Free Essay

Est1 Task1

In:

Submitted By htowncoop45
Words 936
Pages 4
Social Responsibility In today’s world many companies deal with social responsibilities on a daily basis. In my term, social responsibility is the way a company positively impacts its employees, customers, community and investors while minimizing negative impacts on them. In this scenario Company Q would seem to think they have ethical issues. My time in business I have learned that ethics drive culture, culture drive behaviors, and together they drive great results. Having an ethical practice is critical in bringing a business to becoming and staying successful. Knowing Company Q’s scenario, there are many areas in which they are associated with business ethics and social responsibility. Here are a few of the areas that will be discussed about Company Q and its social responsibility. Each area will be discussed more in depth. First off, Company Q’s decision of closing down various stores in high crime areas due to these stores consistently losing money. Second, after years of requests from customers, Company Q began to promote healthy and organic foods at higher margins. Third, Company Q has decided not to contribute its day old products to local shelters and food banks. The three actions mentioned above may cause consumers to believe that Company Q’s social responsibility is not very satisfying. Many may see these as areas of opportunity from opinion basis and personal feeling reactions as appose to seeing the facts in why Company Q has made these decisions. Even with that being said, there are ways that Company Q could work through the issues and fix these opportunities to satisfy the community and its stakeholders. In doing so Company Q will be able to fix their profit and loss, create better community appeal and satisfy its stakeholders and customers. Referring to Company Q deciding to close many stores in high crime areas due to loss of profits, has many negative effects. Not only negative effects on the customers but also on the employees. By closing these stores it would make its loyal customers have to find a new place or drive further to the next store and become an inconvenience. This also effects the employees because many of those working in these stores would be let go and lose their job and source of income. Instead of closing these stores, they could do many things in order to minimize the loss in these areas and allow the stores to stay open. For instance, they could train their associates at giving better customer service. One of the best ways to stop theft from occurring is by giving great customer service to the customers. Great customer service not only prevents more theft but also increases sales. Another way Company Q could deter theft is by installing security cameras or by hiring security for these high theft locations. By doing these things, it would allow the stores to stay open, reduce the amount of loss and also create more profit for these locations. Regarding Company Q having started selling healthy and organic products in the stores at high margins. With these products being at higher margins, they may have limited sales due to the prices being higher. Bringing in these new products did answer to the customer’s requests, but with the higher prices most of the customers may not be able to afford these new products. Company Q could fix this issue, although it would take some time and may lose some money at first: in the end their profits would become much higher. Fist Company Q would have to lower its prices on these items which in turn would lower the profit margin at the beginning. After lowering the prices, more customers would start to buy these healthier products at lower prices. After these healthier products start selling well, Company Q could buy these products at larger quantities for less per product. In doing so, even keeping the prices lower as they are the profit margin would grow due to spending less on purchasing the products and the customers purchasing more of the healthier products. One of the more significant social responsibilities in this discussion is Company Q not donating its day old products to its local food banks. Although there may be reasons in which not to give away the day old products; one being that if a person were to get sick from the old food they could always try to sue Company Q for it. Even with that being said, I think that this is too big of a social responsibility to not support it. They should not only give their day old food to their local food bank but another way to help out the company would be to hold local food drives in the community. This would create a way of free marketing for the company. Along with the free marketing it would put Company Q as a great place in the communities’ eyes and would increase its customer base. In turn more customers and more marketing would create more profits as well as the day old products wouldn’t be going to waste and would be helping out the community in which Company Q is located. In making these suggested changes, Company Q would turn around its social responsibility and the way the community and its stakeholders looked at the company. It would not only be helping out the local community in ways but also would be gaining more profit with its better customer service, higher product sales and community marketing. If Company Q sticks to this new plan they are sure to grow in profits, in customers and in social responsibility.

Similar Documents

Premium Essay

Est1 Task1

...Company Q is sociably irresponsible due to its disregard for its low income customer base. This is evident in its closer of multiple facilities in high crime areas, limited availability of healthy food items, and total disregard for local charities. While profits are the main concern for every business, Company Q must realize that public image affects profits. When Company Q demeans customers in low income areas the perception of the “Callous Corporation” will not only drive away customers in those areas but will also drive away socially responsible customers in the more affluent areas as well. Company Q must therefore expand its ability to serve all of its customers or risk sending them to competitors. In high crime areas Company Q must consider working with local law enforcement to increase area patrols and have visible security personnel to reassure customers of their safety and reduce theft. Plain clothes security and high value item security will also reduce the potential for theft by customers and employees alike. Company Q can increase its health food variety and volume by carrying the healthy option of major label brands. Many food producers are acutely aware of the child obesity crisis and the upward demand for healthier foods and as such offer those products. For example Frito-Lay has its Smart Snacking options that are baked instead of fried and have lower sodium. These items are offered at the same price of the original variety. Company Q can also increase...

