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INTERVIEW WITH MICHAEL HOPKINS FOUNDER OF MHCi<\/b><\/p>\n
Barbara Kimmel:<\/i><\/b> Michael – tell us a bit about your background, qualifications and expertise. If you have written a book, please provide the title.<\/i><\/p>\n
Michael Hopkins:<\/b> My main aim in life is to promote the issue of corporate social responsibility for peoples, communities, companies, countries, governments and NGOs around the world.\u00a0 I help to accomplish this as a teacher (University of Geneva Graduate Courses on CSR www.corporateresponsibility.ch<\/a> and through my company www.csrfi.com<\/a>); as a researcher through research and advisory services with a strong focus on creating employment strategies through MHC International Ltd.\u00a0 (MHCi: London, Washington DC & Geneva); and as the author of thirteen books of which the last two: The Planetary Bargain:CSR Matters<\/i> (Routledge 2003) traces the history of CSR and proposes a framework; and CSR and International Development<\/i> (Routledge, 2007).<\/p>\n I have also worked on developing and evaluating human resources and labour market issues in over 120 countries around the world, inter alia, Colombia, Brazil, Cote d\u2019Ivoire, Tunisia, Morocco, Egypt, Jordan, Qatar, Dubai, South Africa, Malaysia, China, India, Philippines, Vietnam, Portugal, and Azerbaijan.\u00a0 I blog with CSRwire and in MHCi\u2019s regular monthly features which are now in their 12th year.\u00a0 I am currently working, interalia,<\/i> with my sister-in-law, the just appointed Deputy Prime Minister of Somalia, to promote trust and development in Somalia\u2026it will work just wait and see!<\/p>\n Barbara Kimmel:<\/i><\/b> Trust Across America’s mission is to rebuild trustworthy business behavior across the globe.\u00a0 How would you generally define trustworthy business behavior?\u00a0<\/i><\/p>\n Michael Hopkins:<\/b> Trustworthy business behavior means treating the key stakeholders of a company or institution ethically or in a responsible manner, which I equate with Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). \u2018Ethically or responsible\u2019 means treating key stakeholders in a manner deemed acceptable according to international norms. Social includes economic and environmental responsibility. Stakeholders exist both within a firm and outside.\u00a0 In fact acting responsibly toward your stakeholders is obviously good for business and so there should not be special tasks.\u00a0 However, the financial crisis, the fall of Enron, the pyramid scheme of Madoff etc. indicated that companies need to be persuaded either by vigorous NGO activity or by new forms of legislation.<\/p>\n Barbara Kimmel:<\/i><\/b> <\/b>In your opinion, what\u00a0are some of the specific components of trustworthy business behavior?<\/i><\/p>\n Michael Hopkins:<\/b> Being British, I am often challenged by our colonial past and am not impressed by many of my forbearer\u2019s ruthlessness and scant regard for indigenous peoples.\u00a0 Yet curiously, my country is known for fair play and, in business, that a gentleman\u2019s honour is his handshake – note rarely she, maybe not needed? We men can learn.\u00a0 I am told these days that nothing is now done without a written contract and I have also been often disappointed with the lack of respect of verbal agreements.\u00a0 Now, more and more, the old joke rings true and that is why does the sun never set on the British Empire?\u00a0 Because you cant trust \u2018em after dark.\u00a0 I wish this to become less and less true and why I greatly support the notion of trust, and Trust across America with the hope that the movement becomes \u2018Trust Across the World\u2019.<\/p>\n Barbara Kimmel:<\/i><\/b> We all know that the erosion of corporate trust is a big problem. What are companies doing to combat this, and is it enough?<\/i><\/p>\n Michael Hopkins:<\/b> Today just about 90% of large corporations produce social or sustainability or CSR or corporate citizenship reports since they are well aware that reputation can be lost in a heartbeat. \u00a0Many add that all these reports are simply green or white washing and, of course, there is some truth in that.\u00a0 However, imagine a company of more than 100,000 people and then note how difficult it is to keep your own close family of, say, 10-15 people to agree to work together for the good of the whole family.\u00a0 In a large company it is, of course, incredibly difficult to get everyone following best trustworthy practice.