Abstract
Four Season Company is a five-star hotel and resorts firm. It sits at the top of the hospitality industry offering various services, for example, the basic bed and breakfast, holiday packages, conference facilities, and so on.
These services are provided in more than one country given that we are present in Europe, Asia, the Gulf Region, Continental USA and Canada. It is imperative to note that our challenges encompass several factors from political, economic, social, environmental, geographic, and cultural, among many others. This paper will attempt to discuss the environmental protection challenges facing this organization in all aspects possible (Four Seasons Official website).
Environmental protection challenges of Four Season Company
Given the nature of our business, it is suicidal not to keep abreast with changing circumstances and new ways of doing things. As an organization, we face various challenges that cut across several factors and boundaries. The first challenge, which to our understanding is the greatest, is the increasing environmental awareness by the consumers. This increase in awareness has affected policies in our organizational plans.
The tourist demands are increasingly becoming complex, and this has necessitated that we adopt new ways of thinking and ways of doing things (Abbey, 1998, p.36). As stated above, environmental awareness means that many people and potential clients become more concerned about Four Seasons’ environmental protection policy. Therefore, their demand for better products with less carbon footprint is now more than ever before.
As an organization, we recognize this factor; however, implementing new green initiatives affects our organization’s policies and planning, which are at the core of our operational code. It is, therefore, a challenge to integrate the emerging trends with the day to day operations without compromising on the quality of our services and our prices (Mountinho, 2010, p.1).
Currently, partly due to the interdependence of many groups in society, the social involvement of business has increased. Thus, modern organizations have more social responsibilities and social participation in the society’s activities (Besser, 2002, p. 14). Social responsibility of an organization, popularly known as corporate social responsibility (CSR), entails its treatment and social relations with people inside itself, outside, and the wider societies that affect and are affected by its activities.
In one sense, corporate social responsibility refers to the social implications of business decisions made by an organization. It involves serious consideration by the management of an organization of the impacts of a company’s actions on society (Besser, 2002, p. 16). It is social responsiveness or the ability of an organization to relate its operations and policies to its social environment and natural environment in ways that are mutually beneficial to the organization and all stakeholders including shareholders, employees, customers, suppliers, authorities and the wider society (Besser, 2002, p. 62).
Our organization is and has been, under increased pressure during the last one decade from our clients, environmental groups, and concerned authorities to do business in a way that is environmentally, as well as, socially friendly (Hengst, 2011, p.2; Four Seasons Hotels, Barbados, Environmental and Social Strategy, 2009, p.12). Failure to comply with the mounting pressure threatens to strain our relations with authorities concerned with environmental protection and risk imposition of extra taxes upon our organization, thereby increase our operational costs (Staley, 2007).
It can also dissuade customers, employees and shareholders from associating themselves with our organization especially those who would like to identify with companies that recognize and appreciate that their neighbours are not strangers but people who matter because they comprise their target audience, as well as suppliers, shareholders and other notable stakeholders.
Employees, customers, and shareholders are respected Four Season’s stakeholders who continuously put a lot of pressure on Four Seasons. Internally its employees would like to see their efforts being appreciated through commensurate remuneration and provision of decent working conditions through which they can experience a meaningful life (Step Project, 2011, p.301). Our customers would like to get value for their money and associate with a company that is conscious of environmental preservation and able to keep their safety. The need to do business in an environmentally responsible manner has made environmental responsibility a way of life for our company.
For example, in the year 2001, the company joined the International Hotels Environment Initiative (IHEI) (Hengst, 2011, p.2). It has also been rewarding its hotels that excel in environmental protection found in 25 countries. As part of our environmental initiatives, we educate our staff regularly on matters related to environmental protection, our environmental protection policy and government regulations related environment (Olsen, West, & Tse, 2007, p. 19). We also inform our clients about our policies on environmental protection.
Conclusion
As discussed, in the above document, our operations are affected by a myriad of issues and factors. As a world-class organization, we innovate at all levels of our policy development and operational undertakings. We face setbacks, but we manage to avoid serious problems arising from running an organization of this magnitude.
References
Abbey, J. R. (1998). Hospitality sales and advertising. USA: Educational Institute, American Hotel & Motel Association.
Besser, T. L. (2002).The conscience of capitalism: business social responsibility to communities. Westport, CT: Greenwood Publishing Group.
Four Seasons official website. About Four Seasons. Web.
Four Seasons Hotels, Barbados, Environmental and Social Strategy. (2009). Barbados, Four Seasons Hotels, Environmental and Social Strategy. Web.
Hengst, W. (2011). Hotels Care: Community Action Responsibility for the Environment. Web.
Mountinho, L. (2000). Strategic Management in Tourism. Oxfordshire: CABI.
Olsen, M., West, J., & Tse, E. (2007). Strategic management in the hospitality industry (3rd Ed.) Upper Saddle River NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall.
Staley, O. (2007). Four Seasons Hotels agrees to bid from Gates and Alwaleed. New York Times. Web.
Step Project. (2011). Four Seasons Hotel, Perthshire, Scotland: Sustaining a Positive Working Environment. Web.