Introduction
The question of corporate social responsibility arises whenever a company manages to position itself strategically in the global economy. The corporate social responsibilities that people consider are mostly the environmental, human rights, financial and political responsibilities. Starbucks Corporation and Wal-Mart Company shall be used in the analysis of these corporate social responsibilities.
Analysis and Comparison of the CSR Strategies of Starbucks Corporation and Wal-Mart Company
Starbucks Corporation is committed to doing its activities in a manner that will make its employees feel like they are treated with dignity. The corporation is also concerned about the environment and the community at large. This concern is shown through activities that give back to both the environment and the community.
One of the ways that Starbucks Corporation uses to accomplish its corporate social responsibility is through investing in areas or activities that are profitable to the farmers who sell coffee beans to the corporation, the environment where these farmers live and also the people who they live with. The corporation assists coffee farmers in production of high quality coffee beans.
Starbucks then offers to buy the coffee from these farmers and does so at a price higher than the normal market price. It does this in an attempt to improve the living standards of the farmers and also to empower them economically. Starbucks corporate social responsibility towards the environment is done through recycling of its waste products, instead of disposing them in a way that would affect the natural resources.
Apart from this, the corporation is actively involved in other activities that enhance conservation of environment. The Corporation’s commitment to communities is shown through the coffeehouses that it has established in different parts of the world. Here, people are gather and share quality time together. Starbucks also carries out humanitarian activities in its neighborhoods.
In Greece, for example, the Corporation helps needy children by organizing events such as birthday parties and other fun filled events for them. Starbucks shows its responsibility towards the partners through treating them well and providing an environment that is conducive for them to work in.
The corporation acknowledges that its success is dependent on these partners and therefore, endeavors to treat them with dignity and respect despite their race, religious affiliation or social class.
Wal-Mart, just like Starbucks Corporation, has also laid down some strategies it intends to use to show its corporate social responsibility. The company is concerned with the environment and participates in its conservation. This can be observed from its decision to look for alternative ways of packaging. These new ways are supposed to be ones that conserve the environment.
Reaching out to the community is another strategy used by this company. It does so through contribution to humanitarian activities such as sponsoring children in education and response to disasters. These contributions are made both locally and internationally.
Engaging the community in discussions aimed at developing the community is the other CSR activity that Wal-Mart has in mind. Through the discussions, the company expects to forge partnerships with interested parties. The discussions are supposed to be held among leaders and participants in different activities within a given community.
Still on the issue of community development, the company aims at opening offices where people can visit to give out their views on what they consider to be their greatest need. As a result, the company is able to understand what needs exist within the community and it is able to address them effectively.
Also, to identify with the local community, the company aims at putting up business structures with similar designs to those existing already locally. The stores are meant to be ‘stores of the community’. Before putting up the store, environmental, social and cultural issues are going to be considered.
Conclusion
Each company that has its position in the global market strives to meet its corporate social responsibility. Two companies, Starbucks Corporation and Wal-Mart, have been used in this paper to show how the corporate social responsibilities of a certain company may differ from those of another company.