Competitive Advantage of Corporate Social and Environmental Responsibility - Assignment Example

Reflective writing Name Institution Question 1 Meaningful work When I cleared my undergraduate study, I was very skeptical about the type of job I needed. My hope was sky high and my dreams beamed with desire to live according to the teachings I had acquired in my four years of study. Working for a recognized organization, probably a non-governmental organization was amongst the lucrative jobs lingering in my head. One thing that y lecturers failed to drum into my head, as I came to learn later in my job seeking endeavor is that there is no particular meaningful job than the other. I have come to realize that the purpose of education is not basically to gain a working opportunity, but to equip one with required skills to apply in various working situations (Ruhana, 2010). As an individual, I continue to grapple with the rightful definition of a meaningful kind of work that would draw personal satisfaction and contentment deep down my soul. I have been taken aback by several cases of individuals who have made it big in their eventual life coming from a humble background. Majority of professionals have ended up moving away from their jobs to start from a rather small business venture ending up as one of the globally leading entrepreneurs talked about today in world economy (Patrick, 2010). According to Ruhana, (2010), the satisfaction that one draws from the kind of work they perform, irrespective of the pay contributes largely to the determination and love they grow towards their job. The lessons I have drawn from Christensen (2010), also points to the bare fact that majority of the satisfied workforce are the entrepreneurs. Most times I find myself in discussion with my college peers on the most appropriate career field that we should venture into after graduating. I take some moment to run the question over my head so as to come up with the best reply that will suit their expectation. I often avoid answering the question directly so as to give me adequate time to reflect on my own case. They would become more contented as I have enough time to answer their questions more comprehensively and rightfully than if I had gone straight at the answer. I have also come t learn about good management theory and how to build one at a personal level. In the build up to the theory, I have come to realize the basic steps that one ought to create in order to build a more reliable, technologically and innovative management job (Dempsey & Sanders, 2010). A meaningful management job requires result target and realization (Christensen, 2010). On the last day of my management training, I was asked by my lecturer to turn the theoretical lessons into reality to enable me visualize the career satisfaction in my line of job in future. I also came to realize that a good relationship with my spouse and general family can contribute to the satisfaction that I am able to draw from my career. It is sad to realize that about 15% of my class mates in the management class have spent in prison for having engaged in the wrong direction of career and thus engaging in foul play with their career establishment. I have also come to realize that a fulfilling life is not all about money and job. An enjoyable life has everything to do with our attitude and happiness as a person. The creation of strategy for one’s life is then starting point for the growth both I terms of finances or even the career growth (Carter & Lunsford, 2005). The building of firm foundation in our career paths and saving up enough to as one for the longer time to come is one basic way by which one is enabled to overcome the challenges that are attributed to the works that we do. Over and above all, I have learnt that a proper and more satisfying life is not attributed to the kind of work we do or remuneration that we receive but rather the joy we draw from what we do. Question2. Competitive advantage of corporate social and environmental responsibility Most organizations have shifted their strategic approach in handling their operations owing to the population growth and competitive demand for the scarce world resources (Ignatius, 2012). Most of the natural resources that most companies and factories clamor for are limited and is prone to extinction as I came to realize. Reading from the interview that Polman, the CEA of Unilever was given by HBR, he claimed that it would be very evil of any business community to grab from the overstretched population the little resources they have left. I have come to realize the huge impact that most global organizations have had in realizing and living by the wish and will of the society that they serve. As it remains to be, most organizations are founded on the similar core of profit maximization. However, some of those organizations and companies that advocate for the rights of the society as I have continually come to acknowledge a good chance of beating their rivals that contravene the basic principle of livelihood (Lavie, 2006). On my end, I would highly advocate for a company that supports and stands for the entire lifecycle from the field consumption al, the way to disposal of their products. The basic principal of Unilever Company according to the interview of the CEO is to reduce the overall environmental footprint and ensure agricultural resource sustainability. In agreement with Ignatius (2012), I, however, admit that some of the environmental pollutions from some of the company product fall out of their control and as such they stand to blame without fair justice by the society. I have also