Ethics And Social Responsibility : H & M

H&M’s vision is that all their operations are run economically, socially and environmentally sustainable. They believe that affordable fashion with high quality can be produced and sold in a way that is both fair and sustainable to the

The ethics of businesses are under more scrutiny than ever before (Bones, 2014). Ethics can be considered as following a code of behaviour agreeable with the context of society and can also be defined as the application of moral and ethical considerations in a business environment (Hurn, 2008). Sport businesses have been targeted a lot more in recent years due to the conditions they place their workers in has become more apparent to the outside world. Nike are one of the world’s leading sports brands but have been faced with many allegations in recent years (Daily Mail, 2011) in regards to the conditions they put their workers in and their ethics and morals have been questioned. This report will critically evaluate the impact ethics has on the business operations of Nike and then analyse the reasons for why ethics impact the sport organisation. Finally, recommendations will be made to improve Nike’s business ethics.

The Cheesecake Factory has been one of the more successful chain restaurants in recent years because they have provided great food and outstanding customer service in a fun atmosphere. The cheesecake factory employs a high standard of general conduct and moral aptitude. As a chief executive officer in today’s society, it is my responsibility to ensure The Cheesecake Factory abides by the laws and ethical duties that are mandated by today’s society. There is a copious amount of benefits to being a chief executive officer, however there is an equal amount of risk as chief executive officers are held liable for almost any action or infraction that their company has induced.

Businesses today face a plethora of ethical duties such as upholding corporate governance, maintaining stakeholder relationships, and presenting an image of social responsibility. In review of Company Q’s (Q) current ethics culture, its image in regards to social responsibility is not equivalent to that of its competitors. In a growing market faced with increasingly challenging competition, there are several areas that Q can and needs to address to bring the company to a level of social responsibility that exceeds stakeholder expectations. First, attention Q needs to address market demands for additional locations to better

* Inbound logistic: One of the core values of H&M is the sustainability, and, thus, sustainability in production. The aim of H&M is to offer good quality fashion at the best price and to achieve it, H&M tries to avoid the waste. In this purpose, all the waste coming from the manufacturing, the transport and other sources are planned to be reused, recycled and reduced.(H&M, 2012)

There are many ways to measure the success of a business. A financial analysis of lululemon athletica, a Vancouver-based company, would show that it is valued at more than $220 million. Would looking at an improved level of health in its community be another way to measure the success of this company? lululemon athletica founder Chip Wilson would welcome your investigation of the improved health and well-being of people in the communities of the more than 40 locations around the world where the company conducts business.1

With the rapid development of social economy, the public tends to focus on the social responsibility of the company, as well as feedback to the society, rather than pay close attention to how to create interest in the company. Especially, environmental protection and human rights has became the most pressing social phenomenon. Under this

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.

Companies today are heavily influenced by the demands of customers and stakeholders. Corporate social responsibility (CSR) refers to the social and environmental responsibility policies and practices developed by an organization to increase its positive influence and reduce its negative activity towards society (Parks, 2008). The business approach and corporate philosophy of an organization is easily altered due to economic pressures, technological improvement and stakeholder needs and demands. "Going green" or being eco-friendly is one such demand. Environmental and sustainability concerns originate most often from governments, consumer activists, and the general public (Schlosser, 2008). Thus, organizations must implement sustainability into daily practices. In addition, sustainability alters the nature of competition and drives companies to think differently about products, processes, and technologies (Parks, 2008).

This trait can be leveraged to build systems on par with the new technologies. An addition of 25% of personnel, expert in modern technologies and equipments would enhance the ability of the firm to start an e-business system that would enable LBS Textiles make a global presence, capture the national and international markets. Increase in the number of clients that LBS Textiles can reach out to will increase the volume of trade. The increase in trade brings in direct returns to the company. The expansion of markets and increase in clients indirectly increases the volume of sales and aid in boosting the returns to LBS Textiles. The company needs to evaluate the demand of the various demographics across the globe and develop newer attractive designs. The Research of newer technologies or designs to attract newer markets and wider demographics will incur expenses but the successful outcomes when channelized through the development teams produce the actual product for direct revenue generation.

The H&M guarantees value for their low pricing. This strategy of low prices has made the company very successful in emerging markets, according to Jepeson (2014). From the research conducted H&M seems to be practicing a cost based pricing model. The two major constituents of the brand pricing is the high fashion and the lower cost. The company collaborates with renowned designers in order to offer innovative product design but manages to keep prices low through the manufacturing

Generations ahead of us only had a tiny wardrobe, where clothes were not washed every day. In our generation, fast fashion is in. It’s ok to have multiple shirts or shoes of the same color. It’s actually ok to throw away unwanted apparel. Apparel companies are beginning to focus on sustainable fashion, also known as eco fashion. Apparel, fashion, and textiles is the most polluting industry in the world. Every stage, that a garment goes through, uses up and threatens our resources.

People are taking more and more consideration on environmental stuff. H&M has done quite well in sustainable improvements. (Activities about this are shown in the appendix.)

ITC Ltd has worked exremly hard to start several procedures that have led to compliance of the standards of social responsibility. ITC’s dealings within the tobacco industry have contributed to the increase in company revenues and the company has worked towards following the triple bottom line and giving back to society. Most, businesses pay little attention to their social responsibilities and make it part of their overall strategy, instead they concentrate more on financial benefits from the sales of products. Consequently, managing business in a socially responsive manner contributes to the best combination of business success and societal acceptance, trust and loyalty. Giving back to the community in ways that benefits only society such as planting trees to curb pollution and help the environment or using biodegradable materials in packaging can reap financial benefits to a company by building loyalty among the community. The notion of business ethics and corporate social responsibility is becoming a defining concept in all industries worldwide. ITC believes in the Triple Bottom Line philosophy where the performance and perception of a corporation should not be judged only on the basis of its financial statements or revenues, but its environmental and social performance as well. ITC is one of the only companies in the world to be carbon positive, water positive, and conduct solid waste recycling. ITC provides water to areas where water is very

Hennes and Mauritz (H&M) is a fast-fashion global leader in the fashion industry. Hence, to have a holistic sustainable development point of view, we will examine and address the Marco-environment by looking at PESTEL analysis framework. The competitive forces within the fashion industry will also be revealed throughout the Porter Five Forces Model.