Workplace-Based Field Research Paper on the Evaluation of Your Organization's Commitment to People and the Environment

Purpose: For this option you will be required to gather first-hand knowledge in order to analyze the strengths and weaknesses of discretionary activities taken by your firm as they relate to the domain of "corporate social and environmental responsibility." You are encouraged to become familiar with both the people and the programs directly focused on this task through interviews and reviews of available documents. It will be useful to initially trace the history, scope and development of these commitments as they relate to your organization, its stakeholders, and the specific industry in which it operates. Through your interviews and research you should carefully delineate any gaps you find between stated purposes and actual accomplishments, as well as potential ways to improve performance. Finally, you are asked to think creatively about your firm's corporate social and environmental responsibility platform as a whole, and to suggest novel ways in which it could be realistically and successfully enhanced.

Note: This option must include a one-page addendum that will serve as an appendix.

Appendix -

Pick one firm from the list (and links) below. Become familiar with the firm's publicly available descriptions and reports about its Corporate Social Responsibility activities. Do you think these programs present solid and credible information on how the firm serves the best interests of people and the environment? Where do you see unique strengths or identifiable weaknesses?

This analysis can be utilized as another basis of comparison as you evaluate your own organization's commitment to corporate responsibility.

Compose your answer as a MS Word document.

Baxter International

http://www.sustainability.baxter.com/

Coca-Cola Enterprises

http://www.coca-colacompany.com/sustainability/

CVS Caremark

http://info.cvscaremark.com/our-company/corporate-responsibility

UPS

http://www.community.ups.com/

Altria Group

http://www.altria.com/Responsibility/At-A-Glance/Pages/default.aspx

Starbucks

http://www.starbucks.com/responsibility/global-report

British Petroleum

http://www.bp.com/content/dam/bp/pdf/sustainability/group-reports/BP_Sustainability_Review_2012.pdf

Apple Computers

http://www.apple.com/environment/reports/

Toyota

http://www.toyota-global.com/sustainability/csr/csr/index.html

Johnson & Johnson

http://www.jnj.com/responsibility/our-commitment/materiality-assessment