Introduction
The business world is getting more sensitive and very competitive. Given the definition of a company, it would be right to say that a business unit is an entity, a person who can be viewed independently as a member of the society.
It therefore has an obligation to ensure that it participates in the normal developmental projects that other members of the society are involved in. The manufacturing companies are the leading polluters of the environment. The retail stores are also adding to this pollution.
Wal-Mart for instances, wraps its products with plastic papers which are poorly disposed and turn into menace in our environments. Many of the manufacturing firms emit the greenhouse gases into the environment, causing massive pollution (Keinert, 2008).
They therefore have great responsibility to the society. It takes away a very important item which it must find a way of compensating in order to ensure success.
There are a number of ways through which a firm can give back to the society. Corporate Social Responsibility is one of the most important activities for most of the corporate businesses in giving back to the society.
It is a kind way of appreciating the fact that the community is important. It is a fine way of telling the society that the firm appreciates its support. This way, the society will come to the realization that it is acknowledged by the firm.
This would create trust and a close tie between the community and the firm. It is one of the best ways of making a firm part and parcel of the community. This way, the community would not view the business as just a simple business unit out for pure gains in profits.
They will see the firm as one of their own and therefore will feel obliged not only to offer it any assistance and protection it may require, but would naturally be turned into a pool of loyal customers.
Asongu (2007) says that corporate social responsibility cannot be avoided by any firm that hopes to succeed in the market.
Coming up with an appropriate corporate social responsibility is one of the biggest challenges in the twenty first century. The cultures of societies around the world are varied.
For a firm with an international outlook, there is a serious need to develop a strategy through which this process can be made a success. Corporate social responsibility can be taken from many fronts.
There are different activities that a firm can do as a corporate social responsibility. However, what may be appreciated by the American society may not be the same thing that the people of the United Arabs Emirates appreciate.
This is not only because of the cultural difference between the two countries but also the difference in economic status. The United States is a developed country. Some of the activities that a firm may do in this country may fail to make any significant impact to the country’s population, but may mean a lot in another country.
The biggest huddle will be for a firm to precisely determine what would be needed in each society. This would call for a deep understanding of the society not just from the economic terms, but also the socio-cultural and political fronts.
This paper seeks to develop corporate social responsibility strategy that would enable this firm be seen in a new perspective as a listening and caring partner to the society members within its areas of operations
The Corporate Strategy
The world is getting increasingly competitive. As the chief executive of the Dubai Electronics, the researcher has come to the realization that the business world has gotten more competitive.
The suppliers are getting more and more assertive in this country, not because they have the monopolistic power, but because they have managed to cut the direct link between the manufactures and the large scale retailers like this firm.
They have formed a pool amongst themselves, making them speak with one voice, giving them greater bargaining power. On the other hand, customers are getting increasingly knowledgeable because of the constant exposure to information through the social and mass media.
Large retailers like Dubai Electronics have to face a further challenge of stiff and unhealthy competition amongst themselves, making it difficult for a firm to survive.
Given such an environment, a firm may not be in a position to prosper unless it develops a strategy to attract the customers and controls the suppliers.
One of the best ways of appealing to both parties is through developing an appropriate corporate social responsibility that would make it be seen as a firm that is beyond personal gains of making the profits.
Both the customers and the suppliers would see the firm as a member of the society who is concerned with a positive transformation of the society. Kline (2010) says that a diligently executed corporate social responsibility will act as a special way of creating awareness of the firm.
It will also go beyond in convincing the society that this firm is a part of the society. This would generate reputation for the firm within the society.
As stated above, there is a need to have a deep understanding of the society before coming up with an activity to conduct as a social responsibility.
Given that this firm is an affiliate to the American firm which is actually the parent country, the head office most likely have strategies that have worked well in the home country.
Given the difference in the social context of the two countries, the strategy may not be as successful as it was in the home country here in United Arabs Emirates.
There is therefore a need to develop a new strategy that would be successful here in United Arabs Emirates.
Bird (1977) says that in developing a business strategy, it is important that a firm understands the problems that bedevil the society. It may be in the financial, environmental or social end.
