Ecology The Environment and The Retail Sector - Assignment Example

Ecology, the Environment and the Retail Sector Describe the Environment related issues that Retailers have to consider in their Corporate Strategic Planning Retailers have a duty at their hands which they need to fulfill in order to play their active role whilst being a part of the corporate set up. They have to consider their responsibility which comes directly under the auspices of social work and contribution to humanity and indeed the whole of the ecological basis. Retailers need to understand the contributions that they have to make on a proactive basis because they processes would mean a positive interplay with the society, which at the end of the day would bring in positive vibes for the corporations as well as have more revenues in the form of new customers and repeated purchases. This last scenario is an ideal fit one for any business activity which is on the rise and demands similar boost for it to become a benchmark position. The environmental issues that could be considered by the retailers include whether or not they are hindering the viewing positions through the different installations and lights present at the retail outlets. This would mean that the retailers would cut down on their expansive drives to construct larger than life displays as well as limit the installations within the realms of the retail outlet itself. Also an effort must be made to ensure that the pavements are free of any utensils/machines and products which are put on display or for sale since they could seriously hamper the smooth walking of the pedestrians and potential customers. More than that these products could create a situation where the vehicles could bump into the retail outlets and thus account for loss of property and innocent lives. Thus corporate strategic planning could only be termed as successful when the above mentioned measures are incorporated in the best manner possible and there is empathy for the customers and pedestrians so that the environment does not get disturbed due to the commercial activities of the retailers. A symbiotic relationship needs to be enacted from this retail basis so that the community at large benefits and there is absolutely no one who is at loss with the tasks thus undertaken. A responsible corporation would never permit a retailer to bypass the jurisdictions under which it is allowed to operate and would cease the license of such commercial retailers on a proactive basis. 2) Explain how Retailers include Environmental Management in their Business Plans With the passage of time, the business plans for the different retailers have started to change since there is more social responsibility within their thinking regimes and they are accountable to different human rights bodies and consumer activist organizations. Thus in other words, there is more check and balance as per their undertakings. The retailers need to realize their roles as per the environmental issues which lie in their close vicinity and thus hold themselves accountable for all of their deeds, actions, installations, services and so on and so forth. They must be ready to be answerable in front of the media and the common man so that a sense of environmental management and more so the related understanding is ignited within them. The retailers make use of the environmental management issues within their business plans by the incorporation of different by-laws and permissions which are granted to them by the relevant authorities as well as the consumer activist movements. Also they keep a check for their rights within these business plans by constantly monitoring the competitors’ activities and thus outdo them by bringing in more customer and pedestrian friendly schemes and installations, on and around the retail outlets. They keep special place for dumping purposes within these business plans and have separate units for garbage disposal which suggests that much good has already been done in the related regards. However further work still needs to be done on a proactive basis so that there is more accountability for these retailers and corporate chains. The retailers understand their environmental duties and thus are incorporating adequate pointers within their business plans so that the end result is one which is more of a win-win situation for all the stakeholders rather than benefiting one party and putting the other one at a potential loss. Thus, in the end it is important to understand here that retailers are starting to comprehend their due roles in the related scheme of things and are putting special emphasis on their ecological responsibilities and the corporate social responsibility factors are making all these efforts possible at the end of the day. A positive future could easily be envisaged by these retailers since a lot of good has already been done and as far as the same within the realms of the business plans is concerned, more significance could be given to the whole environmental management aspect which would benefit all and sundry. 3) Explain Strategic Sustainability Management Strategic sustainability management looks at sustainability in the long run. This could be true for the retailers as well as the corporations which run these retail outlets. Strategic sustainability discusses the sustainability efforts and endeavors that are undertaken by these corporate giants on a proactive basis. In fact these steps are taken prior to their incorporation. Thus these processes have to be studied beforehand so that the organizations enact proper policies and adequate frameworks in order to counter the environmental hazards which could crop up every now and then and thus haunt the environmental fabric of a particular area, society or country for that matter. Strategic sustainability management manages the whole infrastructure of these corporations through the window of environmental concerns and issues that exist for a continual basis and thus these problems are solved in the midst of the controversies under which the retailers, corporations and different organizations have plunged into, with the passage of time. What is more important is that strategic sustainability is given significance in the whole scenario and not avoided for one reason or the other. This could easily account for one of the plus points that come under the environmental steps undertaken by the organizations and retailers and credit must be given to