The Cultural Heritage collectivism and politics

Figure 1: The Cultural Heritage of Juukan George. (Ken, 2021)
ENS2159: Engineering Innovation and Ethics
Assessment 1
Rio Tinto’s Destruction of Juukan Gorge
Report on Juukan Gorge Scandal
Name: [ ]
Id: [ ]
1

Executive summary
In the last few decades, as consumers have become increasingly dependent on
technology, innovation has turned out to be a significant role in the accomplishment of any
organization. The goal of innovation is to improve ideas, products and processes. According to
this technique, companies can not just ensure an enhanced standard of living for clients as well
as improve their productivity, revenue and reputation (Tout, 2020). Furthermore, the ethics of
engineering is the learning of decisions, values and issues merged inside the effort of engineers.
Engineering integrity aims to identify potential ethical issues to avoid potential problems.
Learning from past mistakes, engineers can take advantage of past moral or technical problems
to get achievements. The report determines the demolition of Rio Tinto’s Juukan Gorge cavern
for CSR and ethical investigation of deviations inside the enterprise. According to the research,
the structure of Rio Tinto is disconnected therefore internal and external roles including act in
agreement with ethical standards as well as containing systems of prevention, punishment and
surveillance. It turns the low-level managers to perform impulsive leading to immoral realistic
actions (Whitehead, 2020). Rio Tinto’s achievement depends on faith among every partner
containing host groups, business associates, administrations, clients, stakeholders and suppliers.
The report will also elaborate on what steps should take to avoid failure of future destruction by
Rio Tinto.
2

Table of Contents
Executive summary.........................................................................................................................2
Introduction......................................................................................................................................4
Company overview..........................................................................................................................4
Business ethical issues and important ethical concerns on the scandal...........................................6
Business ethical issues.................................................................................................................6
Important ethical concerns before and after the incident.............................................................7
Before the incident...................................................................................................................7
After the incident.........................................................................................7
Consequences of the Juukan George Scandal.................................................................................7
Realistic actions to overcome ethical issues....................................................................................9
Recommendations............................................................................................................................9
Conclusion.....................................................................................................................................10
References......................................................................................................................................11
3

Introduction
Since May 2020, the Rio Tinto organization has been in the news for blasting Juukan
Gorge, which the Aboriginal people considered culturally sacred containing two rock
accommodations of impressive ethnographic, archaeological and cultural consequence. Amongst
these shelters indicates had proof that the history of its nonstop residence courting back 46,000
years, which makes it’s an international and national milestone (Wirth et al., 2016). It violated
the Puutu Kunti Kurrama and Pinikura (PKKP) an important part of an individual's living
culture. Their grief over the loss is indescribable, as the committee personally experienced this
situation while on the ground. The community had discussions with Rio Tinto in 2013 regarding
the plans to blast the place to start iron mining after preserving some of the artefacts on the
heritage site. The story highlighted in the financial times painted an image of an organization
trying to balance ethical and business interests but has found it complicated (Southalan, 2021).
While pursuing profits that will benefit the organization and the community in the form
of jobs and better lives, the company needs to balance the areas that the community is willing to
forego to the mining company with no conflict of interest (Tout, 2020). Due to the blasting of the
Juukan Gorge without adequate consultation from the local community, indigenous groups,
Australian politicians, and investors reacted with fury compelling the resignation of three
executives, including the CEO, Jean-Sebastien Jacques. According to the (Hunt, 2020), cultural
diversity and heritage had not been accorded the respect they deserve since they are hard to
measure and the fact that they remain diffuse. The discussion will analyse the organization's
ethical issues using rational ethics arguments and the ethical decision-making framework.
Company overview
Rio Tinto is an Anglo-Australian mineral resource company headquartered in the UK.
The company was originated in 1873, Spain. Currently, the organization is among the top three
iron ore producers inside the globe and also participates in copper, aluminium, energy,
diamonds, gold, industrial minerals and other businesses (Reynen, 2018). From 1962 and 1997,
the enterprise alliance with several powerful mining organizations and in 2000 successfully
attained the northern Australian mining organization as well as became a comprehensive
frontrunner in exploration, resource, mineral, processing and extraction (Pearson, 2020).
Company-controlled by Hamersley iron ore corporation limited. It is the second-largest iron ore
4