Companies being socially responsible seems to have become a requirement for a company to maintain sustainability and profitability. Each and every year, it seems, irresponsible companies are getting shut down or going bankrupt for various reason. Alternatively, it seems that companies that show a concern to the communities around them, prosper. Fort Collins, Colorado’s New Belgium Brewing Co. (NBB) is an example of a socially responsible company that is prospering. To provide some insight into how socially responsible NBB is as a company, three points will be discussed. First is the environment issues that NBB faces and how they address them. Next is how social responsibility provides a competitive advantage for the company. Lastly, how New Belgium’s actions and initiative are indicative of a socially responsible corporation. The first questions asked was, what environmental issues does the New Belgium Brewing Company work to address. NBB works hard at trying to preserve the environment the way it is. This is shown through almost anything the company does, from recycling to renewable energy. NBB is trying to make a better world for those around them and are doing a fantastic job. NBB has shown a concern for protecting winters and stopping climate change. In a story posted on the New Belgium website titled, “Brewing Beer to Protect Our Winters,” the company asks for help from the community to try and save the world. The story describes the impact that global climate change
When an organization partakes in “proactive behavior…for the benefit of society,” it is deemed as socially responsible (P. 155). However, prior to labeling a organization as socially responsible, it is important that we first identify what specific elements of proactive behavior constitute a socially responsible business. To begin, for an organization to be considered socially responsible on the highest level, it must take a proactive approach to doing business. This is defined as “[taking a] approach to social responsibility in which an organization goes beyond industry norms to solve and prevent problems” (P.155). In addition, it is standard for a socially responsible organization to incorporate a larger scope of stakeholders, to include external stakeholders, in their business decisions to create positive externalities, and mitigate negative ones, to benefit society as a whole.
Frog Leap Winery utilized methods in order to become more sustainable and has been successful thus far. The company appears to be on the right track to becoming a fully self-sustainable company despite changes in the economy. The sustainable measure Frog’s Leap has implemented fail directly in line with the features of the triple bottom line. Frog’s Leap needs to measure “the impacts of their activities upon “people, planet, and profit – that is, how it created social, environmental, and economic value.” Leap Frog has managed to effectively make an impact on all of the aspect of the triple bottom line thus displaying the company’s progression towards self-sufficiency.
What environmental issue does the New Belgium Brewing Company work to address? How has NBB taken a strategic approach to addressing these issues? Why do you think the company has chosen to focus on environmental issues?
1. What environmental issues does the new belgium brewing company work to address? How does NBB taken a strategic approach to addressing these issues? Why do you think the company has taken such a strong stance toward sustainability?
Belgium is known for a culture of high-quality beer and this concept was formulated by an electrical engineer from Fort Collins, Colorado. The electrical engineer, Jeff Lebesch, was traveling through Belgium on his fat-tired mountain bike when he envisioned the same high-quality beer in Colorado. Lebesch acquired the special strain of yeast used in Belgium and took it back to his basement in Colorado and the experimentation process was initiated. His friends were the samplers and when they approved the beer it was marketed. In 1991, Lebesch opened the New Belgium Brewing Company (NBB) with his wife, Kim Jordan, as the marketing director. The first beer and continued bestseller, Fat Tire Amber Ale, was named after the bike ride in
The company has also reduced its carbon dioxide emissions by 1800 metric tons a year by switching from coal power to a wind turbine, which was the first wind-powered brewery in the United States. They have also invested in a steam condenser that reuses the hot water that boils the parley and hops to continue making the next brew. Furthermore, they have sun tubes that provide natural daylight time lighting through the full year. They utilize a green design throughout their whole facility and have agreed to participate as of 2002 in U.S Green Building Council Leadership in Energy and Environment Design for Existing buildings pilot program. To even reduce air pollution, as an incentive, they provide employees a cruiser bike to encourage them to ride to work instead of driving.
Therefore, it really needed a strong product that responded the market’s needs and wants so that the product could speak itself in order to survive the keen competition.
Boston Beer’s strategy is primarily focused on growth through differentiation. The sources of its competitive advantage can be classified as a company that provides high quality beer with unique flavors, a market driven approach, and a very efficient contract brewing strategy.
The expectation that businesses behave responsibly and positively contribute to society all while pursuing their economic goals is one that holds firm through all generations. Stakeholders, both market and nonmarket, expect businesses to be socially responsible. Many companies have responded to this by including this growing expectation as part of their overall business operations. There are companies in existence today whose sole purpose is to socially benefit society alongside businesses who simply combine social benefits with their economic goals as their company mission. These changes in societal expectations and thus company purpose we’ve seen in the business community over time often blurs the line of what it means to be socially
Social responsibility is a hard core focus at New Belgium has developing and maintaining ethical culture remains a foundation for the company. Entrepreneur.com explains that a company’s social responsibility has the ability keep a company grounded which can make the difference in the long run (“Social Responsibility, n.d.). In the company’s developing stages, creating an ethically conscious environment was a priority. Beginning with the core values and mission statement, creating harmony and collaboration that helped the company flourish was New Belgium’s (Ferrell & Hartline, 2015).
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.
Corporate Social Responsibility, a theory that has evolved since the 1990s, seeks to see businesses be responsible for their actions socially and environmentally. There is an increasing trend by businesses to adopt Corporate Social Responsibility Practices. This paper attempts to define the reasons why this is so, and what strategic issues are faced by companies who adopt these practices. The issue of Corporate Social Responsibility will then be highlighted in a case study of De Beers, the world's leading diamond producer.
Estimates of fixed costs are reasonably straightforward and are given in the case (p.280), a total of $250,000 ($160,000+$90,000).
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
What environmental issues does the New Belgium Brewing Company work to address? How has NBB taken a strategic approach to addressing these issues? Why do you think the company has taken such a strong stance toward sustainability?