Words: 434 - Pages: 2

Free Essay

Est1 Task1

...Recommendations for Company Q EST1 Task 310.2.1-05: Ethical Situations in Business Western Governors University Mary Lyles - ID 000389714 September 7, 2014 Recommendations for Company Q The main responsibility of a company is to make a profit for it's stakeholders, both the employees and the investors. Company Q has taken this priority to heart and has overlooked the benefits of the other responsibilities of their involvement in the retail business. The admission of not donating the day old food to a local food bank stems from an inherent distrust of their employees. The current distrust will become more tangible as the managers and employees are not treated with the respect they are earning and will certainly breed unhappy employees which will in turn result in lower sales. Another one of the issues regarding the public service of Company Q is the closing of the two unprofitable stores in high crime areas. If the closure was done without analysis of why the stores are unprofitable, the surrounding community would suffer in regards to availability of merchandise . Offering some high margin health conscious items without surveying the viability of these items is also an issue. Company Q can take some planned, simple steps in resolving these issues with a manageable, well thought out ethics program. Recommendation One Company Q could create a program to donate the expired day-old items to the local food bank. This program would become the responsibility of the...

Words: 811 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Est1 Task1

...EST1 Task 1 Part A: From the given information, we see several examples that show us Company Q’s attitudes regarding social responsibility. First, Company Q closed some stores in high crime areas due to low profits. Without further information, this shows a lack of social responsibility as it possibly resulted in some lost jobs. Second, Company Q started offering a small amount of health conscience and organic products. According to the known information, this was in response to years of requests from customers. This shows social responsibility as it demonstrates attentiveness to customer demands. Finally, Company Q refused to donate food and threw it away instead, claiming that it may cause lost revenues due to possible fraud and stealing by employees. Without any additional information regarding this decision, I believe this shows a fairly severe lack of social responsibility. Part B: In order for Company Q to improve their attitude of social responsibility, I would recommend the following actions be taken in the future. First, in regards to closing the stores in high crime areas, the information given seems to suggest that theft or other crime might be the cost of low profits. A socially responsible approach to this problem would likely include some studies to see what was causing these low profits. Perhaps the stores existed in areas with certain cultures and ethnicities that consume products different to what these stores provided. Adapting the products...

Words: 468 - Pages: 2

Premium Essay

Wgu Est1 Task1

...EST1 – Subdomain 310.2 Task 310.2.1-05 This paper will address the areas of improvement that Company Q can implement to improve their attitude toward social responsibility. Company Q is described as a small local grocery store chain with several locations in metropolitan areas. Recently, Company Q closed a couple of it's stores that were located in higher-crime-rate neighborhoods citing a consistent loss of revenue. Additionally, Company Q does not participate in donating day-old products to local community food banks. Management explains that day-old products are instead thrown away. The explanation provided for this is that management fears that donating food may heighten their risk of losing revenue to fraud and employee theft. Lastly, it is explained that Company Q – after years of customer requests – has started to offer it's customers a very limited selection of high margin, health conscious and organic products. Scores of small and large businesses operate in metropolitan areas. Chain businesses that operate in multiple areas should target each particular customer base individually – what sells very well in one area may not sell at all in another. Because economic, cultural, and lifestyle differences exist from one neighborhood to the next, a business that focuses on it's local customer's needs will be more successful. I feel that Company Q should reconsider the closing of their stores in higher-crime-rate...

Words: 782 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Est1 Task1 - World Store Ethics Program

...The goal of a company is to make sure they make a profit. Because if they don’t, then, the business would not survive and the company will have to shut down. At the same time, a company cannot ignore or sideline the social responsibility it has towards the society either. As we can see here, Company Q had to close some of its stores because those locations were losing money. The company is also very much focused on making profits and thus, has high margins on organic, health-oriented products since the customer base for that kind of products is small. Company Q also decided rather throw away its day old food products than donating it to the food bank. When we look at all the above steps taken by the Company Q, we can say that the attitude of this company towards social responsibility is very negative. Company Q did not even consider the fact that the employees will lose their jobs if they close those two stores. Had they considered, they could have tried to improve things in those two locations so that they don’t go in a loss rather than just closing the stores. Not only did the employees lost their jobs but the company lost a loyal customer base too by closing those two stores. There is also a significant mistrust between the company Q and its employees going on. The decision to rather throw the food away than to donate it to the food bank because of distrust in their employees shows that Company Q lacks not only business...

Words: 838 - Pages: 4

Free Essay

Est1 Task 1

...1/21/2015 EST1 Task1 ­ Term Papers ­ Valeriyklimov EST1 Task1 By valeriyklimov | Studymode.com   EST 1 TASK 1 Your Name Western Governors University # Student Id EST 1 Task 1  According to the current situation Company Q has a damaged attitude toward social responsibility within their company, all because of low profits being made. Due to high crime rates in certain areas the company has been closing off stores, not realizing the problem they have caused. The people that live in the prospected area where the stores where closed are now forced to travel further for groceries. This causes a problem especially for the poor, who do not have the extra money for extra expenses. I recommend the company take precautionary measures to help catch and promote others not to steal. They could do this by offering a reward, or installing cameras. This would help promote social responsibility within the company. Another very serious problem is the companies unwillingness to donate food for those in need. Especially since the company isn’t losing much or nothing at all by donating. The sudden unwillingness to donate is due to the distrust of the owners with the employees. They believe the employees will start to steal while saying they are donating it to the poor. This is yet another sign of a weak social responsibility within the company. These particular problems and fears are direct situations which concretely damages the social responsibility within the company, as well as the community...

Words: 531 - Pages: 3