Levis Corporate Social Responsibilities - Essay Example

? Levi's Corporate Social Responsibilities (CSR) Danica Magat 18 March Business is one of the most essential elements of one’s economy. In having a business, you are contributing not only for your own benefit but also for the advantage of numerous sectors. It is an endeavor that reaches out to suppliers and producers who provides raw materials, the manufacturers who turns these raw materials into final products, and the customers who consumes the product. Thus, it is also beneficial to those who work for such businesses and companies as it provides them employment. To perceive business as a mere profit milking enterprise is indeed superficial. In taking this perception into a deeper perspective, brings us to a more substantial and considerable wide array of benefits that is significant for one’s progress and development. In contrary to this, there are some companies who may have had a selfish culture enveloping their business undertaking, that is being one-sided and working for the own and sole advantage of the company. They tend to be biding for the cheaper raw materials, paying less for the workers and providing substandard customer service that would later translate to poor quality of products and services. This is the wrong way of doing business as it sacrifices the satisfaction of the customers who happens to be the core reason for the existence of one’s business. If you want to stay long in the business and build your own identity in the industry, you must take extra good care of these vital stakeholders. Taking all of these into account let us study and analyze the business ways and practices of one of the world’s most renowned brand for centuries now and still counting, the Levi Strauss & Co. Levi Strauss & Co ™ or simply Levi’s ® for most of us has been in the industry since 1873. The Levi’s ® jeans is one of the top-of-the-head brands when it comes to the clothing apparel industry. What makes them outstand for generations one after the other is their constant effort and thirst over continuous improvement and development of their brand. Given such, the company makes sure that whatever the customer’s need, the customer’s gets. Despite of being a large brand recognized internationally and globally, Levi’s ® has been responsive in giving back to the community. That is, successfully formulating their Corporate Social Responsibility and effectively delivering it to the public in various forms. To concretize this, Levi’s ® believes that, “Our efforts to help solve the most critical issues facing society – HIV/AIDS, equality, worker rights – have been recognized far and wide, as has our commitment to caring for the communities in which we live and work”1. There have been numerous award-giving private and public, local and international organizations that recognized the community efforts given by this company. To tackle one by one these critical issues facing the society today, let us start with HIV/AIDS. Last June 2010, LS&Co. partnered with Grassroot Soccer, a non-profit organization that utilizes the influence of soccer in educating and promoting activities against HIV/AIDS. “Through a series of interactive discussions and activities, Levi Strauss & Co. employees’ children will gain a better understanding of HIV/AIDS and get a chance to practice the skills necessary for protecting their health as they enter adulthood. Key topics include learning how to make healthy decisions, avoid risky behavior, build supportive networks, reduce the stigma and discrimination associated with HIV/AIDS and raise awareness of HIV/AIDS testing and treatment”2. 1 LeviStrauss,”Recognition,” Online, http://www.levistrauss.com/about/recognition March 19, 2011 2 GRSweb, “GRASSROOT SOCCER PARTNERS WITH LEVI STRAUSS & CO.,” Online, http://www.grassrootsoccer.org/2010/06/24/grassroot-soccer-partners-with-levi-strauss-co-to-combine-soccer-and-hiv-prevention-in-world-cup-camp/ (March 22, 2011) True enough, Levi Strauss & Co. definitely knows how to use influence in a positive manner. LS&Co. being a strong brand, Grassroot Soccer as a dedicated organization and the sole purpose of this advocacy which is to help eradicate and educated people about the risks of HIV/AIDS made this social effort a successful one. Furthermore, to the local community, Levi Strauss Foundation made efforts in leveraging advocacy campaigns that would eliminate the unruly discrimination to HIV/AIDS positive carriers through law reforms and policies in protection to them and their access to decent, peaceful, free from harm and civilized living. Given the fact that LS&CO is a well-renowned brand internationally, this opened great avenues to extend noteworthy campaigns that would be beneficial to the community. Through merging and integrating with establishments, personalities and group of advocacy groups, Levi’s ® successfully communicated their message of educating the public with these general societal concerns in the world. Consequently, Levi Strauss & Co. had always claimed to have great concern over their employees’ rights. Thus, on contrary to this claim, one press release revealed that in North Central Mexico, there had been a strong plight against Lajat Manufacturing, a consistent labor rights abuser in Mexico, who happens to have business with LS&Co, “Levi Strauss has agreed that Lajat has violated their code; they have urged Lajat to reinstate fired workers, and after meeting with CJM, they issued a Corrective Action Plan for Management. However, after Lajat closed its Gomez Palacio plant late last year, Levi Strauss said, "We can't tell them how to run their business."”3. 3Sweatfree Communities, “Will Levi's Practice What They Preach?,” Online, http://www.globalexchange.org/campaigns/sweatshops/levis.html March 22, 2011 There was also some information that after the incident LS&Co still made orders from Lajat Manufacturing. Such inconsistency to worker rights made the credibility of Levi’s ® in question. If the company truly sides at the welfare and rights of the workers, it should have been firm in fighting for such stand. What LS&Co did in this situation is an evident proof in tolerating worker abuse. Obviously, one of the basic foundations of a company is their workers. This is the pool of people who supports the manpower needs of one’s company. Without them, operations would not progress and prosper. That in itself explains the need to nourish, encourage and nurture these workers, not only for their productivity at work but also for their holistic growth as an individual. “Human rights' are the basic rights and freedoms that belong to every person in the