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The Case Organisations Towards Sustainability - 2077 Words

Introduction This case study critically examines Nike, the case organisations journey towards sustainability over a period of 15 years after facing intense criticism in 1998 for unsafe working conditions, excessive overtime, restrictions on organising and environmental impact. The meaning of sustainability, its motivation and application to the case organisation has been explored further. The authenticity of these initiatives has been assessed through the lenses of stakeholder theory. The implications of the initiatives undertaken by the case organisation on the three pillars of sustainability positive and negative have been discussed further to understand the level of balance and drift specially impacting the economic and societal cause.†¦show more content†¦(Colbert and Kurucz 2007). As for the case organisation, the reason for the sustainability awakening was strong criticism from NGO’s for their business practises and media attention i.e. non-market factors. These non-market f actors resulted in dropping sales and reputation for an organisation of their size. The case organisation undertook several approached and initiatives along the course of its sustainability journey, it is important to note that when formulating a â€Å"business case† for sustainability, it is more important on how the sustainability management is organised rather than focussing on the number of initiatives (Schalttegger 2010). Initiatives taken: †¢ Initial focus was on engagement with the critics, formulating a body to help improve workers conditions and monitoring as a means of creating awareness. †¢ Publicising corporate responsibility reports added the dimension of transparency. †¢ Further steps included moving the corporate responsibility team in corporate decision making and formulating indexes to rate its sustainability practices. †¢ Focus on utilising environmental friendly raw materials and minimising waste. ARGUMENTS Authenticity of what drove the sustainability for the case organisation over the 15 years is arguable given that the drivers of success have changed from time to time.

Ethics and Corporate Social Responsibility Skilful Business

Question: Discuss about the Ethics and Corporate Social Responsibility for Skilful Business. Answer: Introduction Corporate social responsibility is defined as the skilful business practices undertaken for increasing the societal benefits. According to Bamber (2015), the maintenance of the efficient CSR management can contribute the environmental welfare that ensures the sustainable development of the organisation. Especially, in the automobile industry, the CSR implementation has somewhat become essential. The report is highlighting the CSR management process undertaken by Holden Car, Australia. The maintenance of the CSR process will be featured by presenting the in-depth analysis of the conceptualised idea. The activities undertaken by Holden Car by improving CSR will also be described in this report. The contribution of the company in the financial performance will also be discussed in terms of describing the CSR process. Concentrating on these requirements, a structured and systematic report will be presented further. Concept of CSR CSR is the abbreviation form of Corporate Social Responsibility, which determines the initiatives undertaken by the firms to strengthen their competitive position. Usually, the non-profit organisations implement the skilful CSR plans to strengthen the business position and make the company more competitive. In this current scenario, the consumers are much aware of the increasing rates of the global issues. Hence, it is required to take the proper initiatives to retain the consumers by providing them the proper benefits that can even contribute welfare to the society. The report has been signifying the CRS initiatives undertaken by Holden Car, which is the renowned automotive company in Australia. It is noted that the automobile industries need to pay more attention towards the CSR activities since the extracted fuel may cause the air pollution in a significant manner. The society and the environment may face the difficulties due to the emissions of CO2 from the vehicles. The report w ill thus present the CSR process undertaken by the company to maintain the sustainable position in the market. Holden Car: Business Case for CSR The current globalised world has been ensuring the sophisticated trends in a very prominent manner. In considering the CSR initiatives, GM Holden merged with World Environmental Centre (WEC) to improvise the environmental performance. The company has been promoting the green supply chain management to promote the CSR performance. In the initial stage, headquarter of GM Holden in Melbourne took the initiative of promoting such CSR performance. Later, some of the suppliers from Victoria and South Australia also joined by signing up to this initiative. The director of the company appreciated such programme undertaken by GM Holden, which can improvise the sustainability management of the company. The programme has been undertaken to set the long term commitment in supporting the development of the automobile industry in Australia. Since, WEC is the global, non-profit and independent organisations, it was helpful for GM Holden to promote the environmental welfare programme to maintain the sustainability. Holden Car: Business case against CSR The maintenance of the CSR is one of the most necessary segments for developing the sustainable business management. It is to be indicated that the automobile industries have been concentrating on the quality and safety aspects of the vehicles that are to be offered to the customers. However, the major issue have been found in maintaining the security and the safety of the vehicle owners. It was reported that many of the vehicles manufactured by GM Holden have the quality issues in the automobile parts (Bamber 2015). Hence, the emissions of CO2 and other polluting gases have been affecting the environment. Moreover, the engines are also made up of poor quality materials. Hence, the company has been facing such potential issues with the CSR activities. CSR activities undertaken by GM Holden GM Holden has captured one of the most significant places in managing the CSR policies. Some of the considerable and appreciable initiatives have been undertaken by the company to ensure the achievement of the sustainable position. GM Holden has been strengthening the business position through ensuring the rules imposed for using the vehicles. It increases the safety assurance while driving the vehicles. The company has been even concentrating on the waste reduction process as well. The water bottles are recycled to manufacture Chevy Equinox Part, which is usable during the manufacturing process of the automotive engines. Apart from achieving such success in these segments, the company was even awarded with many of the skilful initiatives representing CSR activities. Undertaking such CSR approaches is considered as the driving force for acquiring the leading position in the competitive business market. They have been skilfully recognised by the CSR-rating agency and scored the 10th position in the RepTrak ranking. The reputation building is the result of undertaking the efficient CSR process. It is needless to say that if any organisation maintains the featured and effective corporate social responsibilities, it helps them to achieve the reputed position in the competitive business market. Similarly, the initiatives ensured by GM Holden in Australia are also specifying the competitive position in the business market. It is even helpful in strengthening the business position. GM Holden has been concentrating on the sustainable future by managing the proper CSR initiatives. It is reported that GM Holden has recorded almost $89.7 million in the year of 2011, which has been marked as the positive financial result (Beal and Neesham 2016). However, the company has even faced some of the financial crisis due to the implementation of such CSR plan. The mismanagement of the CSR initiatives is considered as the major reasons for the financial crisis. Apart from some of the performance outcomes, the company is much benefitted with the proper implementation of the CSR plan. The increasing export rates and the shipping activities are also contributing the effective financial progress, which was reflected in the annual business report. Due to such increasing financial performance, GM Holden has captured the second highest-selling brand position in Australia. The market share even increased up to 12.5% more specifically. Therefore, it can be inferred that the implement ation of the CSR initiatives has become effective enough for GM Holden in maintaining the sustainable position in the competitive business market. More specifically, the customers are much satisfied with the offered automobile services, which can determine the safer approaches for the users. Thus, it would be effective enough for the company to keep the progress through the implementation of the CSR initiatives. Conclusion The study includes the discussion of CSR approaches undertaken by GM Holden Car. Each of the organisations undertakes the effective CSR plan to strengthen the competitive business position. Similarly, GM Holden has also captured the second largest position in implementing the appreciable CSR initiatives. The association with World Environmental Centre (WEC) is effective enough in promoting the green supply chain management. It helps in increasing the business profitability and measuring the performance efficiency in a significant way. However, besides generating the fruitful outcomes of the effective CSR process, the company has been facing several potential issues related to the CSR management. It has been seen that the customers have been complaining about the quality parameter of the engines as well as the safer approaches for driving the vehicles. The issues associated with these segments are considering the threats for the company to some extent. However, ensuring the 10th posit ion among the reputed companies in Australia, the company has strengthened the position with much appreciation. In analysing the financial report, it has been seen that the implementation of the proper CSR activities has created both the positive and the negative influences. Besides the financial crisis, the company has even acquired strengthened business position. References Bamber, G.J., 2015. Work systems and employment relations in the Australian automotive manufacturing industry.Members-only Library. Beal, B.D. and Neesham, C., 2016. Systemic corporate social responsibility: micro-to-macro transitions, collective outcomes, and self-regulation.Social Responsibility Journal,12(2).

