Social Responsibility free essay sample

A small business, which shall be named for the purposes of this report SE Construction, will be reviewed in relationship to social responsibility in a business. In the corporate world this is called â€Å"Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)†. Corporate Social Responsibility â€Å"generally refers to the idea that corporations have broader responsibilities to society than merely maximizing shareholder value. Corporate sustainability is a specific framework for defining those responsibilities. One can think of a sustainable business as one that generates profits for its owners, protects the environment, and improves the lives of the people with whom it interacts† (MindEdge Inc. , 2013). Specifically, there are four areas that will be addressed in relationship to a business developing corporate social responsibility. These areas include considerations involved with the environment, ethics, organizational viability and legal compliance. The business will be reviewed in each of these areas and recommendations will be given to improve the businesses social responsibility in each of these areas. We will write a custom essay sample on Social Responsibility or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Environmental Considerations and Recommendations SE Construction is a general and electrical contracting business which focuses on construction in government markets including federal agencies, state agencies, school and college districts, and municipalities. In building for government markets the business has been involved in environmental concerns as part of many contracts. These environmental concerns include recycling and waste management, energy conservation, protection of endangered species, and safety programs related to hazardous waste and storm water pollution programs. Even though the business has always operated within the laws and regulations for environmental concerns to meet contractual requirements, the company has not always been diligent in JJT Task 1 – Social Responsibility Strategies 3 implementing continuing in-house programs other than meeting these contractual requirements. Therefore, recommendations will be made for three environmental considerations that should become a continuing practice within the company. These recommendations are related to a company Code of Environmental Conduct, a Company Waste Management Program, and setting company standards for suggesting and providing, where possible, greater energy efficient solutions in construction. The first recommendation is that the company create a Code of Environmental Conduct. This code will outline the overall company goals for involvement in environmental concerns. The following will be assessed in determining the company’s position on environmental concerns: †¢ The current environmental impact of all company operations. An example is the impact of waste disposal without the implementation of a recycling/reuse program. †¢ The current environmental concerns that have laws and regulations attached or the possibility of future laws and regulations that impact company operations. An example is increasing energy efficiency in operations above current standards. †¢ How the company is currently operating in relation to pollution prevention and product stewardship and how to increase efficiency and social responsibility in these two areas. An example of pollution prevention is a standard for control of fuel and oil products in relation to company equipment and machinery. An example of product stewardship is determining a standard for company participation in the life cycle of materials and supplies in company operations. This includes socially responsible recycling from the proper disposal of packaging of delivered materials, to the proper use JJT Task 1 – Social Responsibility Strategies 4 of the products or materials, to the proper end disposal or recycling when the usefulness is completed. †¢ What the benefits are to the company in implementing a code of conduct regarding environmental concerns. One benefit to the company includes avoiding fines or penalties by being aware of laws and regulations and implementing company policies of compliance. Another benefit is creating a competitive advantage by passing on suggestions for value engineering and energy efficiency to future customers. From this assessment, the company can determine specific areas in company operations where the company can be environmentally responsible and set goals accordingly. This vision or code of conduct can then be passed on to the employees with expectations for participation and implementation. The second recommendation is that a waste management plan become part of the day to day operations of the company within the office and all construction activities on all projects. The company has been required to provide a waste management plan for two construction projects over the past 3 years. These plans included a recycling/reuse percentage goal for the project, a list of the types of materials and waste that would be generated by the project,mwhat types of recycling, reuse, or disposal methods would be used and what vendors would be used to fulfill the waste management goals included in the plan. By implementing a waste management plan for all company operations the company isn’t just being socially responsible in this area due to a contractual requirement, the company is making a commitment to always be socially responsible by managing waste in an environmentally responsible manner. The plan preparation should include the following steps: JJT Task 1 – Social Responsibility Strategies 5 1. Preparing a list of all possible materials used in the office and on construction sites that become waste or need disposal. 2. Determining which materials on this list can be reused or recycled. 3. When materials can be reused, determining how, where and when. 4. Preparing a list of vendors in all locations of operations that can be used for recycling and determining all the logistics of making this happen. 5. Determining if any materials are considered hazardous and the correct disposal methods. 