Financial Responsibility
United Arabs Emirates is one of the leading economies in the Middle East. However, it is very important to note that this wealth is held by the few members of the society.
A good number of the citizens of this country are poor. When developing a corporate social responsibility, it is very important that this firm brings in the factor that it may be financially responsible for this society.
There are various activities that this firm can undertake to demonstrate its financial responsibility. One factor that is gaining a lot of public attention is the need to ensure that both male and female members of the society get equal opportunities in the society.
This country has its majority population professing Islam as their religious group. For a long time, the Islamic society had not given a lot of emphasis on the importance of taking the girl child to school just like the boys.
However, due to the massive international pressure from various world organizations and the rapid change of the societal structure caused by the emerging technologies, the society has come to embrace the need to educate both male and female children.
Many firms have gotten into this wave and are sponsoring several girls at different levels of education. Some of the main rivals of this firm have been very vocal in advocating for the need to ensure that the girls of this society go to school.
They have committed themselves financially to get involved in the process of educating these children. It is important that this firm also gets involved in this activity because of the publicity that it has.
However, it is important that this firm takes a different approach from that taken by other firms. While the other firms have been moved by the euphoria and the wave that is keen to ensure that the girl child is given her rightful position in the society, the boy child is increasingly getting neglected.
A survey by Majer (2011) demonstrates that male members of the society are by far more enthusiastic about electronics than the female members of the society. By posing as a crusader for the female members of the society at the expense of male, the firm risks the loss of this important segment of the market.
As such, the researcher proposes that this firm must take a common ground that would be viewed as neutral by all the members of the society.
The firm may commit itself to financially help bright students in their education, irrespective of their gender. This way, the firm will be able to strike-off as a gender sensitive organization that does not discriminate any member of the society on the basis of gender or otherwise.
According to Urip (2010), getting financially involved in the education of needy children in the society is one of the most effective ways of conducting corporate social responsibility.
This is because it leaves a permanent mark to the people involved. It also makes the other members of the society feel that this firm is taking parental responsibility because it feels like one of the parents in the society. This will help the firm develop a base of loyal customers.
The customers would easily be evangelists of the firm because they would develop personal ties with it. In this case, this firm would be going for double benefits.
While it will receive the reputation as a firm that cares for the education of bright children of this society just as other rival firms would, it shall cut across both genders and it would be seen as a firm that appreciates both genders in equal measure. This would make it retain the male customers, and appeal to the female customers.
There are other ways of getting financially responsible to the society. The researcher proposes that a given amount of money should be set aside by this firm to enable it help the society members in case of a calamity.
This fund can be kept to wait for such a time that this society has a calamity such as fire tragedy or other forms of accidents. It can then chip in to offer financial assistance to the affected members by paying their hospital bills or giving any other financial aid that would be within the budget for this task.
It is important to note that this process should not be misinterpreted. The society should be able to appreciate that this firm is determined to help when there is a pressing need for the same, and not that it is a prophet of doom.
Environmental Responsibility
Environmental conservation has been synonymous to corporate social responsibility. Whenever a firm mentions the need to conduct a corporate social responsibility, what comes to mind is environmental conservation.
In the world over, there is the need to conserve the environment. The Kyoto protocol was developed when the nations around the world came to the realization that the world was losing its forests at an alarming rate. The emission of greenhouse gases was also on the rise.
Many of the manufacturing firms have been accused of emitting poisonous gases into the environment. Such gases are not only poisonous to people when they are inhaled directly, but also cause an adverse effect to the natural environment.
They affect the ozone layer and also interfere with other natural aspects of the environment hence causing a complete disruption in the pattern of weather. It is even worse that the forest cover is getting eliminated at an equally alarming rate.
It is the forests that can be in a position to counter the effects of the manufacturers’ emissions. However, if the very forest is being destroyed, then it becomes a big challenge to help the natural environment.
Large retail stores like the Dubai Electronics have not gone without blame either. The Greenbelt Movement has accused most of the retailing stores of worsening the situation that has already been made bad by the manufacturers.