world. These rights and freedoms – based on core principles like dignity, equality and respect – inspired a range of international and regional human rights treaties”4. The pledge for human rights and equality is certainly one of the concerns of Levi Strauss & Co through responsible advertising and marketing, Levi’s ® takes into a great consideration the accountability and conscientiousness of their actions. Thus, this promotes reliability for the brand and reaches out respect to the common people, beliefs, values and their morals.”4 One of the campaigns that Levi’s ® initiated was the “Give Them Hope Now'” campaign to support the Hetrick-Martin Institute, Home of the Harvey Milk High School. "Levi Strauss & Co. believes deeply in the importance of equality, social justice, 4Equality & Human Rights Commission, “What are human rights?,” Online, http://www.equalityhumanrights.com/human-rights/what-are-human-rights/ (March 19, 2011) community involvement and corporate citizenship and has a rich history of standing up for the rights of the LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning youth) community," says Robert Hanson, President of Levi Strauss Americas. "The Hetrick-Martin Institute, home of the Harvey Milk High School, is positively contributing to the lives of many LGBTQ teenagers and we are proud to do our part to help raise money and awareness for this important cause”5. This campaign proved the significance of equality. This promotes not only the brand in itself but also the eradication of sexual discrimination. In the world today full of judgment, the LGBTQ community surely appreciates the endorsement of LS&Co for facilitating equal treatment, justice and the confidence of acceptance in the community. Lastly, LS&CO promotes community engagements amongst its work force through encouraging employees in volunteering to social works. This advances societal efforts in a more meaningful manner. Through the years, the company has been constant in delivering help and support to the society that facilitates a stronger bond in community extensions. The provision for benefits and paid volunteering undertaking proves the serious concern of the company to make good use of their employees in different and various beneficial ways in and out of the company. Thus with such paid volunteering, this does not mean that the workers are merely doing these social efforts just to earn extra, as the idea might imply at a glance. It’ just a way to stir up the helping side of the workers that later explains the 100% dedication of Levi Strauss Foundation in promoting and living up to the realms of its corporate social responsibility. 6Steve Rothau, “The Levi's(R) Brand Launches 'Give Them Hope Now' Campaign to Support the Hetrick-Martin Institute, Home of the Harvey Milk High School,” Online, http://miamiherald.typepad.com/gaysouthflorida/2009/05/video-levis-launches-give-them-hope-now-campaign-to-support-gay-hetrick-martin-institute.html/ (March 19, 2011) Accordingly in 2010, Levi Strauss opened a Working Print Shop for community use in San Francisco, “besides offering classes in letterpress, screen printing, and hand typesetting, the shop also serves as a creative space for local artists and craft printing enthusiasts. A number of community-based organizations such as The Edible Schoolyard have used its equipment to produce promotional materials. The shop is open to the public, and on Sundays, local residents can reserve time on the machines for print projects of their own.”6 This initiative is one way of giving the public access to machineries and personal engagement to the Levi’s Brand. It embraces the community to use their creativity with the help and cultivation of the Working Print Shop of LS&Co through easy access and contact to the product that will enable them to express themselves and make good use of their skills. Now, taken the above analysis on the individual social programs of Levi Strauss Foundation, let us now define what corporate social responsibility is. According to businessweek, “Corporate social responsibility (CSR) is a way of managing a business by considering the impact of activities on customers, suppliers, employees, shareholders, communities and other stakeholders, as well as the environment. CSR is linked to business goals, but there is debate about the genuineness of CSR”. They further explained that “studies have shown the improvement in recruiting, retention, brand differentiation, risk management among firms using CSR”7. 6Patrick Henry, “Reaching Out to Workers, Levi’s Opens A Working Print Shop for Community Use in San Francisco”, Online, http://printceo.com/2010/08/reaching-out-to-workers-levi%E2%80%99s-opens-a-working-print-shop-for-community-use-in-san-francisco/ March 22, 2011 7Businessweek, “Corporate Social Responsibility,” Online, http://bx.businessweek.com/corporate-social-responsibility/jobs/page6/ (March 19, 2011) With the above illustrations, analysis and critiques we can therefore say that every move of one’s company reflects the personality of the brand. True enough that doing business is not merely a profit-oriented endeavor or undertaking. It takes a lot of auxiliary services to come along with it and corporate social responsibility plays a very significant role in strengthening the brand that would further exclaim its success and efficiency as a business considering its internal and external stakeholders. The company may not have perfectly delivered their social promises knowing that there had been some discrepancy along the way, thus, this still signifies the great start and strong foundation of Levi’s Corporate Social Responsibility. Thus, I further recommend that the company ensure consistency in the policies and programs that it wishes to instigate in the community. They may have established a lot of social engagements that made significant contributions to the public, thus, added caution is at stake. To maintain credibility is a greater challenge to one’s company than to build one. Actions and decision-makings can make or break your name in the industry. Indeed, you can never underestimate your market. On a lighter note, the main purpose of Corporate Social Responsibility is not just to strengthen the brand in the minds of the market. It is way more than that. Positioning may only come as a bonus. What’s important is the great concern and effort of the company to extend its hands and help out at its highest capabilities in the community. Coz at the end of the day, the truest essence of one’s business is to provide better lives to our general public in countless ways and manners that can contribute for the betterment of all. Read More