6. Determining the most responsible process of disposal of waste that cannot be reused or recycled. Set a waste management goal for the company for reuse and recycling. 8. Determine a tracking and reporting method for the program. The third recommendation to the company is to determine standards for providing energy efficient solutions. The company’s past performance has included providing more energy efficient electrical related systems such as energy efficient lighting packages with lighting controls systems. SE Construction has performed multiple solar installations over the past 10 years for government agencies that have provided renewable energy solutions. Mechanical systems have been provided on projects that provide increased energy efficiency for the buildings. These projects have provided increased energy efficiency due to contractual requirements with some value engineering by the company. By determining standards for providing energy efficient solutions the company can become more proactive with environmental concerns. By determining standards ahead of time, energy efficient solutions will become part of the bidding process and value engineering for the customer will be part of every construction project. The company can have a great influence on JJT Task 1 – Social Responsibility Strategies 6 the outcome of construction in relation to energy efficiency by bringing material suppliers on board with this vision and creating an expectation in supplier participation. The benefits for the company in this effort would include creating a strong reputation for being socially responsible and creating a competitive advantage in the construction market for providing value engineering for energy efficiency. The three recommendations create a unified package for the company to address environmental concerns. The first recommendation of creating a Code of Environmental Conduct brings all the possibilities to light for the company. The second recommendation of implementing a company Waste Management Plan provides a daily active approach to being environmentally conscious. The third recommendation of providing energy efficient solutions creates a proactive mindset for the company employees within the construction business. A2: Ethical Leadership Considerations and Recommendations  SE Construction is a small business with the employee count ranging from 12 to 35 depending on the work in process. Gross Revenue in a given year ranges from $2,000,000 to $7,000,000. The management of the company is controlled by the owner, who is the CEO of the corporation. Early on, as the corporation was formed and contracts were awarded through a bidding process, there were discussions on business ethics between the owner, project manager and office manager as different situations presented themselves. The ethical foundation for the company was formed during these discussions. Ultimately, however, the owner sets the terms of ethical behavior. Unfortunately, those terms are not always relayed and understood by all employees. There are three recommendations which will be discussed to help in providing an understanding to all employees on company ethics. These recommendations include creating a JJT Task 1 – Social Responsibility Strategies 7 written Company Code of Ethics, performing an ethics audit, and implementing an ethics training program. The company has an Employee Handbook which is presented and discussed initially with each new hire. There are sections in the handbook that address general and common ethics issues such as the company’s policies on harassment, discrimination, whistle blowing and the proper use of company property. Aside from the initial orientation, these issues are not discussed further with employees. In the past few years, as new employees have come into the company, the owner has not been present as much in the office or construction sites. As a result, the business ethics originally established have not been transferred as well to the more current employees. Due to this, problems have presented themselves which have cost the company time and money. One such problem recently arose in bidding a project. The project manager was also working on estimating the costs for a bid which was eventually won and awarded. The cost estimate included materials, labor, equipment, and subcontractor trades. This project manager was not aware of some laws that applied to the type of government bidding he was working on. Due to the lack of knowledge, a critical error was made in listing a subcontractor on the bid paperwork without actually using the subcontractor’s price. The project manager thought he could negotiate with the subcontractor later to bring the price down, which was not the case. Even if this had been possible, it would not have been ethical to shop the price of a subcontractor after naming the subcontractor on the bid. The decision of the project manager went against labor laws and the ethical policy of the company. However, the laws and the ethical policy were not understood by the project manager at the time the decision was made. JJT Task 1 – Social Responsibility Strategies 8 The first recommendation is to create a written Company Code of Ethics. This will start by identifying the ethical points that are already identified in the Employee Handbook and creating bullet point statements regarding each one. Next the ethical points that are not covered in the handbook will be identified, such as abiding by all labor laws and regulations. A few examples of ethical bullet points related to this and other important ethical issues include: †¢ Compliance: The Company shall research, understand and comply with government laws, rules and regulations and company management should be consulted when an employee is unsure. †¢ Fair Dealing: The Company will act honestly and will deal fairly with employees, suppliers, subcontractors and customers by not taking unfair advantage. †¢ Reporting and Accountability: The Company will follow a process to report possible violations of laws or ethical codes which includes detail on who to report violations to, the investigation procedure, and disciplinary actions. Details