They claim that it is the retail stores that contribute to the pollution of environment with the non-biodegradable plastic bags which they use to wrap their products. As a retailer, the researcher proposes that this firm gets involved in the environmental conservation of this nation.
There are various fronts in which this firm can undertake this social responsibility to the environment. The first approach is to ensure that its own wastes are well taken care of, given the fact that it is located in the heart of Dubai city.
This firm may consider changing its wrappers. Instead of using the non-biodegradable plastic papers, this firm can develop paper wrappers or better still, reduce the wrapping and encourage the use of permanent bags that can be reused when one goes shopping.
This way, the firm would be in a position to reduce the level of pollution within this city. The researcher also proposes that the firm should consider the process of planting trees and flowers within its compound besides the fences and the lighting system.
The firm can also sponsor tree planting activities within the city and its environs. This would boost the forest cover of this nation, making it easy for carbon in the air to be eliminated hence enhances purification of air.
The researcher also proposes that this firm should sponsor a television and radio advertisement on the importance of environmental conservation and the role each member can play in order to ensure that the environment remains unaffected by the effect of industrial revolution taking place in the United Arabs Emirates and other neighboring countries.
Social Responsibility
The other important aspect of corporate social responsibility is the social aspect of the environment. Within the society, there are some social issues that warrant the attention of the members of the society.
One issue that has been a real cause of concern in this society in social sphere is the child trafficking and forced labor. There has been an international outcry that this country has been one of the destinations of kidnapped children.
According to Weiss (2011), children who are kidnapped find their way to this country as home workers or industrial laborers. This firm has the responsibility to sensitize the society against engaging in such acts. This scholar notes that this trend has negative effect both to the kidnapped individuals and the hosts.
There are numerous occasions where some of these foreigners who are abducted from other countries have engaged in serious criminal activities just to ensure they get back to their home countries.
As a concerned firm, the researcher proposes the Dubai Electronics launch a campaign against child trafficking through road shows and other such social forums.
Another issue that this firm should consider is the labor laws. The United Arabs Emirates has been petitioned severally over the issue of contravening the labor laws. There are claims that many firms in this country do not respect their employees.
This firm has the responsibility to ensure that the social welfare of its members is well taken care of. They should not be put under any inhumane working conditions while within this firm.
The employees in various stores of this retail market should always be allocated time off-work, so that they may have some good time with their families.
To the customers, this firm has the responsibility of ensuring that they are caring and ready to listen to any customer who may need their attention at any time.
They also have the right to get correct information from the firm in regard to the stock of the firm and the services they offer.
Conclusion
Corporate Social Responsibility is one the most current strategies of marketing a firm. The market is so competitive that any misstep by a firm would lead to its automatic fall.
Corporate social responsibility comes in as a way through a firm can show its concern to the society’s well being. In such competitive markets, it is very important that this firm comes with strategy that would make the firm stand out among the rest, as the preferred firm that is able to understand the needs of the society.
As stated above, this firm has three approaches to its corporate social responsibility. The first front is the financial aspect. The firm can engage in various charitable activities in the society that may involve giving out financial support to the members of the society.
Environmentally, the firm may get involved in such activities that would ensure it is seen as an agent of pollution-free environment.
Socially, the firm should not only ensure that its employees working conditions are bearable, but also make the society appreciate the importance of respecting the rights and freedom of every member of the society.
References
Asongu, J. (2007). Strategic Corporate Social Responsibility in Practice. Lawrenceville: Greenview Publishing Co.
Bird, A. (1977). Team structure and success as related to cohesiveness and leadership. Journal of Social Psychology, 103(2), 217-223.
Keinert, C. (2008). Corporate Social Responsibility as an International Strategy. Heidelberg: Springer.
Kline, J. (2010). Ethics for International Business: Decision-Making in a Global Political Economy. New York: Routledge.
Majer, C. (2011). The silent killers of productivity and profit. T+D, 65(2), 62.
Urip, S. (2010). CSR Strategies: Corporate Social Responsibility for a Competitive Edge in Emerging Markets. New York: John Wiley and Sons.
Weiss, W. H. (2011). Building morale, motivating, and empowering employees. Supervision, 72(9), 23.