Free Essay

Chipotle – a Ceo’s Take on Ethics and Being Socially Responsive

In:

Submitted By darkskye
Words 1421
Pages 6
The CEO of any company will certainly tell you how important a sound Code of Conduct and documents detailing appropriate business behaviors is to your business. As the CEO of Chipotle, I too, agree that such documents are a key factor to keeping this business profitable while still maintaining integrity. Although the Code of Conduct created for our company has a wide range of information, I would like to focus on the aspects that affect the majority of our employees, the front line staff. While the other aspects should not be overlooked or considered of less importance, I feel it’s important to take a closer look at those pieces that affect the largest population of our employees and those three areas will be the protection of company assets, being professional in activities and communications with the public and eliminating any forms of discrimination or harassment within the organization, at all levels. The protection of company assets is of utmost importance to our business as we strive to ensure that we are being as “green” as possible and causing as little damage to the environment as possible. Additionally, as a company, we want to protect our proprietary information because, as you may imagine, we want to remain profitable and continue to keep our customer base without losing them to competitors. Our employees are trained on how to properly use the equipment and this process is continually assessed through daily production activities. Additionally, we do not permit our employees to use company equipment for personal use. This is to protect our equipment but also to eliminate the possibility that an employee could be injured and potentially have a negative experience as a result. One of the biggest and most important aspects of our Code of Conduct relates to the requirement that our employees act professionally and communication with the public in a positive manner. The reality is that our business is all about the customers – without them, we would have no business. Because of this, we stress the importance of all employees understanding how to be effective at communication and how to be professional. I often remind my employees that “with unemployment at record highs, the importance of professionalism in the workplace cannot be overlooked as a key to success and advancement.” (Employee Development Systems, Inc, 2010). How an employee interacts with fellow employees and customers really makes a difference and I hope that I have expressed the importance of this to each of my employees in a way that encourages them all to strive for success in both aspects; professionalism and communication with the public. The single most important aspect of our Code of Conduct would be the sections related to discrimination and harassment. As both a company and an individual, I will not tolerate behaviors that create a negative or hostile environment for any of my employees. I’ve ensured there is anonymity for the person making the complaint and we strictly forbid any forms of retaliation against an employee that reports an incident. While these areas of the code may not be unique to Chipotle, we feel that they are paramount to our company’s success. By requiring that each employee treat coworkers with nothing but respect and tolerance, we also ensure our success in dealing with the public. Failing to recognize forms of discrimination and harassment can be easier than it may sound so we offer continued training and documentation regarding this to eliminate any concerns. While some areas are relevant only to our company, anti-discrimination policies go even further because they are the law. As our Code of Conduct states, “every employee has the right, and is encouraged, to tell any Chipotle employee in a professional manner to stop behavior towards him or her that the employee believes to be discriminatory, harassing, and/or offensive.” (Chipotle Website, 2010). We do not take reports of behavior that violates these guidelines lightly and we investigate them to the fullest extent possible. At Chipotle, we take steps continually toward ensuring our employees are following not only these portions of the Code of Conduct, but all aspects of it. We offer new hire training to each employee during which they are required to read each part of the code and sign off individual to each section. We also offer on-going training on an annual basis to reinforce this behavior. Additionally, we make the consequences of violating the policies apparent to each employee through posted information throughout the locations and employee meetings. We must remain vigilant in keeping our employees abreast of the details in the Code of Conduct and we routinely provide updates to our staff that helps reinforce the policies. At Chipotle, we strive not to not only provide delicious and healthy food, but also to give back to the community. As part of our mission statement, we make every effort possible to reduce our carbon footprint and rely more on other methods to create a sustainable structure, but don’t make the mistake of thinking that is all we do for the communities in which we operate. We strive to be socially responsive and responsible and we take measures to achieve those goals. I’ve recently been pondering on some ways we can be more socially responsive in the community and I’ve come up with a few ideas. One suggestion would be to start donating to local community centers in areas where unemployment rates are high and school drop-out rates exceed the national average. By doing this, we would be visible in the community and can give back to those most desperately in need. Studies have been done to show that “even small improvements in self concept go a long way toward keeping children out of trouble.” (Science Daily, 2010). It is become of this factor that I believe giving back to the community will be beneficial. Secondly, I am considering the idea of a program that would make use of unused food at the end of each evening. By working with local shelters, we can easily bring a positive change to cities that struggle to feed the homeless population. Currently, products that are unused at the end of the evening are discarded and it seems that we could better use this leftover inventory to help solve a growing problem in our country. Lastly, I’ve been considering the prospect of partnering with local schools to offer healthy alternatives to the government produced “food” that is so often given to children in public schools. Although recent measures have been put in place to ban junk food from school vending machines, there is still an issue with the quality of food available through cafeteria serving lines. School lunches often consist of overly processed foods and can be heavy in carbohydrates (that, coincidentally, are also overly processed). By working with schools, we could offer fresh, natural and organic foods that eliminate preservatives. Ingesting large quantities of preservatives over a prolonged period of time can be dangerous for any individual. “The continued ingestion of certain chemicals has been linked to cancer, fatigue, memory-impairment, imbalanced motor-function, diabetes, thyroid problems, confusion and far more.” (Tischner, 2012). I’m passionate about offering healthier alternatives to not only our customers but also to the youth of our nation and I think a partnership with schools would be hugely successful. Ultimately, I want our company to be not only successful in terms of profits but I also want us to be a staple in the community and a pillar of ethical behavior for not only our employees but also our customers. We make continued efforts toward improvement and successes in non-traditional methods. We educate, train and develop employees to act in accordance with our goals. By remaining in the forefront of ethical actions and socially responsive activities within the community, I have confidence that we will continue to experience success. References
Chipotle Website. (2010). Code of Conduct. Retrieved from: http://ir.chipotle.com/phoenix.zhtml?c=194775&p=irol-govConduct