related to each ethical bullet point will be addressed further in the Employee Handbook. When the Company Code of Ethics is completed, it will be presented to the company employees followed by an open discussion and training for understanding. The second recommendation is to conduct an ethics audit which will include the company employees. After a written Company Code of Ethics has been created and presented, it can become the basis for the ethics audit. Since SE Construction is a small business, a method which could be utilized is to assign an employee from each company function area to an ethics audit team. The company function areas include administration, estimating and project management, so the team would consist of three members. The team could then assess the written Company Code of Ethics to determine whether all business practices are addressed. JJT Task 1 – Social Responsibility Strategies 9 Another method which could be utilized in an ethics audit is one on one discussions between the owner or an assigned representative and each employee regarding company ethics. These discussions would include such items as: †¢ How does each employee perceive the code of ethics in relationship to their role and job performance? †¢ How does each employee perceive the company’s ability to comply with the Code of Ethics? Does each employee have a clear understanding of the laws, rules and regulations that directly involve the employee and the company? †¢ Are there any past or current events or actions within the company that the employee would consider as a violation of the Code of Ethics? After the audit is performed, the information that is gathered can be used to revise and polish company policy on ethics. A third recommendation for the company is to provide each employee with an opportunity to participate in ethics training. There are online programs that provide ethics training for businesses. This would be especially helpful for employees that have any decision making power within the company. Each of these three recommendations build on each other to create a whole package. The goal of creating this package will be to instill the importance and the positive or negative effects of ethical social responsibility in each employee. A3: Organizational Viability Considerations and Recommendations There are three recommendations for SE Construction that will assist in the viability of the business. These recommendations include continuing to work toward a paperless office, continuing to pursue green building opportunities and determining ways to implement better JJT Task 1 – Social Responsibility Strategies 10 coordination and planning within the company. All of these recommendations stem from current goals in operations within the company. Finding innovation ways to implement these recommendations will not only assist the company in moving forward in these areas, but will assist in the sustainability of profits. The recommendation of continuing to support a paperless office is becoming easier as other associated entities also move in that direction. For instance, bidding a construction project generates a great deal of paper. Costs are estimated from endless pages of plans and specifications. The bid paperwork and proposals also generate pages of paper usage. Many users are providing the plans and specifications through online sources which can be downloaded. This allows files to be shared with suppliers and subcontractors without necessarily printing them. Many end users are allowing bid paperwork  or proposals to be submitted online, where in the past multiple copies were created and shipped. With the support of management in creating a company policy regarding paper usage and creating a paperless office, the employees will become more aware of their part in this process. This company policy can identify ways and offer suggestions as to how the employees can participate. A reward systems for meeting goals in this area could be included as a motivation. Participation in this recommendation will assist in reducing financial waste within the company. The second recommendation involves continuing to pursue green building opportunities. SE Construction has been involved over the past 10 years with sustainable energy construction involving solar, fuel cells, and wind energy. Green building opportunities have also included providing lighting and HVAC products that provide greater energy efficiency. Currently there are many opportunities to participate on the construction end with green building. To work toward this recommendation the company will create a business development plan on how to Strategies 11 pursue green building opportunities and set goals to meet regarding his recommendation will provide an avenue to generate future revenue for the company. The third recommendation is determining ways to implement better coordination and preplanning within the company. The way SE Construction operates is through a coordinated project management approach. There are usually multiple construction projects being performed simultaneously with more than one project manager overseeing the projects. This involves coordination between the field construction sites and the office. All materials and equipment are ordered through the office where purchase orders are generated. The office staff can then coordinate and track the logistics of delivery. The scheduling of manpower and subcontractors are similarly coordinated. Now, in theory, this approach is effective when pre-planning is part of the coordination effort. When pre-planning is not part of the effort, all processes become urgent and emergency situations. This creates higher costs for the company and lower profits on the projects. This also creates higher stress levels among employees. To implement this recommendation all parties involved in the coordination effort will come together to identify problem areas and problem solve resolutions. A benefit to bringing all parties together to create a more efficient system of coordination is that each party will gain a greater understanding of the domino affect one person’s poor planning has on another person and on