Social and Environmental Strategies

Final Project Tips
Final Project: The final project counts 25% towards your final grade.
Part 1.
Do a review of your firm’s industry to determine what are the most salient social and environmental issues that affect all organizations competing in that industry.
For example, in the cosmetics industry all firms have to confront the ‘animal testing’ issue.
In the petro-chemical industry, it is pollution and carbon emissions.
In the apparel industry, it is child labor.
What are the BIG issues for your industry?

Part 2.
Organizational analysis: Each team should highlight at least two companies in their chosen industry and discuss its focus, success, and challenges in terms of social performance and environmental performance. In other words, what is each firm doing well with respect to social performance and environmental performance? What is each firm doing poorly with respect to social performance and environmental performance? Recommend improvements for both firms, in light of their current performance, and in light of what you identify in your industry analysis as being important factors that firms pursue in your industry.
We will discuss the use of the Global Reporting Initiative index in class.
Use the rubric on the following page to help structure your comparison of the social and environmental strategies and performance of your firms.
Social and Environmental Strategies Comparison Chart

Company A Company B Company C
Action Plan What is the basis of the firm’s CSR/sustainability strategy and tactical approach? Is it compliance based? Based upon a license to operate? Defensive? Strategic? The CEO’s vision? Other?
Social versus environmental emphasis Do your firms emphasize social responsibility over environmental performance(provide examples)? A balanced approach? Do they even have an explicit strategic emphasis? Provide examples to illustrate where your firms have chosen to emphasize.
Stakeholder Engagement and Criticisms How engaged are the firm’s stakeholders with regard to the firms initiatives to improve their social and environmental performance. What criticisms have your firms received from stakeholders with regard to social and/or environmental issues?
Reporting & Communication Where and how do your firms report their social and environmental efforts? Website? Other?
Measurement Does the firm ‘measure’ its yearly improvements? Does the firm rely upon a framework (G.R.I or other?) to collect and assess its social and environmental efforts on a yearly basis? Has it developed its own measures to track its sustainability performance?
Third party endorsements and recognition Have your firms received any recognition (i.e. awards, certifications) for their social and/or environmental efforts?
Value Chain Integration (Porter) In what ways are your firms adopting a Porter & Kramer approach throughout their value chain?
Pierce & Doh strategic initiatives In what ways are your firms adopting a Pierce & Doh approach? How appropriate are they? Do the systemic issues the firm focuses upon ‘fit’ the organization?
CSR Leadership in Industry In what areas are your firms leading the industry in terms of social and/or environment performance? Perhaps the firm has been particularly innovative in one or more areas?
Accessibility of CSR Report Where do stakeholders access social and evironmental performance information?
Recommendations What do your firms need to focus on in the future?

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