Tapescripts Unit 1 Speaker 1

The formation of international organizations has been a 20th-century phenomenon. Nowadays there are more than 2,500 international organizations. Among them are more than 130 intergovernmental unions.

The influence of the international organizations is great. They deal with political, social, and economic problems. They are concerned with the environmental problems as well. For example, such international organization as the United Nations is aimed at modifications of the national and international laws for the good of the people.

The results of the activity of the international organizations are significant. It can be proved by the fact that the UN General Assembly passed a number of resolutions and declarations that dealt with crimes against peace, war crimes, and crimes against humanity; genocide; human rights; the right of peoples and nations to self-determination; permanent sovereignty over natural resources; denuclearization; and non-intervention.

Speaker 2

The concerns about the activities of multinational corporations are valid, and abuses have undoubtedly occurred, but many forces are also at work to keep multinational corporations from wielding unlimited power over their operations.

Increased consumer awareness of environmental and social issues and the impact of commercial activity on social welfare and environmental quality have greatly influenced the actions of all corporations in recent years, and this trend continues.

Multinational corporations are constrained from moving their operations into areas with low labor costs. Social welfare organizations take into consideration the plight of individuals in countries with repressive governments and try to hamper the removal of multinational businesses to areas where legal protection of workers is minimal.

Similarly, consumer awareness of global issues lessens the power of multinational corporations in their dealings with government agencies. International conventions of governments are also able to regulate the activities of multinational corporations without fear of economic reprisal.

Speaker 3

While no one doubts the economic success and pervasiveness of multinational corporations, their motives and actions have been called into question by social welfare, environmental protection, and labor organizations worldwide. Certainly, the activities of multinationals have introduced a number of favourable changes, however they pose a threat to the future development of the world community.

National and international labor unions have expressed concern that multinational corporations in economically developed countries can avoid labor negotiations. They simply move their jobs to developing countries where labor costs are lower. Offshore outsourcing, or offshoring, is a term used to describe the practice of using cheap foreign labor to manufacture goods or provide services only to sell them back into the domestic marketplace.

Social welfare organizations are similarly worried about the actions of multinationals, which are presumably less interested in social matters in countries in which they maintain subsidiary operations.

Finally, environmental protection agencies oppose the activities of multinationals, which often maintain environmentally hazardous operations in countries with minimal environmental protection laws.

Speaker 4

Multinational corporations have existed since the beginning of overseas trade. They have played a pivotal role in the business scene throughout history. By the end of the 19th century, advances in communications had more closely linked world markets, and multinational corporations retained their positive image as instruments of improved global relations.

In the recent times when multinational corporations have grown in power, they have come to be viewed more ambivalently by both governments and consumers worldwide. Indeed, multinationals today are viewed with increased suspicion because of their manner to penetrate new markets and power they have gained in relation to national governments.

Despite these worries, the corporate social performance of multinationals has been surprisingly favorable today. The activities of multinational corporations encourage technology transfer from the developed to the developing world. The wages paid to multinational employees in developing countries are generally above the national average. When the actions of multinationals do cause a loss of jobs in a given country, it is often the case that another multinational will move into the resulting vacuum, with little loss of jobs in the long run. Subsidiaries of multinationals are also likely to adhere to the standards of environmental protection and in most cases create less pollution than similar indigenous industries.