the company as a whole. Implementation of this recommendation will provide a more cost effective environment for the company. Each recommendation will include statements regarding how implementation and employee participation will assist in the long-term survival of the company through creating sustainable profitability for the company over time. JJT Task 1 – Social Responsibility Strategies 12 A4: Legal and Regulatory Considerations and Recommendations In the construction industry there are many laws and regulations that need to be understood and followed. SE Construction not only provides construction services, the company is mainly involved in government construction contracts. This adds to the list of law and regulation compliance. Out of all these there are three groups of laws and regulations that are critical. These include following the safety guidelines of both the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Safety regulations and the U S Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Safety and Health Requirements Manual (EM-385-1-1), following quality control compliance guidelines, and complying with prevailing wage labor laws. The following information will provide an overview of each group of laws and regulations to include a description, the significance to the company, what the company has done thus far to comply, and recommendations for improvement in compliance. The first group of laws and regulations involve safety in the office and on the construction sites. OSHA laws were enacted with the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970. From this act came the Occupational Safety and Health Administration which directs national compliance. There was a need to enforce safety compliance due to the amount of deaths, injuries, and illnesses on job sites. A few of the main safety regulation categories include administrative safety, personal protection, tools and equipment, exposure control, facility safety, and behaviors and attitudes. OSHA conducts office and job site inspections and issues citations of safety violations, if necessary, which carry fines. In line with OSHA, many states have developed OSHA approved state safety regulations. A military version of safety regulations, the EM 185-1-1, is utilized mainly by the USACE and the Naval Facilities (NAVFAC). Both of these sets of safety regulations are significant to SE JJT Task 1 – Social Responsibility Strategies 13 Construction as the company must adhere to all of these safety regulations to continue providing construction services to government entities. The fines are costly and after multiple citations a contractors licensing can be suspended or revoked. The company has copies of all safety regulations saved in computer folders and as hard copies in the office and on job sites. Required posters are posted in the office and at job sites. Each job site is equipped with safety and first aid kits, personal protection equipment such as hard hats, safety goggles, dust masks and harnesses and the company’s Injury and Illness Prevention Program, with all required reporting forms. Safety tailgate meetings are held weekly at each job site. The company has a Master Safety System Manual and a template for a site specific Accident Prevention Program which is adapted to the trades and construction activities for each project. Employees are provided with a Company Employee Safety Manual which is reviewed with each employee upon hire. Project managers have attended OSHA 30 hour training certification courses and have been certified. Upon review of what is currently been done by the company to comply with regulations, the recommendation is that the company review all safety tailgate meetings to update them and expand on what is currently being used. The office safety administrator should be involved in this review and gain a greater understanding of this job role. The company has a set of safety tailgate meetings that were gathered a few years ago and are in need of being updated. The safety administrator in the office selects a meeting to be given each week and forwards this meeting to each job site. It is important that the meeting selected matches the activities that are happening on the job sites to truly be effective. This is not always possible due to the limitations of the current safety meeting selections. Also, a safety meeting selected for one job site may not JJT Task 1 – Social Responsibility Strategies 14 really apply to another job site. A more proactive approach in providing applicable, quality safety meetings each week will assist in job site safety. Federal construction projects require a Quality Control Plan (QCP) to be submitted as part of the preconstruction documents. A Quality Control Manager (QCM) is also required during construction to provide implementation of the QCP. The QCM is required to be certified by a government accepted program to act in this position. Quality control involves ensuring that the products and services meet the owner’s specifications in the quality of the manufactured product and the quality of the service being performed such as the framing of a wall meeting the specified quality criteria. Typically the QCP involves a three phase program which includes a preparatory phase, initial phase, and follow-up phase. Each phase includes meetings with all parties involved for understanding of requirements and expectations, inspections to ensure expectations are being met and reporting regarding  compliance. Testing is a large part of the QCP. This includes independent testing for materials such as concrete, steel, soils and masonry. When expectations in quality are not met, corrective actions are required to be taken. The QCP is significant for the company, as compliance saves the company money and creates increased profits on the job sites. As employees and subcontractors participate in the QCP and agree to comply with the set standards, the materials are correct and the installation of materials meet quality expectations. Therefore, mistakes are reduced, construction flows more smoothly and the construction schedule is met with less complications. The recommendation for