Introduction
Business ethics and corporate social responsibility are key areas that a business cannot evade if it has to survive in the current dynamic environment. Business ethics may be defined as the analytical examination or the study of how a business should behave in the commerce domain (Andersen, 2004).
Corporate responsibility may be defined as the commitment of businesses towards behaving ethically while contributing to economic development and improving the living standards of the workforce and the local communities (Andersen, 2004). The society and the employees are the driving force in any business. For any business to survive, business ethics and social responsibility must be given priority.
This paper examines the business ethics and social corporate responsibility of Emirates National Factory for Plastic Industries.
Background information
Emirates national factory for plastic industry is a leading manufacturer of plastic materials and packaging in the United Arab Emirates. The factory was founded in 1995. The company has its headquarters in the town of Sharjah. The emirates national factory for plastic industry is one of the industries that are at the forefront in promoting business ethics and corporate social responsibility.
The company produces a wide range of plastic products including future cards that are used in the banking sector, plastics bags, gift wrap plastics and food packaging plastics.
Emirates National Factory Culture
Emirates national factory for plastic industries utilizes the use of natural raw materials and ingredients in the process of manufacturing their products. They also utilize the recycling method, where old and used plastics are recycled to make new products. The culture at the Emirates national factory on plastic industries is that of environmental safety and concern. The company produces products that are environmental friendly and they try to reduce the amount of industrial pollution by using modernized technology in their manufacturing processes.
Emirates National Factory Social responsibility
The company also aims at promoting corporate social responsibility in a variety of ways. First, it has created employment for the local communities. The company improves the living standards of the residents around since local members can purchase the products directly from the factory at a subsidized rate. The living standard of the people is also improved by engaging in various income generating activities courtesy of the company.
The company also promotes social responsibility through manufacturing of products that are environmental friendly. Environmental degradation through pollution and too much dependence on natural raw materials pose a great risk to the survival of mankind (Andersen, 2004). Emirates national factory for plastics has been advocating for environmental conservation.
The company uses state of the art technology that has less carbon emission in their manufacturing process. Too much carbon in the air causes depletion of the ozone layer, which eventually causes global warming. The company uses old plastics and paper bags which are recycled and used as raw materials in the manufacture of new products. In so doing, the company reduces over reliance on natural products as raw materials hence promoting the sustainability of the available natural resources.
The company also promotes social responsibility through advocating for conservation of nature. The company organizes forums and open days through which it educates people on the importance of natural conservation, recycling and the correct disposal of used products. Plastic does not decompose and if it is disposed as a landfill, it can cause environmental degradation. The company has always educated people through the media, forums and symposiums on the best way of disposing plastics.
The company has an initiative whereby it collects used plastics and paper films from individuals, which are later recycled to make other new products. The company also achieves this by printing on their products that the materials can be recycled and that disposing the material will cause environmental degradation.
Safety of individuals is important in any company that has social responsibility as its key objective (Andersen, 2004). Emirates national factory for plastics embraces social responsibility through production of goods that are well packaged and labeled.
The company ensures that labeled packages undergo a series of checks in order to avoid any confusion that might cause health risk to the consumers. For example, if a package that is supposed to carry a particular type of poison is labeled with a label indicating it is an ingredient to human food, it can have serious impacts on the human health, including death.
The package undergoes a series of quality checks to ensure that they conform to the ISO quality standards. The company ensures safety of individuals through advertising and sensitizing the consumers on how to use its products safely. For example, plastic bags are very dangerous t and might cause suffocation to the young children if they are left alone to play with them. Hence, the company will always print a label on the plastic bags with a warning of keeping the plastic bags away from the children in order to avoid suffocation.
Importance of social responsibility to Emirates National Factory
Emirates national food factory believes that social responsibility is the key to business success. Social responsibility touches on the consumer, who is the driving force for the sustainability of the business (Andersen, 2004). The company believes that customer satisfaction is their major concern.
In order to achieve customer satisfaction, social responsibility should be given greater consideration. Also, the company believes that through promotion of corporate social responsibility, the company is placed at a better position of advertising itself and selling its brand.
