Many of you may already know that business organizations are subjected to different sanctions and taxes in many different countries throughout the world. The article below describes the story of 44-yr old Mohsen, a partner in a firm that exports petroleum products in Iran. At the time the article was published, Mohsen's company was a million dollars in debt. The international embargo facing Iran by the United States has left Mohsen searching for innovative ways to fund his business, through loans.
I found this article interesting, because at one point, Mohsen describes ways in which he avoids creditors from collecting the money owed to them by his company, "if a creditor sees that you're not making ends meet, and that you're canceling the annual vacation or selling off the fancy car, he'll deduce that you're about to go bankrupt. And then, he'll swoop in before other vultures to salvage what he can. If the creditor knows you have some money, and your company is operating, then he's relaxed." He states that in order to delay creditors from harrassing and battling out the funds owed, he has to give the impression that his company is successful and prosperous. To do so, he must continue going on lavish vacations and purchasing luxurious cars. This seems a bit extreme, but regardless, it reminded me of Bolman and Deal's Symbolic Frame. Certain symbols, in Mohsen's case - status symbols of success, allow companies to survive within the current economic state they are in. Despite the economic debt Mohsen's company is in, he has to continue to keep his business afloat or risk being sent to jail and owing thousands of dollars to his debtors. Far from being economically productive, his company's sole purpose has come to pay off creditors and lenders.
http://articles.latimes.com/2010/dec/05/world/la-fg-iran-middle-class-20101205
~Janet Echeverry
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