the company is to provide more training for foremen and office staff on quality control processes and expectations. SE Construction has one certified QCM that has experience in implementing the QCP for federal projects. Preconstruction activities for the JJT Task 1 – Social Responsibility Strategies 15 QCM involves reviewing all the submittals (product cut sheets) for compliance before they are submitted to the government for review. This review process could become a team effort in the office if the compliance requirements were understood by the estimators who gather the submittals. The biggest part of implementation of the QCP is holding the required meetings and preparing the daily and weekly reports regarding compliance. By providing training for the foreman in quality control, the foreman can gain a greater understanding of their role and how they can assist in compliance to the regulations on the job site. This would make the job of the QCM less complicated and more of a project team effort. Prevailing Wage Labor Laws effect wages paid for various construction trades on public works projects. Public works projects include projects funded by state money such as schools, municipalities, state parks and special utility districts. An example of wage requirements for public works projects can be found on the California Department of Industrial Relations website: www. dir. ca. gov. Each construction trade is listed separately and many wages for the same trade vary by county. The list of wages for each trade is called a wage determination and is updated twice a year in California. For California, a 5 to 1 journeyman to apprentice ratio is also a prevailing wage requirement for many trades. Each state has its own prevailing wage website and wages and requirements vary in each state. Federal projects, which are any projects receiving federal money, also follow prevailing wage labor laws. These laws and regulations can be found on the U S Department of Labor website named Wage Determinations OnLine. gov: www. wdol. gov. On this website wage determinations can be found by searching by state, county, construction type, or wage determination number. These wage determinations are updated periodically and the correct JJT Task 1 – Social Responsibility Strategies 16 determination to use for a project is identified in the bid documents at the time of bidding a project. Understanding the prevailing wage laws associated with state and federal bidding is significant to the company because the wages used in creating an estimate vary depending on where the project is located and when the wages are updated. For example, a state project that has a two year duration may have wages that will increase a year after the project is awarded. Continual review of the websites will provide this important information. Also, there are important reporting requirements involved and some state projects include a Labor Compliance Program (LCP) which audits the weekly prevailing wage payroll reports to ensure that wages and benefits are being paid correctly and that apprentices are being used in the correct proportions. A recommendation for the company to improve compliance is too create a more organized system of tracking changes and updates to wages and meeting compliance requirements. SE Construction has expanded in the amount of different trades performed by the company. This means more wage changes to track. This information is not yet in a format that is quickly accessible for bidding and is not updated regularly. Currently the information is updated as needed and becomes a matter of urgency which can lead to mistakes. For each project award a wage listing is to be posted at the job site. This is not happening automatically due to the fact that the information isn’t consistently updated for all trades in an easily accessible format and the administrator in charge is not proactive in making sure this happens. The company’s constant vigilance in complying with government laws, rules and regulations in these three groups will create a safer working environment, provide a quality product for customers, provide stable wages and benefits for employees and create a competitive advantage as the company’s reputation for compliance is strengthened. Social Responsibility free essay sample â€Å"The social responsibility can be defined as the obligation of the organization to act in ways that serve both its own interests (making a profit) and the interests of its stakeholder. † (Sandy Millar, Christopher Theunissen, 2008, P69) Socially responsible organization takes action to ensure that their activities do not affect any of the stakeholders in a negative way. The McDonald’s is the leading global foodservice retailer with more than 30,000 local restaurants serving 52 million people in more than 100 countries each day. It is one of the worlds most well-known and valuable brands and holds a leading share in the globally branded quick service restaurant segment of the informal eating-out market in virtually. McDonald’s with a high level of social responsibility goes one step further, they take action to ensure that stakeholders benefit from their actions. They can use four different approaches, which include proactive approaches, defensive approaches, accommodative approach, and obstructive response to social responsibility. We will write a custom essay sample on Social Responsibility or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Moreover, the total corporate social responsibility can be subdivided into four criteria – economic, legal, ethical and discretionary responsibilities. â€Å"A stakeholder is any group within or outside the organization that has a stake in the organization’s performances. Each stakeholder has a different criterion of responsiveness, because it has a different interest in the organization (King Roberts, 1989; Donaldson Preston, 1995). † (Danny Samson, Richard L. Daft, 2005, P165) The need for a business to be responsible for its actions is widely accepted. Businesses do not exist in isolation; they provide goods and services to people and make use of materials and labor supplied by people. Businesses have