Embarking on a New Corporate Social Responsibility Program - Research Paper Example

? Corporate Social Responsibility mr. Arne Sorenson Embarking on a New csr Program The issue of drug abuse amongst the teenagers has been one of the most challenging in the past 3 decades. The number of drug abuse cases has soared beyond imaginable statistics. People have foregone the cultural aspects of the traditional society which emphasized the need for good parenting, responsible lifestyles and general integration of children into the society through teachings that contribute positively to their lives. However, the fast-paced world has increasingly denied the child a chance to participate in the building of the society with parents spending too much time working at the expense of parental guidance and love (Kumpfer, Alvarado and Whiteside, 2003). As an international franchise, this is an opportunity to participate in counseling and such-like initiatives that will help to alleviate this drug abuse menace. First and foremost, as for a franchise in the hotel industry, the relevance of drug abuse is rife and the implications are severe. When the youth abuse drugs, insecurity, crimes and vandalism are the likeliest results of their actions with hotels (ICAP, 2004). As a hotel with such highly recognized international standards, the benefits of dealing with the menace will be immense. The youth will be rehabilitated while the company will help to make the locality a safe haven for its visitors. It will also provide a chance for guests to invest in the area thereby providing a great leverage for raising the standards of living of the local people (Benabou and Tirole, 2010). The youth will engage in meaningful social and economic activities, hence assuring the industry of its continuity. This is a low-cost initiative, given the benefits expected at the end of it all. Given that most of the Marriot employees are from within the locality, the initiative has a high chance of success. The employees will lead the initiative while directing the management team to areas with the greatest need for resources and specialized attention. This will also act as a way of recognizing the employees’ efforts, hence maintaining loyalty within the workforce. Therefore, less money will be used to contract people to take part in the whole process. The company will save money that could have been used for advertisements since the employees will act as the advertisers in the locality (Benabou and Tirole, 2010). Once its kicks off, the project will require lesser monetary contributions from the company. This is so because the number of sponsors is expected to increase and support this noble cause. The youth will also have their initiatives from which they will gain money and sustain themselves. The implementation will be as follows. Employees from the locality will be given a chance to map out the areas that require the company’s intervention. After the areas have been identified, the neediest of them all will be picked as the first to receive assistance (Thompson, 2005). This will act as the stepping stone to all other areas since the success or failure of the first initiative will determine the approaches used to tackle the remaining ones, and thus mapping the initiative’s success path. The hotel will then include the costs of hiring the counseling personnel to train the works on how to go about this issue and what factors to look out for when seeking to help individuals affected by drug abuse. This is crucial as it increases awareness and allows each to use their skills and any prior information to ensure the initiative succeeds (ICAP, 2004). The creation of rehabilitation centers is also important as a way of ensuring that those young people who wish to get help can have a place where they can run to without being judged or mistreated. To ensure the company benefits from this initiative, there are several aspects that need to be done from the initial stages. The employees must first be brought on board for full participation to be accorded. Those who will be at work will also have a chance to do the same the following day to ensure maximum support for the initiative (Thompson, 2005). The company will then bring on board other corporate bodies that deal with issues and cases of drug abuse to ensure that each brings alone their expertise for the benefit of the locals. The guests will also be informed on issues related to drug abuse as a way of selling the company’s social responsibility program to outsiders; hence soliciting support from those who would wish to do the same (Thompson, 2005). Through its numerous franchises, the hotel can seek for support from other firms to promote the cause. This way, the company can create rehabilitation centers where the youth can engage in activities that benefit their lives instead of engaging in drug abuse. This ensures that the youth are constantly busy with no or little time to think of drugs as the best way out of a situation. Issues against this may be raised. Some may argue that the project is already funded by the federal government and the local authorities through various departments. Others may view it as a waste of time due to the amount of time spent on dealing with the youth and drugs. However, the government cannot deal with this issue alone. It requires as much help as possible from those willing to enjoin themselves in such worthy causes. Further, the employees will have greater motivation to work in a company that looks after the local community as well as minds about the welfare of its workforce. The indirect benefits accrued are employees’ loyalty and motivation which go a long way in improvement in performance (Thompson, 2005). Molson Coors Brewing Company is a good example of how critical it is to target drug abuse as a way of giving back to the community. The company deals with the issue of responsible drinking as a way of reducing accidents and encourages more people to be responsible even as they engage in drinking (Benabou and Tirole, 2010). As a company, targeting the youth will help them in making better life decisions as advertisements offered by Molson Coors show. Research shows that changing the perceptions amongst the youth regarding their peers through the social norms approach proposed herein will go a long way in encouraging better ideals amongst the youth. By involving the employees and other community members, the hotel will achieve better results due to the use of integrative education which research shows to be every effective in influencing behavior change amongst addicts (Mattern and Neighbors, 2004). If this meets your approval, it would be appreciated since the company stands to gain a lot from this. Thank you References Benabou, R., & Tirole, J. (2010). Individual and Corporate Social Responsibility. Economica, 77(305), 1-19. International Center for Alcohol Policies (ICAP). (2004). Alcohol education and its effectiveness. ICAP Report 16. Washington, DC: Author. Kumpfer, K. L., Alvarado, R., & Whiteside, H. O. (2003). Family-based interventions for substance use and misuse prevention. Substance Use and Misuse, 38, 1759–1787. Mattern, J. L., & Neighbors, C. (2004). Social norms campaigns: Examining the relationship between changes in perceived norms and changes in drinking levels. Journal of Studies on Alcohol, 65, 489–493. Thompson, G. F. (2005). Global Corporate Citizenship: What does it mean? Competition and Change, 9(2): 131-152. Read More