Microsoft Essays (892 words) - AOL, Netscape, Web Browser, Microsoft

Microsoft This paper will show my opinion of Microsoft being branded a monopoly. I feel this example shows supply and demand in addition to monopolistic competition. This entire ordeal is over a free browser that Microsoft includes with windows for free and gives out on the internet for free just as Netscape and most other browser companies do. The government feels that Microsoft is creating a demand purely for their products by forcing its browser on suppliers and controlling prices. I have yet to see where Microsoft is charging extraordinary prices for any of these free programs nor do I see how Netscape, in using the governments definition, a monopoly itself, is being forced out of business by Microsoft's free browser. Remember: the charge is against including Internet Explorer with Windows, not the Windows monopoly itself. It is much better to have one operating system than 20 or even 2. Software compatibility, technical support, and setup are much more simplified with one operating system . Programs today are specifically designed to be Windows compatible. Would you rather have 20 (local) phone companies, each with a different line and number running into your house or one, as is the case now? Internet Explorer brings browser competition to a market that is essentially monopolistic itself. Internet Explorer gives Netscape a competitive product where before virtually none existed. The purpose of antitrust laws is to prevent only harmful monopoly. Microsoft's operating system near monopoly is harmful in very few ways. Nor is Intel's chip near monopoly harmful, nor is Netscape's browser near monopoly. Other reasons easily explain how Microsoft came about to its size and how new companies constantly spring up in the computer industry. Computer software is a very volatile industry. To succeed in this industry all you basically need is a good program and a way to offer it for sale. All they have to do is make a program and copy it on a disk. Since making an extra disk cont aining the program costs all of 2 cents, it is more costly for the software company to print the box and manuals, than it is to make one extra disk. But it does cost Microsoft to develop a new program. No matter how cheap a disk is, capital investment such as salaries, factories, storage, and programmers always exist. Even though development costs are sunk and additional production costs are nonexistent, other costs are incurred. Besides, supply and demand determines where a price will fall. Another thing about the computer market is its ever-changing program market. For all we know, anyone literate in programming may develop a better program than Windows. If consumers like it, we may soon find another browser monopolist. For reasons similar to this, computer industry leaders have vastly changed in just a few years. At times Apple, IBM, Intel, Netscape, AT&T and even Commodore, have or had large, sometimes monopolist-like markets. Characteristics of monopolies that cause trouble are (1) restriction of output, (2) higher prices along with this restriction, (3) restriction of entry to a particular market and, in a few cases, (4) lack of innovation due to lack of competition. Not a single one of these problems is experience with Microsoft. These problems are only drastic when an item is in a secluded market with no close substitutes. Computers are definitely not necessities and there are few barriers to entry in the computer market (the only noticeable being computer literacy). Microsoft certainly does not restrict output and hold prices at extreme levels. If they did, nobody would buy Windows 95 or 98 when it came out. There is no reason to buy an upgrade except that people are looking for something new or something bigger and better. New versions of Windows do not sell because consumers aren't forced to buy them. They sell because consumers want them. Many of Microsoft's major products are included with Windows. Giving products away at no monetary cost is certa inly not restricting output. Netscape had an almost full monopoly (90%) and still has a semi-monopoly at 65-70% of the browser market. So what they are worried about? They use the same methods of distribution of their software by offering it for free and having