The Emirates national factory on plastics believe that to reduce the costs incurred in the advertisements, engaging in social responsibility activities will help advertise the company at a low cost.
Emirates National Factory social values commitments
Emirates national factory is highly committed to promotion of various social values. The company is involved in the promotion of the following social values; accountability, collaboration, competition, consensus and resourcefulness.
The company promotes accountability by ensuring that each employee within the company is held accountable concerning what is going on in their respective functional areas. They will be accountable for the flaws that have risen from their respective areas of work. In so doing, the company ensures that each employee within the company is accountable for their own actions.
As a result, employees will work diligently and with care, hence providing high quality products. Also, the company promotes accountability through owning up any faults that they might have done in the production of their goods. For example, if there are goods that have been sold from the company which have faults, then the company accepts reliability and is held accountable for it.
The company also promotes collaboration. This can be seen in the company’s decision to partner with key players in the industry in order to increase their operations within the region. This collaboration is also important because there is more technological exchange since various companies are able to merge the way they manufacture their products hence producing brands that have a high standard. Also, the company promotes collaboration in the sense that they collaborate with the local citizens in the collection of old and used plastics for recycling.
Competition in business is inevitable. The company promotes healthy competition by always being alerted on any technological changes in the market and the changing preferences of consumers. This helps the company to stay ahead in the provision and production of high quality products.
Competition at Emirates national factory is viewed as a challenge to improve on the means of production. Also, the company promotes inside competition among the various employees, where the best employees are rewarded. In so doing, the company ensures that the workers are at all times striving towards excellence.
The company also promotes consensus by making sure that during times of conflict, consensus is given the first priority. Regardless of the nature of the conflict, whether internal or external, dialogue and consensus must be reached. This helps the company ensure that there is peace and tranquility within the workspace environment.
The company promotes resourcefulness since it hires resourceful people and promotes those skills that are relevant and vital to the growth of the business. The company trains its employees, promotes and advocates for innovation. This helps in the creation of specialization within the company.
How Emirates national factory can develop Social Responsibility policy
Emirates national factory can develop a social responsibility policy by ensuring that all the activities that are geared towards development of social responsibility are documented.
The same policies should be reflected in their service charter. The company should ensure that they include sponsorship programs as part of their social responsibility policy. Sponsorship programs may include scholarships or sponsoring of sports activities, among others.
Business ethics at Emirates National Factory
Emirates national factory is at the forefront in ensuring that business ethics are followed. Business ethics are very important and managements should ensure that the laid and universally agreed business ethics are followed (Andersen, 2004). Emirates observe business ethics in a variety of ways.
First, the company ensures that quality and ISO standards are followed in their entire manufacturing and production sector. The company has a state of the art quality assurance department that is mandated with ensuring that the quality of plastics produced is high.
Business ethics are observed in the labeling department by ensuring that the correct label is placed on the correct equipment. The labels are of the highest standard, which ensures that they do not fade easily. The company ensures that the regulatory and statutory requirements are followed. The company produces high quality products that are aimed at customer satisfaction and has a feedback mechanism which aims at improving on the quality of the services offered.
Conflicting social responsibility area
The only point of conflict at Emirates national factory in supporting a social value is about accountability. Some employees felt that the company should not be held responsible for any accident occurring to a consumer.
They argued that it is hard to distinguish whether the accident occurred due to consumer negligence or not. Other employees felt that the company should be held responsible since not all accidents are caused by negligence of the consumer. Some are flaws from the company itself.
Conclusion
Business ethics and social responsibility, if well handled by a business, can help the business be in a better position to sell their goods and services. Emirates national factory for plastic industries puts a lot emphasis on the development of social responsibility and promotion of business ethics. This has made the company become the largest plastic industry in the United Arab Emirates, with its products being sold in more than 80 countries world wide.
Reference List
Andersen, B. (2004). Bringing business ethics to life: achieving corporate social Responsibility. Milwaukee: ASQ Quality press.