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Coca-Cola’s Business Practices: Facing the Heat in a Few Countries

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Coca-Cola’s Business Practices: Facing the Heat in a Few Countries
To: Francisco Santo, Vice President Colombia Atul Singh, President & CEO India

From: Joseph Cain, Nicholas Dabbraccio, Margaret Metz, Johnny Rueda, and Keshma Thomas

Date: October 8, 2011

Identification of Symptoms:
(Internal Management)

• Continuously denying accusations of fault
• Ignoring problems by switching business strategy/operations
• Continuing to pay heavy fines/penalties without a fight
• Believing that philanthropy and job creation is the only requirement for consumer acceptance
• Having disputes relating to labor relations only being solved in the place of origin
• Management not investigating the relationship between plant managers of …show more content…

Problem 3: Coca-Cola must take action to address the global concerns over its business practices and reassure the public that the company is committed to quality in every aspect of its business.

Problem Analysis

Problem 1:

As a global company, Coca-Cola is responsible for its operations in many geographic locations. The more the company continues to grow, the more issues they will have to face on different levels. In this instance, the main issues at hand include: accusations of violent labor practices, groundwater contamination problems, and anticompetitive practices. Even with a Coca-Cola Quality System and extensive policies and procedures, management believes that disputes should be handled at a local level because “the best capability and knowledge to manage such issues exist at that level.” (Case Study) This may be seen as employee empowerment, however, on a local level some issues may not be taken as seriously until they become larger issues; by the time corporate management is aware, it may be too late. Coca-Cola continues to argue that it is committed to responsibility and ethical practices, but this is not enough. Management needs to take direct action to ensure there is effective communication –at all levels--within the company. This will help in making sure that small issues are addressed before they get worse.

Problem 2:

Looking at the many accusations Coca-Cola has faced, it seems like the company has not been tackling

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