pfizer-pharmaceutical-giant-meet-communication-business-curtin-business-school

  Task is to review the behaviours, actions and communications of one of the companies listed below :    Pharmaceutical companies today, face a mounting pressure to meet their corporate social responsibility and ethical business practices that are expected of them. No longer is a company’s merits based simply on its ability to deliver high profits, but to also meet its social obligations (Vian et al 2007). This has increased the requirement of companies now deemed global corporate citizens to contribute to the society from which they take their resources and extremely large profits from. Gaining its roots in the 1950’s (Carroll 1991), corporatesocial responsibility is a key performance indicator and an intrinsic part of how corporations conduct their business (Lee and Kohler 2010).   The establishment of the World Health Organisation in 1948 by the United Nations coincided with this increase in social awareness about global health (World Health Organisation 2016).   Pfizer, a leading American research and development biopharmaceutical company, is attempting to address these concerns. Beginning in 1849 (Pfizer 2016), Pfizer has grown to provide medical services across a wide range of products which has produced considerable benefit to the health and wellbeing of society. The Company has been directly involved in advances such as; mass production of penicillin, broad spectrum antibiotics, numerous vaccines, bifurcated needles, diabetes, inflammatory and cancer treatments, deep tank fermentation and the all-to- well-known miracle drug Viagra (Pfizer 2016). It has expanded dramatically over the past 15 years through several mergers and acquisitions to solidify its position as one of the leading innovators of biopharmaceutical products (Pfizer 2016).   Though Pfizer has an impeccable record for its contribution to preventative and curable diseases, it has not been without considerable controversy and neglect to its ethics in regards to health (Mattera 2016). Pfizer’s website states its dedication to the highest ethical standards in all facets of its business, including, health, research and development, marketing and sales (Pfizer 2106).   Pfizer, like any corporation, has two interested parties it needs to satisfy, the shareholders and other stakeholders. The stakeholders and shareholders have vastly differing interests with respect to Pfizer’s performance. The shareholders demand returns on their investments and the stakeholders demand good corporate social responsibility. Vian (et al 1999) argues corporate goals and corporate social responsibilities can come together to achieve a desirable outcome for both interested parties. Most reputable corporations would find this an accurate statement and a widely adopted philosophy, however, to what extent is this to satisfy the needs of both, or just the new model for marketing a corporation in the modern era? This paper aims to look beneath the veil of mission statements, values, beliefs and corporate policy to see if Pfizer measures up to society’s ethical expectations in relation to health.   Pfizer has been a massive corporate contributor to global health and in many instances, the instigator of programs that provide vast quantities of medical relief (Pfizer 2016). Such is the demand on Pfizer to meet its corporate social responsibilities, it has put integrity as its number one core value in meeting this demand. Through integrity, Pfizer hopes to create a transparent, honest and ethical approach to its business standards, thereby meeting the.......