noticed that some of the globally recognized companies thrive on the provision of then basic needs of the over one billion persons to assist them get nutrition and attain well-being as a whole (Pinto, 2007). I have in the past encountered some of the globally recognized companies engaging in charity activities. They have built a firm and recognizable foundation with their customers on the platform that enables them to be able to live by the expectations of the society. The companies that are keen to the feelings and wants of the overall society stand a very strong chance of outdoing their rivals in the competitive field. Sometimes I wonder if it is not a business' role to take on some of the ethical issues that affect the entire population. According to Pinto (2007), the factories and companies gain their revenue from the purchase made by consumers of their items; I find it only reasonable to protect the same hands that feed you. However, I have also come to realize that some of the firms have forgotten this very fundamental element of business operation and have continually abused the environment from which they operate, and their clients live (Thompson et al. 2008). The business risks that some companies put themselves in while pursuing their audacious objectives also stand out admirably. No other company has been able to make a huge and outstanding impact like Unilever and as such, it has been able to stand strong in the face of the challenge as such, outlived its market rivals (Porter & Kramer, 2006). I have also realized that the main reason for customer commitment is then safety they find in their products that do not have reported cases of harmful effects on the consumers. Unilever, which is my case study, has been able to make a huge case for the sustainability of its business from the observation of the welfare of the entire humanity (Teece, 2010). It has occurred to me from the lessons from Unilever that companies build and stick to their business models they experience accelerated growth beyond that of their competitors. Social and environmental responsibilities as I concluded my study offer then right fodder for companies to conquer their competitors (Arnold et al. 2007). Question 3 For a long time, I have grappled with the then right definition of ethics in the context of the business environment. In general, however, I have come to broaden my understanding of ethics to stand for the feelings I develop towards the conclusion of an action as right or wrong all the same. In religious terms, ethical observation helps with the connection with God (Hamilton, 2008). The rights or wrongs that taunt my inner feelings drive me to keep in good books with the laws of the country and observe the civil laws of the land from which I descend. I have also realized that ethics by itself stands for the standards or even behavior that the society from which we come accepts (Bazerman, 2014). As an aspiring career professional, integrity is one of the core elements of ethics that I have to observe at each step of my actions. I have spent the past half a decade trying to understand how some of the professionals identify and react to then various ethical issues that occur in their organizations. Reading from Sullivan & Benner (2005), I have been made to believe that as professional, accountability is the key to any successful story. It is also true that the credit I have received thus far from my working experience is attributed to the accountability and reliability I have been able to build over the years. As a professional working for one of the recognized organizations, one of my key responsibilities is to limit the extent of ambiguity in the organization. According to Colby & Sullivan (2008), clarity and accountability are key to the realization of my duties and by extension that of the entire organization. There are instances where I have also felt conflicts of interest, and as such, there have been needed to realize my core duty of service to my organization (West & Shanafelt, 2007). According to Blackall et al. (2007), as professional, management ability and knowledge is very key to the completion of ten tasks that may arise from the course of operation. It is, therefore, prudent that I realize the challenges that come my way and design a very modest way of tackling each of them one by one without rubbing any person the wrong way. I also have realized that there is a huge need to know the direct and indirect harm that some of my actions may have to the organizations as well as those that I report to. Integrity means that I have to take responsibility for the failures that come from the line of duty (Jones et al., 2010). In this view, it has occurred to me that as a professional, it is very important for me to take an outside view of other organizations and learn then various approaches that will help me in solving problems. Integrity and ethical observations require that I have to be listening to the views of my subjects and as such I need to build my noticing skills to identify the probable threats to the organizational business foundation. According to Czarny, Faden & Sugarman (2010), professionalism observation has also equipped me with the right idea on how to redirect the organizational goals towards the attainment of its goals and objectives. According to Bazerman (2014), professionalism calls for the entire team to operate in line with the organizational culture while observing the social responsibilities (Steneck, 2008). ). References Arnold, K. A., Turner, N., Barling, J., Kelloway, E. K., & McKee, M. C. 2007. 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