\u00a0 Even if the CEO is trustworthy and swears by social responsibility at events such as Davos, down the chain of command to the operational level all sorts of shortcuts are taken to improve the bottom line.\u00a0 Then imagine how difficult it is to convince employees that it is not the pursuit of profits at any cost that is good for you and the company but how<\/i> profits are made.<\/p>\n Barbara Kimmel:<\/i><\/b> Is the global “trust” climate improving or worsening? What actions will turn things around?<\/i><\/p>\n Michael Hopkins:<\/b> I am forever an optimist especially since hard numbers for whether the global climate is improving or worsening are hard to find.\u00a0 Globescan does an annual report on trends in Sustainability as does Price Waterhouse and both give optimistic figures on progress on such things as climate change, democracy around the world etc.\u00a0 The one global figure I often use is life expectancy, which is improving right across the world even in dear old USA, which is a laggard in some respects but has shown improvements.\u00a0 You can\u2019t live long without such hard to measure issues as trust and level of living.\u00a0 The recent resignation of Hillary Clinton was notable for the review of her work (nothing major accomplished gloat the press) and yet her final remark rings true: \u201cAlthough we weren\u2019t able to shatter that highest, hardest glass ceiling this time, it\u2019s got about 18 million cracks in it.\u201d\u00a0 So what actions will turn things around assuming they need to be turned around is simply that – the millions of kindnesses and measures of respect one finds right across the world.<\/p>\n Barbara Kimmel:<\/i><\/b> Can you provide a few examples of companies that are doing the “right” thing in your opinion? What steps are being taken by these companies that sets them apart?<\/i><\/p>\n Michael Hopkins:<\/b> I am asked this a lot and my response is often the same and that is it is simply hard to pronounce since to use a clich\u00e9 \u2018one swallow does not a summer make\u2019.\u00a0 For instance, the oft-praised Nike has worked hard to achieve decent labor practices across its supply chain.\u00a0 Yet Nike does not produce anything itself, all is from sub-contracted suppliers.\u00a0 Thus poor labor practices can surface in remote locations that Nike didn\u2019t even know worked for it.\u00a0 It has suffered on this count but has vigorously addressed labor issues right across its supply chain.\u00a0 I am also impressed by the small group at the US Chamber of Commerce who pursue corporate citizenship, albeit imperfectly, but I am glad my former young associate accepted my mentoring and is now documenting with Google and Microsoft the many splendid things that companies are doing to improve development right across the world and yes, I\u2019ll mention her name, Taryn Bird.<\/p>\n Defining what is meant by \u2018best\u2019 is also not easy, for instance it may surprise readers but there is no objective way in which to set a \u2018living wage\u2019 despite demands for many to do so.\u00a0 The ILO\u2019s labor policies have recently been augmented by a pressing concern for \u2018decent work\u2019- laudable in theory but almost impossible to define.<\/p>\n Barbara Kimmel:<\/i><\/b> Anything else you would like to add as a closing comment?<\/i><\/p>\n Michael Hopkins:<\/b> One can find trust right across the world.\u00a0 I have been lucky to have lived and worked in over 120 countries.\u00a0 In any of these countries, 99% of the people are wonderful yet so few give the rest a bad name.\u00a0 Don\u2019t be fooled!\u00a0 I look out of the window as I write here in Nairobi and see bustling and extremely friendly activity from smiling, friendly and trustworthy Kenyans.\u00a0 Yet, before setting foot in the country I am warned against sporadic violence, armed robbery, kidnapping, gang warfare etc.\u00a0 which of course exists prompted by appallingly bad distribution of income and wealth.\u00a0 All countries must be extremely careful not to fall into the Orwellian trap of the few having a lot and the many with little or nothing \u2013 please watch out America!<\/p>\n Barbara Kimmel:<\/i><\/b> Michael, you have had a truly outstanding career. Thank you for sharing your thoughts with us. <\/i><\/p>\n Michael Hopkins can be contacted at: mjdhopkins@mhcinternational.com<\/a><\/p>\n Do you have questions or comments? Email Barbara@trustacrossamerica.com<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n