Ben & Jerry's Combining Social Responsibility And Business

The evolving practices around corporate social responsibility (CSR) provide dynamic, and complex opportunities for business. Overall, businesses are modifying their core purpose from creating shareholder profit toward creating shared value across their stakeholders, with shareholders being only one of the many stakeholders. This paper analyzes the 74th ranked 2014 Fortune Global 500 Company Kroger. Kroger started in 1883 as a local Cincinnati, Ohio grocery store, and has expended to be the second largest retail grocery store in the United States, and fifth largest in the world, owning retail food and drug stores, jewelry stores, and convenience stores in the United States (Kroger, 2015). Kroger remains headquartered in Ohio. An overview of Kroger, and specifically Kroger’s corporate social responsibility (CSR) strategy and implementation will be discussed, followed by a strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT) CSR analysis informing a concluding plan to enhance Kroger’s CSR maturity.

Businesses, specifically larger corporations, play a major role in what occurs in society therefore, they are responsible to their stakeholders not only to pursue economic goals but the greater social good as well. Corporate social responsibility (CSR) means that a corporation should act in a way that enhances society and its inhabitants and be held accountable for any of its actions that affect people, their communities, and their environment. (Lawrence, 2010). Social responsibility is becoming the norm so much so that some businesses have incorporated it into their business model. There are three components of the bottom line of social

or so many years our society has been thinking of forming new creative and innovative businesses, which would be more environmental and customer friendly. Nowadays a large number of different companies follow the social, ethical, as well as moral consequences when it comes to their decision making. One of the relatively new concepts involving economic and social concerns is Corporate Social Responsibility. Many of us apply this approach not only at work, but also in everyday life without even recognizing.

John Mackey, founder of Whole Foods once said "Business social responsibility should not be coerced; it is a voluntary decision that the entrepreneurial leadership of every company must make on its own." (Mackey, 2005) In today’s society it is increasingly common for businesses to actively identify and become directly involved in the country and the global social issues and needs. It is now common

This is being very, very picky however as they, like mentioned earlier, they ensure various factors are done ethically. You can argue that their advertisements and marketing techniques do not in any way state the products are healthy, so it’s not that they are misleading people. Some people may say that all Ben and Jerry’s do is sell unhealthy, fattening, chocolate rich ice creams, which can be considered a bit unethical. So in order to tackle this issue and make the company an even more ethically operating organisation, they can introduce healthier ice-cream or produce something alongside their standard ice-creams which is significantly healthier. They can use ingredients that are healthier/low fat and implement a recipe that is just as good if not better than the original. This would contribute to better ethical behaviour by Ben and Jerry’s because it allows them to give people concerned an option of purchasing healthy (healthier) ice-cream. This will also mean that they are somewhat promoting healthier eating as people will look at them and think highly of them as they are taking these obesity concerns into consideration and doing something about it.

With employees placed at the top of stakeholder groups, it’s apparent that the hypothesis for high profitability is a direct influence from positive corporate social responsibility. The boards of directors have to take the initiative to showcase positive corporate social responsibility in order to generate these results.

Company Q is a small local grocery store chain who has made poor decisions when it comes to social responsibility. Company Q’s business is suffering because the owners’ do not know the heart of running a business, Social responsibility. When opening a business it is not all about the money. Sure it is nice to think about growth and reaping the benefits of a bigger bank account, but the first thing that is important in business is the consumers. Who is buying what you are selling? What will make consumers buy more, comeback, or tell friends? Businesses flourish around consumers. So if it is money you are after, then consumers are who you need and want. So in business in order for Company Q to get what they want and need, they will need to give the consumer what they want and need, social responsibility. Give back, it has always been said “It is better to give than to receive.” After careful review of Company Q's business actions, this company lacks social responsibility in many areas.

After carefully examining different theories and case studies on the relation between corporate social responsibility and financial performance, evaluating and critically analyzing the topic was possible. Even though social issues have been questioned for years, yet only recently have it become a main issue that is usually addressed by companies and corporations (Ahen and Zetting, 2015). An increased demand in research on CSR has shown that some companies have reacted to this matter by investing more in corporate social responsibility as it increases competitive advantage (Crane and Glozer, 2016). CSR can be used as an aggressive business strategy and an efficient marketing tool in order to design and sustain a competitive advantage over competitors (Crane and Glozer, 2016). Corporations understood that in order to be able to function profitably and be competitive in a very competitive market they must

Ben & Jerry were able to fulfill their mission statement with the finest quality all-natural ice cream, profitable business and by improving the community. Ben & Jerry stated, they would make and distribute the finest quality all natural ice cream with a wide variety of innovative flavors, which they fulfilled. They created interesting names such as Chubby Hubby, Chunky Monkey and Phish Food with flavors to match. With the great flavors and names produced a profitable business, which was one of the points in their mission statement.