Employee Development Systems, Inc. Website. (2010). Importance of Professionalism in the Workplace. Retrieved from: http://www.employeedevelopmentsystems.com/pm-160-3-importance-of-professionalism-in-the-workplace.aspx

Science Daily Website. (2010, June 2). Youth Clubs Strengthen Kids’ Self Image to Keep Them out of Trouble. Retrieved from: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/06/100610131746.htm

Tischner, J. (2012, July 26). Know What Is In Your Food: Dangerous Preservatives and Additives. Retrieved from: http://creativebioscience.com/blog/know-what-is-in-your-food-dangerous-preservatives-and-additives/

Similar Documents

Free Essay

Chipotle

...Abstract The company I chose from the list is the Chipotle Mexican Grill. I chose Chipotle because I admire the company’s code of conduct. In this paper, I will select key areas of Chipotle’s code of conduct that are of significant importance to the business. Next, I will explain the key steps that Chipotle should take to ensure that employees follow the code of conduct. Finally, I will suggest three ways in which Chipotle can engage in socially responsive activities in the community within which it operates. Keywords: code of conduct, business, community Describe key areas of the selected company's code of conduct that are of significant importance to the business, and explain why. Within every company, CEOs take on numerous responsibilities to ensure that their business or company is successful. According to Stever Robbins, “The CEO’s second duty is building culture” (Robbins, 1999). Since many companies embrace diversity, CEOs must ensure that all employees follow and understand the company’s code of conduct which in turn becomes part of the company’s culture. Ethics, values, integrity are usually presented within these codes of conduct. Each section of a company’s code of conduct policy addresses all rules and any issues that an employee may have. As the CEO of Chipotle Mexican Grill, I take pride in our company’s code of conduct. At Chipotle, our seniors and employees strive to be compliant with our code of conduct policy. There are key areas of Chipotle’s...

Words: 1196 - Pages: 5

Free Essay

Econmoics

...Introduction The business as per the generally acceptable notion is a profit making entity and takes into account function of monetary transactions as the criteria measure for the success of its operational activities. Corporate social responsibility in the past is considered as unwanted activities which are imposed on business by law and governing bodies as unnecessary burden which is against the basic principle of profit making for the business organizations. Business organizations have been considered as bodies that meet the demand of the consumers by supplying their goods and services, and have the responsibility for generating wealth and employment opportunities. (Mette Morsing & Carmen Thyssen, 2003) In recent times after the increase in concern about the ecological imbalances and the impact of business on the environment, this above view is however changing and more and more entities are taking corporate social responsibility activities and few of them are also able to align their business goals in order to generate profits. The modern business also debates over the business responsibility towards the Shareholder’s and owners versus Stakeholders (employees, consumers, suppliers and shareholders) in the present day scenario. After taking the consideration of responsibility towards stakeholders, businesses are coming closer to the society and are altering the function of business organizations taking into considerations the business’ wider role. The wider role define...

Words: 58584 - Pages: 235

Premium Essay

Robins & Robins Sues Casings, Inc.,

...I | Given specified circumstances of a business decision to expand to international markets, determine what international legal requirements or regulatory controls apply. | Topics for This Week's Discussion * Introduce yourself to your professor and the rest of the class. (not graded) * Thread over TCO A/I (graded) * Ethics and Patent Rights Post 9/11 (graded) * Q & A Forum for your questions and comments (not graded) | | There is a drop down arrow next to the "Select a Topic" box.  Click on this arrow to select topics for discussion. | ------------------------------------------------- Top of Form Select a Topic:       Bottom of Form The World Bank Situation (graded) | Class, please read Chapter 2, problem 5 from the Jennings text, p. 72. This week, we will discuss the Wolfowitz situation at the World Bank. Consider the questions at the end of the problem as you make comments in the threads this week. What are the ethics here? Was Wolfowitz trying to do the right thing? Does that make a difference ethically? Throughout the week, I will bring in further questions. Be sure to read the lecture and the international ethics article stated in your reading for the week as well. | Collapse All |    Show Options | sort by: response | author | date | read | unread ------------------------------------------------- Top of FormBottom of Form | | Responses | Author | Date & Time |     |    Dwight Elliott | 9 Apr 11  10:37 PM MST | |...

