Essay on Csr Sustainability Practices- Walmart vs. Starbucks

â€Å"Sustainability: Actions Speak Louder Than Words† SUSTAINABILITY: ACTIONS SPEAK LOUDER THAN WORDS Introduction The purpose of this work is to analyze the mission, values, and core competencies relating to sustainability and the Triple Bottom Line of the corporations Wal-Mart and Starbucks. By analyzing the key differences not only in their values, but the application of their stated values, they can then be judged as to the superiority of their systemic approaches to sustainability. In the case of these two companies, ethics are the most notable difference, which causes Wal-Mart to experience a myriad of dilemmas that Starbucks doesn’t. This key difference is important because â€Å"nearly any dilemma an organization faces can†¦show more content†¦Perhaps the most telling of the core differences between Wal-Mart and Starbucks’ sustainability agendas relates to their motivation for sustainability measures to begin with. Wal-Mart seems to pursue sustainability measures for purely selfish reasons, utilizing sustainability measures more as a tool for their Public Relation s department than out of any real attempt at social responsibility. Starbucks however shows by the company’s actions that they are in fact genuinely concerned with operating sustainably. Starbucks makes realistic sustainability goals, then actively strives to meet them, publicly reporting on their progress annually (Timm 2005). After analyzing both Wal-Mart and Starbucks’ sustainability strategies, it’s clear that Starbucks’ business model is superior to Wal-Mart’s for several key reasons. First and foremost, because Starbucks adheres to their policies relating to sustainability, they are infused with Goodwill. Though an intangible asset, this Goodwill was estimated at valuing close to half a billion dollars in 2011 alone (YahooFinance 2012). This public perception is important. The Harris Interactive survey for example found that shoppers consider a company’s labor practices above all other social responsibility issues (Temple 2008). It should be no surprise then, given Wal-Mart’s spotty record relating to the treatment of their workforce, that the Reputation Institute ranked Wal-Mart asShow MoreRelatedSimilarities And Differences Between Starbucks And Walmart1380 Words   |  6 Pagesexamine the similarities and differences between Starbucks and Walmart in regards to people, profit, and planet. People Legal Compliance. Determining the relationship between a company and people can be evaluated in several ways. Legal compliance issues not only provide powerful insight into an organization’s ethical business practices, but also how these engagements affect people within the company. In Chou vs. Starbucks, it was determined that Starbucks misclassified shift supervisors as nonexemptRead MoreSustainability Initiatives A Demonstration Of Corporate Social Responsibility And Should Corporations Be Financially Responsible For The Environmental Disturbances2077 Words   |  9 Pagesleading sustainable efforts in their communities and should corporations be financially responsible for the environmental disturbances that they cause, be it directly or inadvertently? More specifically are the efforts of Wal-Mart to implement sustainability initiatives a demonstration of corporate social responsibility or just greenwashing? Relevant to these questions we hypothesis that despite the mult itude of efforts that are resulting in some groundbreaking policies for an Oligopoly such as thisRead MoreStephen P. Robbins Timothy A. Judge (2011) Organizational Behaviour 15th Edition New Jersey: Prentice Hall393164 Words   |  1573 PagesCommunication 335 Leadership 367 Power and Politics 411 Conflict and Negotiation 445 Foundations of Organization Structure 479 v vi BRIEF CONTENTS 4 The Organization System 16 Organizational Culture 511 17 Human Resource Policies and Practices 543 18 Organizational Change and Stress Management 577 Appendix A Research in Organizational Behavior Comprehensive Cases Indexes Glindex 637 663 616 623 Contents Preface xxii 1 1 Introduction What Is Organizational BehaviorRead MoreCase Study148348 Words   |  594 PagesStrategy Corporate Strategy and Diversification International Strategy Innovation and Entrepreneurship Mergers, Acquisitions and Alliances Evaluating Strategies Strategy Development Processes Organising for Success Leadership and Strategic Change The Practice of Strategy Pages 30 37 47 59 69 79 88 99 108 115 122 132 144 150 162 Case Teaching Notes The LEGO Group: Working with Strategy The Global Pharmaceutical Industry: Swallowing a Bitter Pill Vodafone: Developing a Total Communications Strategy