We live in a strange world… meanwhile
the crisis of the Samsumg Galaxy Note 7 is literally ‘’onfire’’ in the media, another long-lasting issue seems to be frozen by the
company and part of the public attention. This one has affected for chemical
poisoning more than 200 employees in one of its factories in South Korea, of whom
76 have already died. It’s difficult to understand why press and PR experts
have been the last days extraordinary busy analyzing the ‘’lights and
the shadows’’ of
Samsung’s crisis strategy, whereas not many have pointed out to their disregard
of human rights and its discouraging citizenship behavior.
The facts
Since 2007 family members of Samsung employees are fighting against the company seeking for
an apology and a compensation. More than 200 employees felt victim to illnesses
such as lymphoma, multiple sclerosis, lupus and leukemia as a result of
exposure to harmful chemicals while working in their factories. One third of them have
died. Meanwhile, Samsung is denying to give information to them or the Korean
authorities as it can compromise its trade secrets. Without this information
the families and the sick employees cannot apply for workers' compensation from
the state who rejects the cases. For their part, the government have declared
that corporate interest take priority and that they fear being prosecuted for the disclosure of industrial information. Inexplicably, Samsung, in complicity with the
South Korean Government, are neglecting their social responsibility with their
internal stakeholders.
Social PR responsibility?
Apparently, this is not the
first time Samsung has been accused of deplorable work practices, and regardless,
it seems that the biggest company’s crisis in the lasts years is going to be
the one hitting the company financially (vs the one with cost in human lives) …
I’m afraid that anybody is doing his job, nor the media neither the public
(looking where the ‘’wisps’’ are), and not at all the South Korean government. However,
from the PR field, what it is important to stress here is the absence of the mediator and social responsible role in the public affairs of Samsung. The positive social
influence that such a large corporation can exert in a government is beyond any
interference in the political life cycle for maximizing profits. In this case, collaborate with the
authorities and facilitate information about the chemicals to the court, could
have made possible the state compensation to the victims and consequently the relieved of 200 members of their closest ‘’Samsung Family’’
(paraphrasing the American CEO). Thus, why don’t lobby and use PR in a social responsible
manner? perhaps the term, hence the profession, could gain better publicity and
connotations. Furthermore, in money and moral terms, how much can cost for a
giant like Samsung to relieve 200 South Korean families compared to recall
millions of Note 7 around the globe? Not much I would say…
Knowing the lack of empathy with the employees in this issue, their repetitive crisis’ history, and the poor social orientation of their public
affairs, we don’t see Samsung in a good track for recover trust and good reputation. We
rather see a black whole.
About the author: Isabel is a
cultural professional doing sometimes PR stuff and currently trying to
understand them in a Master of Corporate Communication at UvA.
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