MORAL IMAGINATION
Most are familiar with Nestlé, one of the world’s largest food producers, whose marketing slogan is: “Good food, Good life.” On its website, the corporation states that its three main ambitions are helping children live healthier lives, improving livelihoods in communities, and striving for zero environmental impact (Nestlé, n.d.). These are commendable goals that generated considerable positive publicity; however, recent allegations and court proceedings have suggested that the company may not actually be achieving those ambitions. Nestlé has been accused of using child labor in its cocoa supply chain in Western Africa, using forced slave labor in its seafood supply chains in Southeast Asia, and overusing diverted water from a national forest in drought-stricken California (Singh, 2021). These allegations illustrate that—even when companies adopt policies to promote ethical behavior—serious lapses can occur.
To prepare for this Discussion:
Review the article titled “Mental Models, Moral Imagination and System Thinking in the Age of Globalization” (located in this week’s Learning Resources) and think about how organizations apply these models.
Consider an organization with which you are familiar. This can be a current or former employer. Focus specifically on the organization’s ethics and sustainability policies, practices, and goals, and identify one issue you think the organization should improve upon with regard to its moral imagination and action.
Post a synthesis of how your selected organization could use a moral imagination framework to address issues and create positive social change. In your synthesis, do the following:
Briefly describe your selected organization and identify one issue the organization should improve upon with respect to its moral imagination and action. Provide a rationale.
Explain how Werhane’s moral imagination framework could be applied to the issue you identified to help create positive social change within the organization or its stakeholder context.
