Corporate Accountability in Networked Asia
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court of public opinion through the media, or make common cause with civil liberties
activists. Their position is made even weaker, unfortunately, when neighboring democracies like India and South Korea — and many other democracies around the world — set
legal, technical, and regulatory precedents for government-directed censorship and
surveillance to be built within privately operated digital networks without suffi cient
public oversight, transparency, and accountability. Chinese media frequently cite
South Korean examples in particular when arguing that China ’ s Internet controls are
in line with international practice.
71
Corporate Social Responsibility
While it may be easier said than done, the idea of CSR — the notion that long-term
corporate success requires the inclusion of environmental, sustainability, and human
rights concerns in companies ’ core technologies, management, and business practices — is being embraced by publics around the world.
72 John Ruggie, special representative of the secretary-general of the United Nations on business and human rights,
in examining how companies can and should be expected to contribute to human
rights around the globe, concluded that while human rights are primarily the responsibility of the nation-state, companies must also respect, protect, and uphold internationally recognized human rights norms in the spheres of human life and activity over
which their business exerts infl uence or on which it has an impact.
73 The problem is
that most companies do not have systems or procedures in place to identify when
they are doing harm, let alone processes to anticipate harm done by new business
activities and technologies. The core work of genuine corporate social responsibility
involves building such systems and mechanisms. Doing so generally requires working
with outside stakeholders including environmental, labor, and human rights activists,
socially responsible investors, industry groups, and governments.
74
Concepts of CSR and “ sustainable business ” are taking root around Asia, albeit in
different forms and guises in different Asian countries, given the region ’ s tremendous
variation in cultural, political, and economic contexts.
75 More Asian countries are
shifting from a focus on labor-intensive manufacturing and export-oriented growth
strategies. Governments around the region are placing growing emphasis on innovation in services, technology, and knowledge sectors as the key to economic growth
and national competitiveness. The “ knowledge-based corporation ” is critical to South
Korea ’ s continued economic success and is considered by the Chinese and Indian
governments to be an important driver of their nations ’ economic futures. Such companies have few tangible assets and rely heavily on intellectual property, innovative
processes, and public reputation. Experts in business management point out that
“ reputational capital ” is diffi cult to build and easy to lose, making it all the more
205
court of public opinion through the media, or make common cause with civil liberties
activists. Their position is made even weaker, unfortunately, when neighboring democracies like India and South Korea — and many other democracies around the world — set
legal, technical, and regulatory precedents for government-directed censorship and
surveillance to be built within privately operated digital networks without suffi cient
public oversight, transparency, and accountability. Chinese media frequently cite
South Korean examples in particular when arguing that China ’ s Internet controls are
in line with international practice.
71
Corporate Social Responsibility
While it may be easier said than done, the idea of CSR — the notion that long-term
corporate success requires the inclusion of environmental, sustainability, and human
rights concerns in companies ’ core technologies, management, and business practices — is being embraced by publics around the world.
72 John Ruggie, special representative of the secretary-general of the United Nations on business and human rights,
in examining how companies can and should be expected to contribute to human
rights around the globe, concluded that while human rights are primarily the responsibility of the nation-state, companies must also respect, protect, and uphold internationally recognized human rights norms in the spheres of human life and activity over
which their business exerts infl uence or on which it has an impact.
73 The problem is
that most companies do not have systems or procedures in place to identify when
they are doing harm, let alone processes to anticipate harm done by new business
activities and technologies. The core work of genuine corporate social responsibility
involves building such systems and mechanisms. Doing so generally requires working
with outside stakeholders including environmental, labor, and human rights activists,
socially responsible investors, industry groups, and governments.
74
Concepts of CSR and “ sustainable business ” are taking root around Asia, albeit in
different forms and guises in different Asian countries, given the region ’ s tremendous
variation in cultural, political, and economic contexts.
75 More Asian countries are
shifting from a focus on labor-intensive manufacturing and export-oriented growth
strategies. Governments around the region are placing growing emphasis on innovation in services, technology, and knowledge sectors as the key to economic growth
and national competitiveness. The “ knowledge-based corporation ” is critical to South
Korea ’ s continued economic success and is considered by the Chinese and Indian
governments to be an important driver of their nations ’ economic futures. Such companies have few tangible assets and rely heavily on intellectual property, innovative
processes, and public reputation. Experts in business management point out that
“ reputational capital ” is diffi cult to build and easy to lose, making it all the more