** HR: Corporate Social Responsibility
How Do Major Companies Deal with Social Responsibility
Together Abroad02-02-2018 5:58 AM
As consumers become more ethically conscious of the companies they choose to patronise, companies need to maintain a cleaner image and to demonstrate their commitment to ethical business practices. Furthermore, companies currently try to incorporate good citizenship into their business culture through various contributions to society. However, it is natural that consumers may be sceptical of these companies’ motives, since companies in the private sector typically aim to maximise profits and keep investors happy.
Being at the forefront of modern business practices, Google has set their own trend in social responsibility with the introduction of Google Green; a programme that aims towards making the most efficient use of resources while supporting renewable energy. Not only does this help to portray the company in a better light, by building their reputation as a responsible company that takes responsibility for the environment and resources, but it also keeps investors happy through cost saving and efficiency, allowing them to spend that saved money in other areas. One of the better parts of this example is that most companies can accomplish similar results from such small changes, like ensuring lights are switched off in unused rooms, or by recycling and using energy-saving light bulbs....
Favouritism
Together Abroad01-01-2018 12:34 PM
Favouring an employee above others is a common occurrence in the workplace; it can start out innocently when a boss sees potential in an employee, giving them opportunities to reflect their talent, but this can easily turn into favouritism when that employee is given preferential treatment based on no other criteria. Many companies aim to avoid the controversial issue of favouritism in order to maintain a level merit-based playing field, where all employees are treated fairly and are given access to the same opportunities based on their individual performance.
Playing favourites in the workplace is typically defined as misconduct due to its ethical ramifications where fairness is undervalued, and where employees are given greater opportunities based on factors outside of their performance. A typical example of this is promoting someone based on personal preference or gut instinct, rather than making an informed decision based on the performance records of every potential candidate equally. Such situations show a disregard of professional standards and can even cross legal boundaries if it takes the form of discrimination, harassment or retaliation. If an employer, for example, gives special assignments to an employee, or favours them in other ways, based on religion or sex for...
Change Is an Attitude
Together Abroad30-11-2017 9:48 PM
Almost every organisation has said ‘communication is key’ when winning over employees during organisational changes; sharing a clear goal for what management wants out of an organisation, and laying out the necessary steps that need to be taken goes a long way when trying to get the best attitude out of employees. One ideal example of this was when Google restructured their entire organisation in 2015 by splitting up departments into smaller parts, each becoming an individual company with its own CEO, owned by an umbrella company called ‘Alphabet’. Not only did this change help to better manage the organisation as a whole, it also provided a clearer goal and direction for each individual company. More importantly, the company took the time and informed its employees well in advance of their plans, which gained huge...
The Need to Know Business Ethics
Together Abroad11-01-2017 4:08 PM
Business ethics itself can be defined as “the application of ethical values to business behaviour” (IBE Institute of Business Ethics); this applies to both behaviour of individuals who work within the company, and to the organization itself as a whole. This means it includes every aspect of how a business is run, from meetings, presentations, employee teamwork and even the sales techniques used by a company. The importance of having business ethics varies across the different roles of individuals within a company.
Ethics in Management
Leaders in a company set examples and set the tone of the whole company. Leaders should be people who employees can look up to and trust. While leaders should always remember the responsibility they have that comes along with this. Businesses set values and beliefs where employees are expected to follow as guidelines, it is up to the...
Why Boards Must Look Beyond Shareholders
Together Abroad31-10-2016 1:56 PM
While it may be a common belief, so-called shareholder primacy is not based on any legal norms that would enforce it. Suppose it is not all that strange, since in order to maximize shareholders’ profits, boards would often have to make decisions contrary to Corporate Social Responsibility (which is legally established in some countries). Arguably, the board’s primary objective is to keep the corporation as such afloat, and if possible, foster its growth. In this scenario, shareholders represent just one of many audiences of stakeholders that boards need to bear in mind when making decisions. Others include their employees, customers, suppliers and society in a broad sense, represented by a variety of Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) issues.
A Harvard Business School professor, Robert G. Eccles and his colleague, the researcher Tim Youmans, coined this concept. Together they suggest...
How to Interact with Employees When Letting Someone Go
Together Abroad07-06-2016 12:06 PM
There may come a point during your professional career at which you find yourself having to let one of your employees go. It is an unpleasant undertaking, but might be in the best interest of your overall organization. If an employee is underperforming to an extensive degree, does not cooperate well with other workers, or encourages an unpleasant working environment, you will probably consider doing so. If firing someone is not one of your regular work related responsibilities, you may have several questions regarding how to handle such a task. What you need to consider is how you prepare to let someone go, how to conduct the meeting during which to do so, and what necessary steps you will likely want to take afterwards.
Before
The employee in question should not be completely blindsided when he or she is finally fired from the company. Generally, you want to avoid a sudden shock for the said employee you intend to fire.
Unless a sudden incident requires that an employee be fired promptly, you should start discussing the reasons you are considering letting an employee go well before you actually do so. In practice, this entails providing consistent feedback. If certain actions...
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Mr. C. Joubert
Lead Workplace Strategy Consultant
Mr. C. Joubert
Lead Workplace Strategy Consultant