Business Process Re-Engineering

Polytechnic University of the Philippines

Master of Science in Information Technology

Emerging Threat:
Human Rights Claims
Harvard Business Review
 Polytechnic University of the Philippines
Business Process Re-Engineering

• Modern organization must compete in a

challenging environment.
• The business environment is the combination
of social, legal, economic, physical, and political
factors that affect business activities.
• Significant changes in any of these factors are
likely to create business pressures on
organizations.

HBR: Emerging Threat – Human Rights Claims

 Polytechnic University of the Philippines
Business Process Re-Engineering

HBR: Emerging Threat – Human Rights Claims

 Polytechnic University of the Philippines
Business Process Re-Engineering

Types of Business Pressures

• Market - Market pressures are generated by the
global economy and strong competition, the
changing nature of the workforce, and powerful
customers.
• Technology - pressures related to technology
• Societal - includes social responsibility,
government regulation/deregulation, spending to
protect against terrorism, and ethics.

HBR: Emerging Threat – Human Rights Claims

 Polytechnic University of the Philippines
Business Process Re-Engineering

It’s only a matter of time before some company becomes the Enron of
Human rights abuse, warns the general counsel in this fictional memo to
the CEO.
Activist U.S. courts are accepting more and more human rights claims
against the business practices of global firms in developing countries.
Companies should take steps now to avoid ugly and costly legal battles.
by Elliot Schrage
Publication date: Aug 01, 2003. 
Prod. #: F0308B-PDF-ENG

HBR: Emerging Threat – Human Rights Claims

 Polytechnic University of the Philippines
Business Process Re-Engineering

Enron - Enron was a company that went filed for bankruptcy in

2001 following an accounting scandal.  At one time, Enron  was the
7th largest company in the United States.
Essentially what happened was Enron created a bunch of off-
balance sheet partnerships to hide its debt and improve its
financial picture in order to gain more favorable credit terms and
pump up its stock price.  Eventually, this scandal became known
and the company came crumbling down.

HBR: Emerging Threat – Human Rights Claims

 Polytechnic University of the Philippines
Business Process Re-Engineering

Human rights are

"basic rights and freedoms to which all
humans are entitled.”

HBR: Emerging Threat – Human Rights Claims

 Polytechnic University of the Philippines
Business Process Re-Engineering

List of human rights

Here is a list of some of the most recognized ones:
• Right to live, exist.
• To work for anyone
• To own property
• Speech
• Security
• Safety from violence
• Protection from the law

HBR: Emerging Threat – Human Rights Claims

 Polytechnic University of the Philippines
Business Process Re-Engineering

List of human rights

Here is a list of some of the most recognized ones:
• Not being arrested unless there is reason to think someone
has committed a crime
• Having a fair trial
• To be seen as innocent, even if a person is arrested, until the person is
found to be guilty by a fair court.)
• To be a citizen of a country
• To vote
• To think freely

HRB: Emerging Threat – Human Rights Claims

 Polytechnic University of the Philippines
Business Process Re-Engineering

List of human rights

Here is a list of some of the most recognized ones:
• To seek asylum if a country treats you badly
• To believe and practice the religion a person wants
• To peacefully protest (speak against) a government or group
• To have a basic standard of living
(food, shelter, clothing, etc.) Education Health care
(medical care)

HRB: Emerging Threat – Human Rights Claims

 Polytechnic University of the Philippines
Business Process Re-Engineering

Human rights organizations

Some well-known human rights groups are:
• Amnesty International
• Doctors Without Borders
• Human Rights Watch
• Human Rights in China
• Human Rights Campaign
• Southern Poverty Law Center
HRB: Emerging Threat – Human Rights Claims
 Polytechnic University of the Philippines
Business Process Re-Engineering

Human rights organizations

Karapatan
- Alliance for the Advancement of People's Rights
- a Filipino Human Rights Organization

HRB: Emerging Threat – Human Rights Claims

 Polytechnic University of the Philippines
Business Process Re-Engineering

Preempting Legal Attack

Most of the cases have targeted companies in the

extractive industries such as mining and petroleum, but
the fact is that all companies whose supply chains or
distribution markets reach into developing countries are
vulnerable.

HRB: Emerging Threat – Human Rights Claims

 Polytechnic University of the Philippines
Business Process Re-Engineering

The Defense

Companies have already developed product quality

standards that they impose on supply chains partners;
now they must develop human rights-based process
quality standards and roll them out of their global
operations.

HRB: Emerging Threat – Human Rights Claims

 Polytechnic University of the Philippines
Business Process Re-Engineering

The Defense

Executives need to participate new area of liability and

protect their companies from them by revising their
business practices.
They need to develop a priority list of emerging human
rights or tort issues that may confront their companies
in the future.

HRB: Emerging Threat – Human Rights Claims

 Polytechnic University of the Philippines
Business Process Re-Engineering

Conclusion

Companies must react rapidly to problems and

opportunities arising from extremely dynamic
conditions for them to be able to survive in the
competition.

HBR: Emerging Threat – Human Rights Claims

Reporter:
Ms. Sherwin G. Gutay
MSIT Student
sherwing_23@yahoo.com