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Critically evaluate the social responsibility of business
Importance of social responsibility in business
Importance of social responsibility in business
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Introduction
In the contemporary competitive business environment, businesses are faced with a myriad of challenges. If not dealt with, this challenges can impact on their performance. In light of this there is a new paradigm shift which focuses more on sustainable development. As resources dwindle and competition increases, there is need to remain relevant and competitive whilst promoting sustainable social, environmental and technological best practices approaches. Business sustainability can be defined as management of the triple bottom line. This is a process in which organizations or companies manage their environmental, technological, social and financial risks, whilst meeting their obligation and utilizing available opportunities. In essence it focuses on profit maximization, people and global interactions.
In essence business sustainability requires companies to observe and follow certain principles of sustainable development. The World Council for Economic Development (WCED), defines sustainable development as development that “meets the needs of the present without compromi...
Wheelen, T. L., & Hunger, J. D. (2010). In Concepts in Strategic Management and Business Policy Achieving Sustainability, Twelfth Edition. Pearson Education.
According to Marc J. Epstein (2008), to help understand what sustainability is in the context of corporate responsibility, [Epstein has] broken it down into nine principles.
These days, it seems that everyone is talking about “sustainability” or “going green.” However, these terms are somewhat confusing and difficult to classify. Over the past few decades, the concept of sustainable viticulture has emerged and is spreading awareness to grape growers and winemakers across the United States and beyond.
If a company agrees with sustainable development, it means that this company should deeply understand its development should ensure that its use of natural resources and its activities impact on the environment today must not destroy future for any kind of resources and environment by next generations.
This paper critically analyzes Nike company sustainability strategy. Every investor or a group of investors wishes to see the business profitable at the current time as well as having good prospects for future (Werbach, 2009). For this reason, business sustainability strategy is very important. A strategy is a plan that guides the company or a business firm towards a certain direction or set goals. Thus, sustainability strategy is an action plan that a company set in order to maintain the plan toward the achievement of company’s goals in future. Sustainability strategy puts into consideration aspects such as the source of raw materials, competition, human resource development, and sustainability, and the general business environment. Thus, in evaluating a business’ sustainability, it is important to consider the business planning in this direction (Heslin and Ochoa 2008)
Under the business strategy of services, PwC will assist clients in identifying risks and opportunities with strategic sustainability goals in mind. They also provide guidance when developing strategies for change management, stakeholder engagement and reporting. They support and encourage organization to moving towards Sustainability 2.0 which “process that builds prosperous businesses creating innovative products and services; businesses founded on good financial results, responsible use of resources, and community well-being” (as cited by Albinson, 2011). Sustainability becomes a means for an organization to strategically change business processes, create new innovative products, and implement new updated technologies (steps to sustainability, 2011).
Triple bottom line is defined as “a corporation’s ultimate success or health can and should be measured not just by the traditional financial bottom line, but also by its social/ethical and environmental performance” (Norman and MacDonald, 2003). There are many advantages when it comes to being a triple bottom line corporation. While incorporating the triple bottom line, you are also incorporating sustainability you’re your business. Therefore, becoming a triple bottom line corporation means it is one step higher towards helping save the planet. Becoming sustainable is cost efficient. Although it may cost a significant amount of money to convert, it will pay itself off in the long run. Additionally, it will help reduce expenses while saving
Stuart Hart, in a business article, discusses the tough task for companies to make a sustainable global ec...
Sustainable development integrating social and environmental considerations into business decisions, products and services to help customers and deliver long term value for stakeholders. Supporting ANZ’s institutional and commercial clients to manage their human rights, labour and environmental risks more effectively benefit customers, strengthens business relationships and reduces ANZ’s reputations and commercial risk.
Sustainability is a concept with a diverse array of meanings and definitions – a widely used glamorous, ambiguous, ambivalent and vague concept that is used by different stakeholder groups in various ways. Presumably to avoid noodling over a terminology or to avoid the confrontation with a definition, most widely the concept is broken down a planning process (c.f. e.g. Döring & Muraca, 2010). That is why most common sustainability is understood as sustainable development.1
The problem that was investigated consisted of a question that Milton Friedman posed in one of his articles, which was featured in The New York Times Magazine in 1970. The question was, “What does it mean to say that “business” has responsibilities” (Friedman, 2007, p. 173)? Friedman (1970) elaborated on how businesses cannot have assigned responsibilities. Furthermore, he described how groups or individuals should be the only ones that can hold responsibilities, not businesses. He stated that associating responsibilities with the word business is too ambiguous. I will examine three discussion questions and three compare and contrast questions which Jennings (2009) posed in a case study that is related to Friedman’s (1970) article “The Social Responsibility of Business is to Increase its Profits”.
Without doubt the XXI century has changed our priorities, especially when it comes to the way we do business. Popular sustainable business models, as advertised in the media, have evolved into much more than a moral obligation or an external requirement to generate money. Essentially, are forcing companies to reinvent the systems and approaches with which they generate value and profitability to the company.
7). Their definition was as follows: “ It is in the hands of humanity to make development sustainable… to meet the needs and aspirations of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own. (SHRM, 2011, p. 7).” Sustainability is the organization’s commitment to balance financial performance with contributors to the quality of life of employees, society at large, and environmentally sensitive initiatives (SHRM, 2011, p. 2). Workplace sustainability requires observation of the following: work force diversity, environmental impact, bribery and corruption, community involvement, ethical sourcing of goods, human rights, product safety, and product usefulness (Epstein & Roy, 2001, p. 588). Creation of a stable, sustainability culture can support the company’s efforts to reach its long term goals; however, sustainable practices are more often found in medium and large staff-sized organizations, publicly and for-profit companies and multinational companies (SHRM, 2011, p.
The sustainability of the ecosystems on which the global economy depends must be guaranteed. And the economic partners must be satisfied that the basis of exchange is equitable” (World). This quote demonstrates the complexities of sustainability. Another thing corporations should focus on when trying to be sustainable is their environmental impact.
Sustainability simply defined to me as balancing act between the development of sustainability is necessary for both planet Earth and humans to survive. This is reinforced in the World Commission on Environment and Development report (1987) that sustainable development must meet the needs of the present without compromising the well-being of future generations”. The Earth Charter Organization widened the idea of sustainability to respect for a culture of peace, universal human rights, nature, and economic justice (What is sustainability?, n.d.).