????筆者與富士康董事會(huì)多位成員聊過(guò)，其中并不是所有人都認(rèn)為勞工問題很重要,。有些人甚至覺得《紐約時(shí)報(bào)》有些小題大做,。他們認(rèn)為，如果一件事情不會(huì)引起公司財(cái)務(wù)上的損失,，就不是什么大事,。

????這些持有功利主義態(tài)度的董事會(huì)成員,，要為我們資本市場(chǎng)體系中徘徊不去的脆弱性負(fù)責(zé)。在跨國(guó)公司里,，這些人將倫理道德的領(lǐng)導(dǎo)責(zé)任排除在了企業(yè)之外,。當(dāng)且僅當(dāng)市場(chǎng)或者政府對(duì)他們的所作所為施以嚴(yán)厲的懲罰，他們才會(huì)重視道德缺失的情況,。

????這類董事會(huì)成員看不到,，利用員工的信息缺失或者無(wú)能為力來(lái)提高公司的生產(chǎn)效率，最終將得不償失,。他們不愿承認(rèn),，市場(chǎng)參與者和整個(gè)社會(huì)對(duì)此付出的成本，最終也將由企業(yè)自己來(lái)承擔(dān),。他們也不會(huì)意識(shí)到,，放任此類行為不管，可能對(duì)公司短期不會(huì)造成什么影響,，但長(zhǎng)遠(yuǎn)來(lái)看,，非常可能引起揮之不去的嚴(yán)重災(zāi)難,。

????持有這種態(tài)度的董事會(huì)成員,，也許會(huì)對(duì)環(huán)境保護(hù)問題有所關(guān)注，因?yàn)檫@類表態(tài)有可能對(duì)短期的收入提升有所幫助,。他們會(huì)重視公司治理——形式遠(yuǎn)大于實(shí)質(zhì)——因?yàn)椴幌朐诙聲?huì)選舉中遇到阻力,。但他們不太會(huì)關(guān)心勞工、裁員或者薪酬不平等的問題,。“員工是我們最重要的資產(chǎn),?！盋EO經(jīng)常這么說(shuō)。說(shuō)出這句話很容易,，但這些董事并不會(huì)將這個(gè)問題放入會(huì)議議程,。他們也許從來(lái)不會(huì)落在紙面上，但他們心里其實(shí)并不重視企業(yè)文化或者員工的幸福,。事實(shí)上,，問題的本質(zhì)在于，他們沒有一個(gè)經(jīng)過(guò)充分考慮的經(jīng)營(yíng)哲學(xué),。相反,，他們把頭埋在沙堆里，逃避這樣的思考,。他們?yōu)榱硕唐诘墓蓛r(jià)卑躬屈膝,。他們對(duì)于自己應(yīng)該承擔(dān)的對(duì)股東的義務(wù)和企業(yè)的社會(huì)責(zé)任沒有全面的認(rèn)識(shí),。他們面臨絕境了嗎？還沒有,，但已經(jīng)不遠(yuǎn)了,。

????不到十年前，關(guān)心環(huán)保對(duì)企業(yè)還不是什么大事,。但今天,，明智的企業(yè)都會(huì)這么做。公司的內(nèi)部治理盡管很難定義,，眾說(shuō)紛紜,，但幾十年來(lái)都一直被認(rèn)為是非同小可的重要問題。今天,，董事會(huì)應(yīng)當(dāng)將勞工待遇——無(wú)論是公司內(nèi)部還是公司外部——放上議程的頭條,。

????就像起訴書所要求的那樣，讓我們期待好時(shí)公司變得更加公開透明,。這這樣一來(lái),，它的巧克力嘗起來(lái)會(huì)更加美味。

????埃莉諾?布洛克斯?jié)h姆是一家董事會(huì)咨詢公司“價(jià)值及公司治理同盟”的CEO,。

????翻譯：周詳

????Of the dozens of board members I've talked to about Foxconn, not all think the labor issues there matter. Some board members feel that the concerns raised by the Times were much ado about nothing. They believe that if an action does not cause financial pain to the company, it's okay.

????Board members who adopt this Benthamite philosophy are responsible for staggering weaknesses in our capital markets system. In overseeing corporations, these individuals put the onus of ethical leadership outside the corporation itself. They grow concerned with ethical breakdowns if, and only if, the market or the government exacts a heavy penalty for their actions.

????These kinds of board members disregard the futility of relying on those with sparse information and circumscribed ability to enforce good corporate behavior. They do not admit that the costs market participants and society assume are ones the corporation itself should bear. Nor do they appreciate that by delaying their own involvement, their corporations may escape in the short run but could very well invite worse disasters that will haunt them in the long-term.

????Directors who take this approach may get involved with environmental causes if doing so can help the immediate bottom line. They may concern themselves with governance -- in form rather than substance -- because they'd rather avoid sour board elections. But they are much less likely to concern themselves with labor matters, layoffs, or pay inequality.

????"Employees are our most valuable asset," a CEO may say. And it's easy to say those six words. But these directors don't put that issue on the agenda. While they may never say so on the record, they don't really care about corporate culture or worker happiness.

????This is not because they have given it much thought. In fact, the problem is that they lack a thoroughly considered business philosophy. They run in a pack where they can avoid such thinking. They bow down to short-term shareholder value. They do not have an informed view on their duties to stakeholders or the corporation's role in society.

????Is it hopeless? No. But it is the next frontier.

????Although less than a decade ago, concern for the environment wasn't in, today it's considered smart for business. Governance, although many can't define it, is discussed widely and considered important, not irrelevant, as it was decades ago. Boards now need to put the treatment of employees -- whether they are inside or outside the company -- at the top of their agendas.

????Let's hope Hershey becomes more transparent, as the lawsuit requests. It will make the chocolate taste that much better.

????Eleanor Bloxham is CEO of The Value Alliance and Corporate Governance Alliance (http://thevaluealliance.com), a board advisory firm.