responsibilities to stakeholders to ensure their actions do not cause harm. The McDonald’s organization, for example, has a responsibility not only to its customers, but also to the employee, shareholders, suppliers, community and competition etc. An organization’s customers play an important role in determining the products and services it will provide. Without customers, there would be no need for the organization. Then, of course, there are the staff, who provide the services to the customers. Food supply chain is the one of the stakeholder in McDonald’s organization. The McDonald’s organization works with suppliers to produce high standards of food. McDonald’s has to compete to some other fast food restaurants, such as KFC, Wendy’s etc. The McDonald’s organization is a good corporate citizen and works closely with local communities in the locations where it operates. McDonald’s adheres to laws regulating wages, hours and working conditions to the stakeholders of government. But these are only six of the stakeholders in the McDonald’s organization, there are many more. Therefore, stakeholder is the term used to illustrate the universe of people and organizations that have a vested interest in a particular effort. â€Å"The proactive response comes from firms that take the lead in social issues. They seek to learn what is in the public interest and respond without coaxing or pressure from stakeholders. † (Danny Samson, Richard L. Daft, 2005, P173) Proactive response is one of the four ways a management may choose to respond to environmental and social problems its activities have caused. Proactive responses have the highest degree of social responsibility. Organizations give responses before any issues addressed by the public and without any external pressures. They show a great interest in enhancing society welfare and very good social image. They integrate their interest with the public interest. â€Å"Asked why McDonalds was sponsoring Euro 2004 by a deal worth ? 15m, Jeff Wahl, the companys director of worldwide marketing, said: Its important that we build brand loyalty with kids, sponsorships like Euro 2004 are a great way to accomplish this. Moreover, we always see the advertising that McDonald’s organization supports kiwi kids’ football campaign. They always donate to sponsor kid’s football program. Sport is acknowledged by the junk food manufacturers as an effective means of reaching the crucial youth market. Thus, the organizations go out of their way to learn the needs of the different stakeholder groups. â€Å"Another strategic commu nication response involves defensive response strategic such as denial, excuse or justification, all of which involve the organization reacting less aggressively to criticism† (Ronald D. Smith, 2004, P104) When an organization has defensive responses, it only does what is legally required. When an issue is raised by the public, the organization usually admits the problem but denies it responsibility. It responses of the organization is often legal but not ethical. Few years ago, people blame McDonald’s food is not that health because they reuse the cooking oil many time for chips fried, fried chicken etc. However, McDonald’s didn’t break any rule and legal required on the cooking oil reused. Thus, managements admission of some errors and taking of only legally required steps to solve social and environmental problems caused by a firms activities. â€Å"When media attention is high, and organization must take some kind of public announcement, such as finding of internal and external investigations. It must, however, decide on one of two media strategies: whether to be accommodative or defensive. An accommodative approach is one in which apologies are made and intentions of instituting reforms and changes are announced. (Otto Lerbinger, 1997, P258) Organizations adapts this type of response show their socially responses. They admit to errors and take actions to correct them. However, in some circumstances, external forces push the organization to do so. In McDonald’s restaurant, they present the fat-free burgers and health breakfast to customers since most people complain that fast food is not good for health. The McDonald’s organization took this accommodat ive approach to paying its customers. That is why we say an accommodative response is positive; it tries to balance the needs of different stakeholder groups against one another. â€Å"Organizations that adopt obstructive response deny all responsibility, claim that evidence of wrongdoing is misleading or distorted, and place obstacles to delay investigation. † (Danny Samson, Richard L. Daft, 2005, P172) Obstructive response is reaction characterized by the elimination, hiding, or denial of the existence of incriminating evidence, or the adoption of delaying tactics. An obstructive response has the lowest degree of socially responsibility. For my research, it is no found McDonald’s organization did some obstructive response to social responsibility. Hence, we said obstructive response that organizations are trying to discard all the issues by all means such as hiding facts and deleting records. Managers decide not to act in a socially responsible way and try to hide their behavior from others. They show no interest to enhance community welfare. In some cases, it can lead to criminal. Companies have shareholders who demand a reasonable return on their investment; they have employees who want safe and fairly paid jobs; they have customers who demand good quality products at a fair price etc. † (By Andre Habisch, 2005, P337) Economic responsibility is the most basic social responses for a corporation. It is the basic criterion in evaluating a corporation’s social performance. Corporations adapting this type of responsibility ofte n purely focus on the profit and ignore everything else. In some extreme cases, this can lead to criminal. â€Å"A valid report talked about energy use in the restaurants, but not in the unsustainable food system McDonalds relies upon that uses 10 calories of energy for every calorie of good produced. Sustaining McDonalds requires a simple unsustainable formula: cheap food plus cheap