INITIATIVE 2007: THE HUMAN FACTOR
Globalization is often taken as the new branded slogan of the last decades when it comes to describing modern business and its results on our cultural mindset.
The Masterpack Group – with its own factories in China, Thailand and Bangladesh being involved on the forefront of globalization - has come forward with a new approach to take its responsibility towards the positive and negative consequences of today’s globalization.
Together with Prof. Dogu Ergil - lecturer for political science at Ankara University , Turkey – we have analyzed the impact of globalization on our own business and how we can contribute to the positive effects for all members of the value chain.
The main issues have been defined and we are manifesting the first part of our efforts through our ‘Initiative 2007: The Human Factor’.
AWARENESS:
Prof. Ergil asks: Globalization can be good for those who put their money and entrepreneurial capacities, and bear the burden of uncertainties and possibility of failure due to extra-economic factors. But what about the workers and consumers and the political entities (national states), the duty of which is, to see that they are not exploited and their needs for health, education, justice, retirement and other social (security) benefits like favorable working conditions are catered for?
Furthermore, Masterpack Group has become critically aware of the alienation of the human touch in daily business life that has been replaced through computers and internet, transforming our cultural environment, with just-in-time information and instant consumption. What can we do to improve communication and not loose the human touch of doing business?
Through bi-monthly articles from Prof. Ergil we want to create awareness – with awareness of the issues being a first step to solve and tackle them - and invite everybody to contribute their ideas or comments during the development of our initiative.
ACTION:
We have taken our new factory in Dakka, Bangladesh, as a pilot project, which is under construction and will be operational end of 2010, producing 1 Mio FIBCs. In Dakka, the capital and business hub of Bangladesh, with its huge workforce, we will work with the local government and implement a new concept in regards of improved work environment and labour policy that will benefit not only our local employees and workers, but also their family members. This project - that will be certified by an international body - will be a pilot project for our factory and if successful implemented, we will take it further to other factories in- and outside of Bangladesh .
Joop de Winter
Managing Director