them, wherever they undertaken similar positive activities. What strategic sustainability management aims to deliver is value for the retailers through the understanding that has been reached upon by the environmental problems and hazards and thus all out efforts are indeed necessary to counter the potential loopholes and pitfalls which could arise every now and then in the related scheme of things. Strategic sustainability also ensures that corporations make their positive efforts known to each and every stakeholder of the society so that the retailer or the corporate entity builds on its positive rapport with the society and thus is taken in nice stead within the relevant circles. Also it facilitates in resolving a number of problems with the consumer activist movements which usually hamper the smooth functioning of these retailers and organizations. In the end, strategic sustainability management is a positive aspect that must be underlined by the retailers and organizations of present times and proactive steps need to be taken to ensure the same keeps happening. 4) Describe the ways in which Business areas are affected when Implementing Environmental Strategies Business areas are affected both positively and negatively when environmental strategies are implemented and thus these need to be understood from the relevant angles before discussing any further. Implementing these environmental strategies ensures that all possible avenues of business are touched upon by the relevant bodies and management entities. Business areas could cut down on their revenues and profits if the consumer activist movements impose legal bans and the like due to installations which have been undertaken by the corporations which run the different retail organizations. Also these movements can put the best of retailers out of business by their sheer weight and pressure which could come from any angle and at any time. Similarly, business areas could be affected positively if the retailers perform tasks which benefit the society as a whole and gives incentives to the different audiences. This comes directly under the heading of the corporate social responsibility and retailers in the times much like today do not feel left out in such a scenario. However both the positive and the negative aspects need to be weighed properly before a final conclusion could be drawn as per the implementation basis of the environmental strategies. Malice and related sinful ways need to be kept away as far as the implementation of these environmental strategies is concerned since these environmental measures only benefit the society and the retailers in the long run and in no way can bring an organization or retailer down as concerns to the revenues and profits that it is making. Business areas thus have a lot of stake within the adequate implementation of the strategies which are adopted in the name of environment and ecological matters. It is best to recruit environmental specialists and related consultants who could best devise environmental means and thus produce positive results on a consistent basis for both the organization as well as the society and not to forget the environment itself. In concluding remarks, it is correctly stated that business areas could reap the rewards of proper implementation of these environmental strategies. The only underlying need is to realize the potential which these strategies could have for the retailers and the business enterprises and when the same have been achieved, then adequate measures could be undertaken which properly address the issues that had been earlier envisaged so that the profits are maximal and there are no matters of concern whatsoever. 5) Describe the ways in which Retailers Impact on their Local Communities, giving particular attention on their Environmental Strategies Retailers have a very pivotal role in the way in which they make an impact on the local publics as they are drivers of these communities in more manners than could be thought of. They must understand their due role having said the same and when the comprehension is made with regards to this then only can the retailers do some good for their own selves and the environment in particular. What this will do is to bolster positive vibes between all the relevant publics and thus would involve them in a cohesive manner, which will bring out the best of results from just about any stakeholder in such a scenario to state the least. The issue of corporate social responsibility also seems to stem from this discussion where we have to judge and see whether the company under question is doing something that is in general destroying the basic purpose of the people as well as limiting them in a social, economic and cultural hole. As a matter of fact many companies in the world have adapted to a lifestyle on the part of the people that is more personal and one that reaches their home rather than them going to the retail outlets and purchasing the same for themselves. Yet in all this process, these companies might just hinder the whole essence of what actually they were after, that is providing the best value for money for their products and services as well as giving them something which is best in their local market and that can be easily remarked as being unmatched and of superior quality and enhanced performance. Corporate Social Responsibility is internal to an organization; it dictates the manner in which it has to plan about the courses of action it has to carry out with respect to the society. This term basically deals with the organization’s set of operations that it carries out for the welfare of the society while existing within itself. It helps the humanity in more than one ways, to train and educate them and to ponder upon issues, which can really change the fate of coming civilizations. The Government must play its role in harnessing the skills attached with the multinational sector in finding out the better means in which it can benefit the society. For that certain loans and grants can also be fixed for a certain company depending on its market level in the business world. References Kay, John. (1995). Foundations of Corporate Success: How Business Strategies Add Value. Oxford University Press Kean, Rita. (1998). Effects of Community Characteristics, Business Environment, and Competitive Strategies on Rural Retail Business Performance. Journal of Small Business Management, Vol. 36 Word Count: 2,045 Read More