Introduction
Sustainability in business is increasingly becoming a necessity in the corporate world with the UN and affiliated organizations emphasizing on the need for organizations to adopt policies and systems which promote the same. The goals of sustainability such as ending poverty, pollution prevention, waste reduction, quality education, gender equality, reuse and recycling, clean energy, and community development have become the mirror in which business performance and necessity is measured. Corporate social responsibility which is one of the means of achieving the UN sustainable development goals is taking shape and becoming an important aspect in business practices. In promoting Sustainable development objectives such as community development, quality education, environmental conservation and gender equality, organizations must adopt policies and systems which can help them incorporate the CSR in their day to day activities. With strategic decisions in respect to leadership and positioning, companies must oversee their present and future objectives aligning to global CSR and being in convenient position for promoting the same. The report therefore analyzes the policies and systems adopted by Cold Chain Federation in promoting CSR and the sustainable development goals in general.
In establishing the global corporate social responsibility as practiced in Cold Chain Federation Company, the report analyzes the aspects of the business organizational structure such as the leadership style and management structure and how they assist the company in contributing to CSR practice. Additionally, policies and systems such as operational, knowledge management, performance management and control are analyzed to see how they help in strategic decisions which are critical for the same. The company’s strategic resources and positioning which form additional factors are assessed. Cold Chain Federation by successfully practicing corporate social responsibility has proved to have made strategic decisions laced with favorable policies and well positioning to achieve the fete.
The report is made of two parts: the first part forms the empirical framework which outlines the methodology used in the data collection and analysis. The second part makes up the theoretical framework which consists of the findings from the research including the strategic decisions, policies and systems, organizational positioning, ethical approaches, strategic resources, and any other fact that assist in the company’s realization of CSR and contributing to sustainable development goals in general and provides recommendations which outline the future global strategic and ethical road-map for the company’s growth and development for the next five years.
Methodology
Since the purpose of the paper serves to answer the question of how businesses factors such as policy, strategic decisions, positioning and strategic resources are contributing to CSR and sustainable development goal at large using Cold Chain Federation as an example, case study method is the best methodology to use. The problem demands an in-depth analysis of the chosen business setup by analyzing the various aspects of organizations such as the structure, positioning, resources, performance, and inspirations towards the strategic decisions. This makes the report to consider the case study method as the most appropriate for the Cold Chain Federation. The report will look at the Cold Chain Federation Company’s resource from raw materials, through to the manufacturing, storage, distribution, and retail and assess how each stage plays a role in CRS and sustainable development goal in general. In addition, it will look at the various energy sources used by the company and how the sources promote CRS goal. Besides, the report looks at the contribution of the business towards community development through its various activities, events, actions and by cooperating with the government through compliance.
To get more information about the company’s development and strategic decisions in response to corporate social responsibility, an interview was done with the one of the departmental managers to give a comprehensive explanation on how Cold Chain Federation is getting right in its journey towards CRS and what policies, and strategic decisions the company has made and making to ensure they take part sufficiently in corporate social responsibility and achievement of sustainable development goals. To have detailed information, it was appropriate to engage an insider in the management level who takes part in some decision making processes and who understands the objectives and culture of the business. The research questions were developed in a manner which targeted a broad and detailed response to enhance better understanding of the company’s policies and how they work for the objective. Since the interview was unstructured, four open questions were laid down:
- What is the company’s chosen global strategic CSR and ethical approach and initiatives towards achieving it.
- What is the business policy, system, and process in response in enhancing the chosen CRS
- How does the company’s positioning help it to integrate CRS
- What is the company’s sustainable goal in the next five years
To obtain more information concerning Cold Chain Federation, a content analysis was carried out on different journals. In addition, additional information about the company was obtained from the organization’s social media accounts and webpages which highlighted the business leadership structure, employees, activities, policies, performance, economic contributions and the vision.
The below case study analysis of Cold Chain Federation cover some of the aspects which contributes to practice of CRS in the company: the chosen global strategic CRS, the strategic resources, policies, systems and processes, positioning, and ethical road-map for future sustainability and growth.