In 1992, Ben & Jerry’s became the first publicly-traded company in the United States to sign the Ceres Principles.  This requires them to submit a report of their environmental performance every year.  In 2001 Ceres presented the organization’s first-ever award for Outstanding Sustainability Reporting to Ben & Jerry’s.

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is something that affects all companies and should be an active factor in the company’s decision making. It is something all corporations need to care about. CSR is when business’ or corporations take part in an initiative or campaign for a cause that will benefit society and/or in some way make the world a better place (Taylor, 2015). Initially, Corporate Social Responsibility started to take shape around the 1950’s, but some say that it dates all the way back to the 1800s, the idea of CSR was seen (Carroll, 2007). One may think that because it is dated so long ago, it doesn’t have an important impact today nevertheless, it is proven that Corporate Social Responsibility is a pathway for entities to self benefit as they are in the process of benefitting society.

Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield, the creators of Ben and Jerry's, gave the firm a specific soul. While the overwhelming piece of corporate managers were under consistent weight to meet their financial specialists' solicitations, Ben and Jerry were an exceptional opposite, objecting to regular business inclinations in light of without a moment's hesitation premiums and broad advantages. At to start with, their smart business improvement frightened them, as they both considered isolating ties with the rapidly creating association. In any case, what ought to be a hazard to their objectives wound up being a way to deal with brace their fight for social change. It was through their social objectives that they displayed "disapproving of free undertaking", a thinking which spread all through an expansive gathering of educational, characteristic and parties. The creators did not put emphasis on cash, apparatus, and inventories; the "significant assets" of the firm. Or maybe, their accentuation was on "subtle assets, for instance, reputation, individual fulfillment, bliss, social concerns; all of which they thought to be as critical as material assets. In this manner, Ben and Jerry's made the "Declaration of Mission", which was a pinnacle of three unmistakable parts: Product Mission - in perspective of significant worth, headway and the "made in Vermont" stamp ; Social Mission – (the most imperative mission) in perspective of individual fulfillment; and an Economic Mission - in light of advancement, financial specialist regard and care of laborers.

The companies I chose were the delicious Ben and Jerry’s Ice Cream and the famous Walt Disney Corporation. Ben and Jerry’s Ice Cream is food processing industry, while Walt Disney Corporation is more of an entertainment industry. I will first talk about Ben and Jerry’s social responsibility, the two main practices I had noticed in their report were of employees and community. The stakeholders of Ben and Jerry’s are the employees and community.

There are many pros to this offer. Unilever is the largest ice cream producer in the world and like Dreyer’s, already has an extensive distribution network and extensive knowledge of the market. With an offer of $36 (cash), Unilever had by far the best looking offer on paper. They also have a market capitalization of $18 billion and can provide the financial backing that Ben & Jerry’s needs. On the other hand, there are a large number of cons and a huge amount of risk. B & J would have to give up a great deal and essentially “sell its soul” if it were to accept this offer. Unilever has no intention of keeping with B & J’s corporate vision and practices of social responsibility which made B & J a household name in the first place. Unilever is a much larger and more diversified corporation than the others and simply won’t be able to put in the “t.l.c” into the product that Ben & Jerry’s has built their reputation around. As a result, brand loyalty will drop significantly as will B & J’s value. If Unilever were to adhere to B & J’s social charter this would be a much more attractive offer.

Corporate social responsibility has been one the key business buzz words of the 21st century. Consumers' discontent with the corporation has forced it to try and rectify its negative image by associating its name with good deeds. Social responsibility has become one of the corporation's most pressing issues, each company striving to outdo the next with its philanthropic image. People feel that the corporation has done great harm to both the environment and to society and that with all of its wealth and power, it should be leading the fight to save the Earth, to combat poverty and illness and etc. "Corporations are now expected to deliver the good, not just the goods; to pursue