Target Corporation Social Responsibilities

In this paper, I am going to discuss and explain my opinions on why company Q is or is not socially responsible. Company Q recently closed a couple of stores in high crime areas. Company Q also started offering very limited health conscious and organic products. The local food bank has contacted Company Q requesting day old food for donations. Company Q has declined the donation request due to possible fraud by its employees and has started throwing the food away.

The company I chose to discuss is Chick-Fil-A, Dan Cathy is the current President and CEO. Chick-Fil-A’s mission statement explains what they value and what their commitment is to the community. According to the Chick-Fil-A website “For the past 66 years, we have built a foundational commitment to service – service to our customers, service to our franchised Restaurant Operators and their Team Members, and service to our communities. This begins in the restaurant – one customer at a time.

Target Corporation has many different strengths compared to its competitors. Target is the second biggest concession retailer in the United States. Target has a great reputation and strong brand that they spent time and money creating and still try to enhance through their current and future business decisions. About 97% customers are able to recognize Target with its bullseye logo. Target has the ability to create great relationships with customers, and Target has strong and unique marketing tactics.

In addition, I do not find it surprising that both Disney and Comcast place environmentalism and philanthropy as their top CSR initiatives, as similar organizations tend to follow the same formula. I believe that these causes are positioned at the forefront of both firms’ CSR initiatives as all organizations, whether for or non-profit, exist to produce some type of product or service that creates a positive contribution to society. By keeping this concept in mind, these firms must honor the welfare of the society they serve by recognizing these causes while also making a profit. For example, both firms recognize their commitment to protecting the environment as Comcast carries out its “Green is Universal” campaign by encouraging sustainability

The selected corporation is Volkswagen (VW), a German car manufacturer headquartered in Wolfsburg, Lower Saxony, Germany. Established in 1937, Volkswagen is the top-selling and namesake marque of the Volkswagen Group, the holding company created in 1975 for the growing company, and is now the second-largest automaker in the world (Wikipedia, 2016). Volkswagen’s corporate website is http://www.vw.com/. According to the International Ethical Business Registry, there has been a dramatic increase in the ethical expectations of businesses and professions over the past ten years. Increasingly, customers, clients and employees are deliberately seeking out those who define the basic ground rules of their operations on a daily basis.

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) relates to the actions of an organization and the effects on the environment and social wellbeing. It is about the way that the company assesses its actions and takes responsibility for this. (Investopedia, n.d.) CSR is a management concept whereby companies integrate social and environmental issues in their business operations and interactions with stakeholders . The company aims to achieve a balance of economic, environmental and social objectives, while also listening to the needs of stakeholders.

The consumers now demand for the products which are environmentally safe and having high packaging. Firms can be protect the natural environment demand by the public. In the United State about 20 million people are supporting environmental groups. The regulations from the federal and state governments are changing rapidly and becoming more complex. Most of the consumers, distributors, suppliers, and investors are closing business with environmentally weak firms.

Furthermore, it is noted that customers, particularly from developed nations like UK, France and Italy are more and more concerned about their health and the report on individual health expenditure over the last decade by OECD (2011) has confirmed that. The report shows that customers are becoming more inquisitive in the type, nature, origin and the processing method of materials in which, apparel and clothing firms uses in producing their product. Thus, demanding for transparency and accountability. Consequently, many customers have gone green and they are persistently advocating for sustainable and ethical activities of firms (Johansson, 2010; Pookulangara

Involved in CSR activities are proven to create good image and reputation for a company. In the long run, it helps a company to increase shareholders’ value and achieve sustainable business

AMAZON’S CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITIES: Most major companies have embraced the power of CSR to drive brand affinity while also effecting tangible positive social and environmental impact, but some corporations remain conspicuously absent from the CSR landscape. Amazon.com, dubbed by its own hometown as a "corporate scrooge," is one of those companies notably turning a blind eye to demands for CSR. But now, the online retail giant may be changing its tune. There were four pillars to Amazon’s CSR:- •Economic responsibilities - As a foundation companies are responsible to produce goods and services in a profitable matter. In addition companies create jobs and create career opportunities.

"We are not in business to make maximum profit for our shareholders. We are in business...to serve society. Profit is our reward for doing it well. If business does not serve society, society will not long tolerate our profits or even our existence." Kenneth Dayton, former Chairman of the Dayton-Hudson Corporation 1.

In the recent years more and more companies in the retail and food industry are concerned about the environmental consequences of their action and also the social ethics for the people involved in the production process. This is a shift from the philanthropic actions companies used to take in 1970’s and by following basic international standards to a ‘business case’ perspective of CSR (Customer Social Responsibility). According to the World Business Council for Sustainability Develpoment ( WBCSD) CSR is: ‘’ the commitment of business to contribute to sustainable economic development, working with employees, theirfamilies, the local community and society at large to improve their quality of life’’ (World Bank, 2002)

CASE STUDY HINDUSTAN UNILEVER- TRANSFORMING A BRAND INTO A SOCIALLY RESPONSIBLE LEADER. 6/30/2015 Amity International Business School Aditya Agarwal A1802014167 Faculty Guide- Dr. Kokil Jain Industry Guide-

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) relates to the actions of an organization and the effects on the environment and social wellbeing. It is about the way that the company assesses its actions and takes responsibility for this. (Investopedia, n.d.) CSR is a management concept whereby companies integrate social and environmental issues in their business operations and interactions with stakeholders. The company aims to achieve a balance of economic, environmental and social objectives, while also listening to the needs of stakeholders.

Furthermore, in Starbucks website, we can find out many Corporate Social Responsibility annual reports. They are actively involved activities likes social and environmental. For example, for each year, they are encouraging Starbucks employees and customers to contribute more than one million hours of community services. The Starbucks Community Service Program including improving hiking trails, conducting park clean-ups in conjunction and mentoring students at an after-school program with local non-profit organizations. (Starbucks