go　to　our　jobs　every　day　to　enhance　
shareholder　value。　Younger　people；　especially；　want　to　work　for　companies　with　a　
mission　that　goes　beyond　the　bottom　line。〃　
In　sum；　we　are　now　in　a　huge　transition　as　companies　are　coming　to　understand　not　
only　their　power　in　a　flat　world　but　also　their　responsibilities。　Compassionate　
flatists　believe　that　this　is　no　time　to　be　sitting　on　one's　hands；　thinking　
exclusively　in　traditional　left…right；　consumer…versus…company　terms。　Instead　we　
should　be　thinking　about　how　collaboration　between　consumers　and　companies　can　
provide　an　enormous　amount　of　protection　against　the　worst　features　of　the　flattening　
of　the　world；　without　opting　for　classic　protectionism。　
〃Compassionate　capitalism。　Think　it　sou