Sustainable Development Goals of Cold Chain Federation Company
Cold Chain Federation is a business in the supply chain which deals in the transport and delivery of processed products. Dealing in specifically in pharmaceuticals and food products, Cold Chain Federation transports the product from their initial source of extraction or growth, delivers to the manufacturing and processing points and then finally to the retail shops where they meet the consumers. Understanding supply chain is a critical stage, the company is using technology to ensure the transported products are kept in safe and proper state during their delivery. The organization provides an efficient, unique, unmatched space with temperature-controlled storage systems. To enhance the distribution process, the company provides advisory and regulate their business partners in the supply chain. Operating in UK where the quantity of frozen and chilled food from the food industry translates to huge billions, accumulating to 8 and 11 billion euros respectively, Cold Chain Federation has a massive task of keeping the food safe and in edible state.
Cold Chain Federation is one of the major employers, employing thousands of people across UK and the neighboring regions. With several warehouses spread across the country, the business is absorbing many individuals as warehouse operators. In addition, the company is absorbing more individuals as drivers and assistants in their numerous delivery devices. The organization is contributing to environmental conservation by reducing food waste dumping. With the global community wasting a significant amount food, waste related to food products constitute a third of all the environmental waste, making food waste a global environmental catastrophe. Determine to conserve the environment, the Cold Chain Federation ensures the wastes are well taken care of to prevent their adverse impact on climate. The company has develop a robust, profitable and sustainable temperature-controlled logistic services to reduce food spoilage.
Besides reducing food wastage as measure for environmental conservation, the company is coming up with new refrigeration systems characterized by low ammonium discharge to reduce dangerous emission in the environment. In addition, clean energy sources have been developed by the company in the effort to mitigate carbon concentration and climate change. The clean energy sources developed by the company are promoting the lean alternative energy campaign. The company is partnering with the government to reduce the fuel energy consumption which has heavily contributed to climate change. In cooperation with government agencies, the organization organizes economic events to inspire talents by sponsoring sporting activities.
Selected CRS in Cold Chain Federation
Food Waste Management and Clean Energy
Cold Chain Federation is committed to corporate social responsibility through environmental conservation by reducing food waste. Food waste contributes to climate change globally considering a third of environmental waste comprises of food-related products. Due to factors such as poor storage, bad weather, and overproduction, global community has failed in managing food with a significant quantity ending up as waste. This has contributed to climate change in most parts of the world. Cold Chain Federation through its role in the supply chain is tackling the problem in an effort to conserve the environment. By an efficient, unique, robust and temperature-controlled delivery service, the company is dealing with the massive food waste. In addition, the company is using the available technology to develop environment-friendly refrigeration systems to assist in delivery and keeping food products fresh. The new technologically-motivated refrigeration systems discharge very low amount of ammonium thereby reducing environmental pollution.
Besides food waste reduction, the Cold Chain Federation is contributing to environmental conservation through the use of clean energy campaign. As a role model, the company is shifting to alternative clean energy sources. Being a logistic company, the Cold Chain understands the delivery devices significantly contribute to environmental pollution and the consequent climate change, the organization partnered with like-minded businesses to develop clean energy sources. The firm is partnering with the UK government to advance the clean energy campaign while playing the role model. As one of the ethical approaches, Cold Chain Federation is providing advisory and regulating business partners in the line supply chain such as the producers, manufacturers, retailers and consumers to avoid food wastage and proposing alternatives including the ammonia-less refrigeration systems and establishing various warehouse operatives in strategic points.
Policy, systems and Process related to Global Strategic CSR
Appropriate Organization structure
Cold Chain Federation is a delivery company in the supply chain. To ease operation and promote efficiency, the business is divided in various departments which distinct functions, and each sector a playing a role in ensuring corporate social responsibility. The warehouse operative is one of the departments which collect and accumulates food products and ready them for delivery (Tatum et al., 2007). Stationed in strategic positions, the warehouses receive food products from the production level and keep it fresh to prevent spoilage which leads to wastage. Fitted with suitable refrigeration systems with low ammonia discharge, the warehouses stores the food properly, preventing wastage which contributes to climate change.