non-unionized labor plus deceptive advertising = high profits. An honest report would tell stakeholders how much it truly costs society to support a corporation like McDonalds. It would detail the externalities borne by other people, places, and generations: The draining of aquifers, the contaminated waterways, the strip-mined soils, the dangerous abattoirs where migrant workers are employed, the inhumane, injury-prone dead-end jobs preparing chicken carcasses for Chicken McNuggets, the global greenhouse methane gas emitted by the millions of hamburger cows in feedlots, the impact of their $2 billion advertising and promotional campaigns to convince young people to demand their food, the ethics of using toys to induce small children into their restaurants. (FOODFIRST website, 11, May, 2008) From the above example, we clearly know some organizations often concentrate on the profit and neglect something else. â€Å"The responsibility of corporations in relation to law demands that they abide by its provisions and ‘play by the rules of the game’ † (By Andre Habisch, 2005, P337) Legal responsibility has a higher level than economic responsib ility. Corporations still have the profit-maximizing view. However, corporations are well disciplined and they behave with the law frame. McDonalds has known for decades that the food it serves harms people, promotes obesity, heart disease, and has detrimental effects on land and water. Addressing that one issue would make a difference. They have known about the detrimental effects of their food just as the tobacco companies understood the impact of their products. Yet they have done little to modify their menu. Therefore, they gain the profit even they provide kinds of fried and junk food to customers, however, they are follow the legal framework and never break the rule. This responsibility obliges corporations to do what is right, just and fair, even when they are not obliged to by the legal framework. † (By Andre Habisch, 2005, P337) When corporations take ethical responsibilities, they do a better job than just taking legal responsibilities. Corporations avoid unethical actions. However, they still only focus on things which are relevant to their goals and tasks. â€Å"McDonald’s switched from polyst yrene clamshells to paper products in packing its big Macs. It did so in response to heavy lobbying from a variety of groups, some of which even encouraged children to write to the corporation asking it to change. It own studies indicated that, all things considered, using polystyrene was environmentally preferable. Nonetheless, it switched to paper products to satisfy what it considered a popular demand or a social responsibility, since doing so enhanced its image. † (By John W. Houck, Oliver F. Williams, 1996) Thus, from the above example, we know McDonald’s did not break any legal if they keep using polystyrene to pack the big Macs, however they did the ethically right thing to social performance. The fourth level of CSR looks at the philanthropic responsibilities of corporations. This aspect of CSR addresses a great variety of issues, including things such as charitable donations, the building of recreation facilities for employees and their families, support for local schools, or sponsoring of art and sports events. † (By Andre Habisch, 2005, P337) Philanthropic responsibility is also called discretionary responsibility. Discretionary responsibility is the highest criterion of corporate social performance. Corporations voluntarily contribute to the society and quality of life with no payback. Most organizations are going to do some philanthropic, McDonald’s is one of the most of the organizations as well. McDonald’s organization is always sponsoring some kinds of sport events in order to attract people on McDonald’s. The Food Commission has been highly critical of the link between sport and fast food, and particularly the tactic of sponsoring grass roots and community events alongside marquee events such as the World Cup and the Olympics. McDonald’s used sport as a means of reaching young people, and both began by denying evidence that their food are harmful to health. To sum up, social responsibility is an ethical or ideological theory that an entity whether it is a government, corporation, organization or individual has a responsibility to society. This responsibility can be â€Å"negative,† in that it is a responsibility to refrain from acting or it can be â€Å"positive,† meaning there is a responsibility to act. McDonald’s success is based on its ability to meet and exceed the requirements of customers. The same focus on business efficiencies and customer satisfaction helps McDonald’s environmental program to reaching a new level of environmental consciousness when the magical strength of the McDonalds brand. It is very important to undertake those economic, legal, ethical and discretionary responsibilities respectively by sequential to develop an international organization from small every business. Social responsibility free essay sample Social responsibility is the responsibility of an organization that their decisions and activities affect on its society and environment with ethical behavior and transparent. Ethical behavior that is consistent with sustainable development and the welfare of society takes into account the expectations of stakeholders. (http://knowledge. sagepub. com. libraryproxy. griffith. edu. au/view/greenbusiness/n33. xml) . For Corporate Social responsibility, there are four types: Economic Responsibilities This is the responsibilities that offering services or product to customers with a fair price. Legal Responsibilities The responsibilities to abide by the law, which is determined by society about what is right or wrong Ethical Responsibilities The Responsibilities to do the right and fair decision without the law forcing you to do it. Philanthropic Responsibilities The responsibilities to invest money back into the society to upgrade and to provide a better living for the people in the society. We will write a custom essay sample on Social responsibility or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page With