Ice cream maker Ben & Jerry’s Homamade Holdings Inc. is based in the United States. The business was founded in 1977, and parent firm Unilever bought it in 2000. Although it began as a small company, it now has operations around the world. The firm makes more than 50 distinct products, including dairy-free ice cream choices, frozen yogurt, and ice cream. All ingredients are of the highest caliber and were obtained responsibly. Ben & Jerry’s utilizes a “values-led sourcing method” to find their ingredients, one that promotes supplier diversity, farmers and farmworkers, regenerative agriculture, and shared value creation (Siltaloppi et al., 2021). The business also prioritizes minimizing the damaging effects of its activities on the environment. They frequently publish reports on topics relating to climate change, such as their carbon footprint, utilize freezers that are energy- and environmentally-friendly for storing their goods, use sustainable packaging, and turn garbage into electricity to run farms.
In contrast, TOMS donates shoes to more than 50 nations and collaborates with non-profit organizations to include footwear in their health, education, hygiene, and community development initiatives. The CRS approach of both Ben & Jerry’s and TOMS Shoes is similar as they invest more in social projects and collaborate with different organizations. Same as the Ben & Jerry’s case focus of TOMS’ efforts is on the social and environmental effects of every part of their business, from the materials used to make the shoes to the boxes they are transported in. Natural hemp, organic cotton, and recycled polyester are all components of TOMS Shoes, and the packaging is created with 80% recycled post-consumer waste and printed with soy ink.
From organization to organization, “socially responsible” is defined differently. The triple bottom line, which states that a corporation should be devoted to monitoring its social and environmental effects, sustainability initiatives, and earnings, serves as a common framework for businesses. The motivating cause for the triple bottom line is sometimes summed up by the proverb “profit, people, planet.” Despite the CSR approaches of Ben & Jerry’s and TOMS Shoes, there are other CSR activities. For example, ethical responsibility is not addressed in those companies. Making sure a company runs ethically and fairly is part of having ethical responsibility (Mosca and Civera, 2017). When an organization embraces ethical responsibility, it aspires to operate ethically by treating all parties fairly, including the leadership, investors, workers, suppliers, and consumers. There are several methods for businesses to embrace ethical responsibility. For instance, if the minimum wage set by the state or federal government is not a “livable pay,” a firm may set its own, higher minimum wage.
Another example of a CSR activity can be economic responsibility. It is the practice of a company committing to do good in the aforementioned areas while supporting all of its financial decisions. The ultimate objective is to ensure that corporate activities have a good influence on the environment, people, and society, not just to increase profits (Singh and Misra, 2021).=. For example, companies may donate to special projects that deal with economic inequality. The final example of a CSR activity can be diversity, equity, and inclusion. A company may have policies or quotas to build a diverse environment in the workplace and can support different programs that enhance diversity and inclusion at various levels of administration of a firm.
It is expected that successful companies implement CSR activities actively. Big companies contribute to the development of the world and drive progress. Therefore, people and governments await an organization that will be socially responsible for the country and the environment in which they operate, for example, Google. Through Google.org, which has already invested and granted more than $100 million, Google’s CSR initiatives mostly consist of charity activities (Singh and Misra, 2021). Global public health, poverty, and climate change are three issues that Google.org seeks to solve. Google’s Supplier Code of Conduct also covers global environmental standards and ethics to meet the concerns of the stakeholder group of communities. As a result, the company’s CSR initiatives are very successful in advancing the interests of the stakeholder group of communities. Google’s CSR initiatives often concentrate on offering helpful goods. While these initiatives are approachable by users, marketers, and clients, they are also preferred by Google’s investors. These things are well-liked, extensively utilized, and profitable because of how beneficial they are. The company’s comprehensive strategy for fulfilling its corporate social responsibility may also be seen as including Google’s research and development initiatives.
Another successful company is Microsoft which implements CSR activities. Microsoft is one of the top four businesses in the world in CSR views. Microsoft is well-known across the world for its initiatives to support the community, safeguard the welfare of its employees, and encourage good corporate citizenship. The goal of the company’s social responsibility program is to meet the requirements of the world community while preserving a secure environment directly or indirectly for people to live in. The Bill & Gates Foundation, established by Bill Gates, engages in charity endeavors including helping underprivileged students and encouraging health in underserved areas. Aside from. Microsoft is a corporation that appears to be focused on increasing environmental safety by preventing and reducing pollution. For instance, the business voluntarily makes its emission data available through the Carbon Disclosure Project.
References
Mosca, F., & Civera, C. (2017). The evolution of CSR: An integrated approach. Symphony. Emerging Issues in Management, (1), 16-35. Web.
Singh, K., & Misra, M. (2021). The evolving path of CSR: toward business and society relationship. Journal of Economic and Administrative Science, 38(2), 304-332. Web.
Siltaloppi, J., Rajala, R., & Hietala, H. (2021). Integrating CSR with business strategy: a tension management perspective. Journal of Business Ethics, 174(3), 507-527.
