Archive for the 'Social Responsibility Questions' Category

Jun 24th 2010 Social Advantage Questions

For many companies, achieving social advantage will require fundamentally rethinking their social and business strategy. Executives who want to lead their organizations into this unfamiliar territory might begin by posing the following questions to their management teams:

  • What are the social and ecological costs generated by our current business model?
  • Who bears these costs and what are the likely consequences? How sustainable is our current business model?
  • How structurally robust is the level of trust that we inspire in our employees, customers, suppliers, and regulators?
  • To what degree are our company’s social contributions integrated into our core business mission and purpose?
  • Where are the opportunities to renew critical resources or goodwill, to profitably meet the social expectations of our customers, and to address new social markets?
  • What obstacles are impeding these opportunities and what traps could we fall into?
  • Where can our company shape the industry ecosystem and gain social—and business—advantage?

Source: Social Advantage by Martin Reeves, Dieter Heuskel, Tom Lewis | Boston Consulting Group (BCG)

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Nov 8th 2007 Sustainable Development Questions

  • How do we define sustainable development as it applies to our business and core values?
  • Where do we see sustainable development trends and drivers affecting our business in the future?
  • Are we doing enough to address these trends today, or could we clearly be doing more to gain business opportunities in this way?
  • Do we have all the competencies we need to make progress?
  • Can we learn from others to simplify the process and get to the benefits faster?
  • How do we trade short-term risks and opportunities against long-term ones?

Source:
Realizing the Sustainable Development Premium
by Gilbert S. Hedstrom
Prism, 1Q 2000

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Nov 7th 2007 Linkages to the Local Economy

  • Does the firm/project make use of an especially underutilized asset, i.e., certain segments of the labor force/current office space?
  • Will the firm/project create significant contracting opportunities for local firms, especially small/disadvantaged business?
  • Does the firm/project fill a hole in the Austin economic base, such as key supplier relationships?
  • Does the firm/project have the potential to either seed a new cluster or bring additional firms to Austin?
  • Will the firm compete for resources directly with existing local firms?

Source:
Austin’s Economic Future: The Mayor’s Task Force on the Economy – Subcommittee Findings
City of Austin
Note: read more about the project at http://www.ci.austin.tx.us/news/2003/econdevtaskforce.htm“>http://www.ci.austin.tx.us/news/2003/econdevtaskforce.htm

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Nov 6th 2007 Job Creation

  • Will the bulk of the new hires be local or imported?
  • What is the average wage paid? How does it compare to the local or national industry average?
  • What is the median wage paid? How are job categories and wages distributed within the overall structure?
  • What training is provided? Are there opportunities for advancement? Are there funds available for additional education (tuition match, etc.)?
  • Does the firm actively promote diversity in hiring and promotion?

Source:
Austin’s Economic Future: The Mayor’s Task Force on the Economy – Subcommittee Findings
City of Austin
Note: read more about the project at http://www.ci.austin.tx.us/news/2003/econdevtaskforce.htm“>http://www.ci.austin.tx.us/news/2003/econdevtaskforce.htm

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Nov 5th 2007 Overall Economic and Fiscal Impact

  • Is the firm a headquarters operation? Does it represent the “headquarters” of a new product/service?
  • Is the firm growing? Is the firm in a growing industry? How stable is the firm?
  • Does the firm or project significantly enhance the local tax base?
  • Does the firm make a disproportionate demand on infrastructure/environment?

Source:
Austin’s Economic Future: The Mayor’s Task Force on the Economy – Subcommittee Findings
City of Austin
Note: read more about the project at http://www.ci.austin.tx.us/news/2003/econdevtaskforce.htm“>http://www.ci.austin.tx.us/news/2003/econdevtaskforce.htm

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Nov 4th 2007 Cultural/Quality of Life/Environmental Considerations

  • Does the firm have a track record of being an active participant in the arts and cultural life of the communities where it operates?
  • Will the firm have a proactive cultural outreach program?
  • Does the firm actively encourage employee volunteer/charitable efforts?
  • Does the firm have a track record of conducting its business in an environmentally responsible way?
  • Does the firm have a track record of supporting environmental initiatives/concerns?

Source:
Austin’s Economic Future: The Mayor’s Task Force on the Economy – Subcommittee Findings
City of Austin
Note: read more about the project at http://www.ci.austin.tx.us/news/2003/econdevtaskforce.htm“>http://www.ci.austin.tx.us/news/2003/econdevtaskforce.htm

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Nov 3rd 2007 4 Questions to Ask of Your Project Activity

  1. Economic: Will the project generate prosperity and enhance the affected economies?
  2. Social: Will the project be implemented in a socially responsible manner and benefit the affected communities in a fair and equitable way?
  3. Environmental Quality: Will the project cause long-term damage to the environment?
  4. Use of Natural Resources: Will the project protect and enhance natural capital?

Source:
Bringing Corporate Responsibility Down to Earth
by Justin Keeble
Prism, 1/2003

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