Corporate Social responsibility, company can show to the public that they care about the earth and they want to be a part of the group to help the earth environment which then can create a good image of the company and to increase its reputation in the society. Benefit And nowadays more and more business are working on their Corporate Social responsibility. Also many people are now starting a green life. Saving the earth and do less damage to the earth. Business start caring is not only because it helps to improve the environment. But also because what it can bring to the company such as things like trustworthy from the society. And also it can help the company to build up its reputation. With benefit of Corporate Social responsibility, the result can go beyond what the management expected. It can have positive effect on the company’s finance, its image, and can help to protect the environment. Pretty much there no negative impact of conducting Corporate Social responsibility. The Corporate Social responsibility’s idea is to invoke in people’s mind which can help the organization to promote its good image and create good wills. Chahaland Sharma, 2006; Galbreath, 2010; Weber, 2008). Also there are a lot of other benefits like reduce operational risks, motivate staff and reduce financial costs (Heal, 2004; Knoxand Maklan, 2004; Weber, 2008). http://search. proquest. com. libraryproxy. griffith. edu. au/docview/1019442816 Basically Corporate Social responsibility can help organization to increase its profit by customer’s satisfaction, maintaining current customers, attracting new customers and increasing staff productivity. Also cost will be reducing due to the low rate of turnover, lower energy cost and reduce wastage. However, implementing Corporate Social responsibility into an organization needs money. And if an organization took the wrong approach on Corporate Social responsibility, the result could be very different. In order the make the highest profit from Corporate Social responsibility, organization needs to find the optimum level that creates the balance between the need. Social responsibility free essay sample We as a society shouldn’t rely on the legal system to legitimize whether specific actions are right or wrong. The ability to determine an action is ethically or morally right or wrong; it should be an inept characteristic that is instilled into each of our moral compasses. The society that we live in today is completely different from that of 20 years ago. Today, it is frowned upon when an individual is treated unfairly based on his/her sex, age, race, and even a person’s sexual orientation more so than in the past. Not only do our morals and ethics gauge our individual actions, but so does the law. It seems as though that whether an action is ethically right or wrong is not the driving force that governs a business’s practices. It seems that some businesses today don’t use morals and ethics to gauge their actions. Instead, it seems some entities rely primarily on the legal system to legitimize their actions. We will write a custom essay sample on Social responsibility or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page It was stated in the introduction of this performance assessment on TaskStream that â€Å"Many believe that business entities should have an ethical duty to be socially responsible, to work towards increasing its positive effects on society while decreasing its negative effects† (TaskStream EST1, 2008). The attitude and actions carried out by Company Q are both unethical and socially irresponsible on multiple levels. The recent actions of Company Q aren’t as unethical/immoral as other companies in case studies that we have read about throughout the course (i. e. Wal-Mart). Even though their actions aren’t as severe, their actions are still unethical on a variety of levels. There are three areas that could be improved regarding Company Q’s attitude toward social responsibility. First, there are other viable options a company can choose instead of closing a store entirely. Just because a business is in a less-than-ideal location doesn’t mean that a business should close its doors. Instead, Company Q could reduce its overall size of the locations that aren’t in the most pristine locations, or even readjust the products that it offers. Not only must Company Q listen to their customers, but companies in general need to put the customers’ wants and needs above the desire of money. Company Q should offer products that their customers actually use and consume. Along the same lines, Company Q has disregarded multiple requests of their customers. It seems that society has begun to realize the importance of healthy diet and exercise. Company Q must realize that offering healthier alternatives to mass produced foods will only appeal to the masses. Not only is Company Q’s blatant disregard for their customers’ requests assenine, but it is also poor business practice. The fact is that Company Q must offer their customers the products that they want. Finally, Company Q’s actions regarding it’s donation of day-old products is both dis-heartening and border-lined inhumane. Not only should we as individuals watch out for one another, but the capabilities and resources that larger businesses have should be used in a manner that positively impacts the society around them. The resolution to this poor business practice is simple. Company Q simply needs to willfully donate slightly outdated products to local food pantries and other organizations that focus on providing goods and services to those whom are less fortunate. Not only would this aid people in need, but it could also have a positive impact on their image to their existing customers which could in turn attract new customers. Company Q is lacking in multiple areas when evaluating the company’s social responsibility. Although it appears that Company Q is only focused on its own profit and success, they need to improve their view for the society around them. Company Q could have an overwhelmingly positive impact on the society around them, if they were only to make minor adjustments to some of their poor business practices.