Words: 201281 - Pages: 806

Premium Essay

Strategic Management

...SIXTH EDITION STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT IN ACTION Mary Coulter Missouri State University Boston Columbus Indianapolis New York San Francisco Upper Saddle River Amsterdam Cape Town Dubai London Madrid Milan Munich Paris Montréal Toronto Delhi Mexico City São Paulo Sydney Hong Kong Seoul Singapore Taipei Tokyo Editor in Chief: Stephanie Wall Senior Acquisitions Editor: April Cole Editorial Project Manager: Claudia Fernandes Director of Marketing: Maggie Moylan Senior Marketing Manager: Nikki Ayana Jones Marketing Assistant: Gianna Sandri Senior Managing Editor: Judy Leale Production Project Manager: Kelly Warsak Senior Operations Supervisor: Arnold Vila Operations Specialist: Cathleen Petersen Creative Director: Blair Brown Senior Art Director: Kenny Beck Text Designer: LCI Design Cover Designer: LCI Design Cover Art: Svetoslav Iliev/Shutterstock.com Permission Specialist: Brooks Hill-Whilton Media Project Manager, Production: Lisa Rinaldi Senior Media Project Manager, Editorial: Denise Vaughn Full-Service Project Management and Composition: Integra Printer/Binder: RRD/Willard Cover Printer: Lehigh-Phoenix Color Text Font: 10/12, Times LT Std Credits and acknowledgments borrowed from other sources and reproduced, with permission, in this textbook appear on appropriate page within text. Copyright © 2013, 2010, 2008 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Prentice Hall, One Lake Street, Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458. All rights...

Words: 154599 - Pages: 619

Premium Essay

Business

...*IS1347* //integrafs1/cengage/3-Pagination/Cengage_US/Business_and_Economics/FFM13e/3B2/brigham_endpaper.3d, 11/16/11, 17:35, page: 1 FREQUENTLY USED SYMBOLS/ABBREVIATIONS ACP Average collection period ADR American depository receipt AFN Additional funds needed AMT Alternative minimum tax APR b Annual percentage rate Beta coefficient, a measure of an asset’s riskiness bL Levered beta bU Unlevered beta BEP BVPS CAPEX CAPM CCC Basic earning power Book value per share Capital expenditures Capital Asset Pricing Model Cash conversion cycle CF Cash flow; CFt is the cash flow in Period t CR Conversion ratio CV Coefficient of variation Dp Dividend of preferred stock Dt Dividend in Period t DCF Discounted cash flow D/E Debt-to-equity ratio DEP Depreciation D1/P0 DPS DRIP Expected dividend yield Dividends per share Dividend reinvestment plan DRP Default risk premium DSO Days sales outstanding e Approximately equal to 2.7183 EAA Equivalent annual annuity EAR Effective annual rate, EFF% EBIT EBITDA EPS EVA F Earnings before interest and taxes; operating income Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization Earnings per share Economic value added (1) Fixed operating costs (2) Flotation cost FCF Free cash flow FVN Future value for Year N FVAN g GAAP HVN I IFRS IPER I/YR INT IP IPO IRR LIBOR ...

Words: 199840 - Pages: 800

Premium Essay

Leadership

...Leadership Learnings From Bloggers 2008 Edition Leadership Learnings from Bloggers 2008 Edition Released February 2009 Aggregated and produced by Exponential Media, a Division of Exponential Network Leadership Learnings from Bloggers is a collection of blog posts on leadership from over 20 national leaders / bloggers. Disclaimer In selecting the 20+ bloggers for this resource, we choose leaders with experience on the front lines. However, Exponential Network makes no warranties or representations regarding the accuracy, validity or originality of each blogger’s content. Exponential Network is serving as an aggregator of leading bloggers and does not necessarily agree with the opinions and beliefs represented in individual posts. We’ve attempted to include their content verbatim from their web sites except for obvious typographical errors. Statement of Copyright The individual posts in this eBook are the copyright of each author. These authors have agreed to make the aggregation of these posts available free of charge via this eBook. The following conditions apply to the use of this free eBook resource: Share. Just as the authors are sharing this eBook with you, you may copy, distribute and transmit the work to others. Attribution. You must attribute the work in the manner specified by each blog post author (but not in any way that suggests that they endorse you or your use of the work). Noncommercial. You may not use this work for commercial purposes for financial...

Words: 119475 - Pages: 478