The Delivery Department
The delivery department comprises of the drivers and personnel operating the transport devices. This department contributes to corporate social responsibility by providing a robust and efficient delivery services under a controlled-temperature to ensure the transported food products are not spoiled during transportation which may lead to climate change. The transport devices are properly fitted with temperature regulating devices to keep food fresh thereby avoiding wastage.
The Technological Department
The department is contributing to environmental conservation through various innovations. The department has done well in innovating environmental-friendly developments to assist in environmental conservation by reducing food wastage. For instance, Cold Chain Federation is playing a leading role in reducing food wastage through the temperature-controlled transport devices and the ammonia-free refrigeration systems. Besides, the company is one of the leading players in clean energy campaign. With the help technology, the organization is developing lean alternative sources of energy which aim to reduce climate change.
Organizational Control Systems
Besides the organizational structure, the company is using organizational control systems to monitor its performance in relation to corporate social responsibility of waste management. Using the various control systems such as output control, behavioral and clan control, the business is able to track its performance by identifying areas of concerns and strength, and then address the concerns. Using output control system, the company is monitoring its performance in respect to the level of food waste reduced and identifying the challenges faced in the course. Behavioral control system on the other hand has been used by Cold Chain Federation to monitor, dictate, and influence the behavior of its employees and business partners, reminding them on the duty of food waste reduction (Jansen et al., 2011). The behavior control system is used by the company to advise and regulate the behavior of the business partners and ensure they contribute positively to reducing food waste. Partners such as producers, retailers, consumers, and manufacturers are regulated and advised accordingly. Clan control system is used for creating a culture of proper food management to reduce food waste which contributes to climate change.
Knowledge Management
Cold Chain Federation in its commitment to reducing food waste by providing logistics, the organization has become a market leader in food supply chain. To ensure it continues in the right path, the business is organizing events such as business forums and innovation conferences to nurture talent and promote knowledge sharing (Galbreath, 2006). The events are open to participation by any interested organization intending to contribute to sustainable development goals.
Organizational Positioning
Cold Chain Federation is strategically positioned in the market in the supply chain department which enables it to reduce food waste. By providing logistics, the company is in a better position to reduce food waste by coming up with measures that ensure food products are properly preserved. The positioning of the business has enabled it to develop robust storage facilities which have significantly helped in reducing food waste. Temperature-controlled storage facilities and ammonia-refrigeration logistic systems are examples of developments which have been developed by the company in an effort to reduce food waste (Hendry, 200). Besides, the positioning of the organization is also making it position for advising and regulating players along food products. With the positioning, the company will find it easier to influence proper food management by playing the role model. In the era where the global community is moving towards sustainable development goals, Cold Chain Federation will highly benefit.
Conclusion and Recommendations
Corporate social responsibility is an important aspect in business. With the global community shifting towards sustainable development goals, every business should be looking towards the same. Cold Chain Federation in the supply chain has done wonderfully in corporate social responsibility through robust logistic services by reducing food waste which is a significant contributor in climate change. Going forward, firms in the supply chain should emulate the company and development mechanisms which promote food management such as the ammonia refrigeration systems. In addition, reducing food waste should not be left for the delivery firms alone, but extended to domestic consumers. The proper storage facilities such as the ammonia-free refrigeration systems should be adopted in various home setups.
References
Galbreath, J. (2006). Corporate social responsibility strategy: Strategic options, global considerations, Corporate Governance: The international journal of business in society, 6(2) pp. 175-87. Web.
Hendry, J. (2000). Strategic decision making, discourse, and strategy as social practice. Journal of Management Studies, 37(7).
Jansen, RJ, CurÅŸeu, PL, Vermeulen, PA, Geurts, JL & Gibcus, P. (2011). Social capital as a decision aid in strategic decision-making in service organizations. Management Decision, 49(5) pp. 734-47. Web.
Tatum, BC & Eberlin, RJ. (2007). Leadership, ethics, and justice in strategic decision making. Business Strategy Series, 8(4), pp. 303-10. Web.
Appendix
Future Global Strategic and Ethical Road-Map
