Corporate Responsibility of Samsung and Disney Company - Case Study Example

Corporate Social Responsibility Name Institution Introduction Corporate social responsibility is an initiative where a company has the commitment of conducting itself within an economic, social and environmental sustainable manner. This is done while having a balance regarding the interests that are held by diverse stakeholders. Businesses are established within the society, and they utilize the community’s resources and opportunities for the purposes of gaining benefits. Hence, the business has to ensure that it operates in an ethical manner by maintaining the interest of the majority (Sun, 2010, p.5). The Walt Disney Company is an entertainment organization that was founded in the 1930s and has dominated the family entertainment industry (Valhouli, 2002, p.1). Samsung Electronics Company was established in 1969 as a manufacturer of televisions. Currently, it has incorporated the manufacture of mobile phones to its production (Chico, 2012, p.2). This essay analyzes the corporate social responsibility within Disney and Samsung. The analysis is based on four aspects of corporate social responsibility. They include responsibilities within the marketplace, the workplace, community and within the environment. Corporate social responsibility within the marketplace There are certain responsibilities that business are tasked to deal with within the marketplace when it comes to the application of CSR. Samsung Company Samsung Company has upheld its marketplace responsibilities through various initiatives. The company has been able to understand its customers’ needs and also their expectations for the products that it offers. Products offered have been tailored to meet the needs and demands of the market. This has been done after various surveys to gather information on the same. The products have been designed in a responsible manner that does not impact negatively on the lives of the users. This has been done through the inclusion of instructions on all the products on what to do and what not to do. Samsung has also ensured that the suppliers it deals with have been vetted and also passed the annual audits. It has been indicated by China Labour Watch (2012, p.1) that the main supplier of Samsung HEG Electronics has been found to have used child workers at one point. This has been able to impact negatively on the corporate social responsibility of Samsung Company. The company has employed the use of customer feedback system. This is an important component that has allowed the company to act on the feedbacks regarding their products hence improving on the consumer-related problems. The products that are offered by Samsung are made in a way that they can pass the health and safety regulations. For instance, the products are made in the right precision to ensure that they do not emit any radioactive material that is mostly common with electronics. The lead used in making the products is also below the accepted level hence reducing cases of any negative health impacts to the user (Armstrong, 2013, p.5). Disney Company The Walt Disney Company is among the top five companies that have been able to ensure that there are proper application and implementation of the corporate social responsibility. It has been able to apply the concept of CSR within its marketplace through a strong ethical program. This is shown in the aura of the company’s products and also on how it relates to the customers. The company has a strong belief of ensuring that within the marketplace there is high standard regarding services. Also, the products that it offers can in no way harm the customers and also is at the same level with the expectations of the customers. Since the company deals majorly with amusement parks that it operates in many countries. Within its marketplace CSR application, the company has ensured that all people visiting the parks experience high safety standards. This is through the provision of precaution procedures, and also emergency evacuation procedures that ensure in cases of danger people can be evacuated safely (Hamate, 2010, p.5). The company has also integrated an audit department that has the responsibility of checking the behavior of managers who can have their way by influencing the financial interest of the company. This ensures there is accountability and also safeguarding of the investments that have been made by stakeholders. The company has also embarked on a strong campaign to advertise its products and services. This initiative has conformed to the ethical standards of corporate social responsibility. This is because it has ensured that there is no false or misleading advertisement. The company has also enrolled product differentiation. The company deals in products that are family related. Under this, there are products specifically for the children and also for the adults. This ensures that it attracts a various range of customers (Humate, 2010, p.5). Corporate social responsibility within the workplace Samsung Company Samsung Company has integrated CSR within its workplace. Samsung has been able to create a flexible work scheduled known as “work smart”. This has been able to help employees to maximize their performance at work by engaging them in a more creative manner. This allows the employees to be more creative hence allowing the company to come up with more innovative products. Samsung Company has been committed to creating a work environment that can support diversity within the global market that it serves. The company treats every employee equally regardless of their race, origin ethnicity and religion. The company offers special consideration to women and the disabled when it comes to employment. They are offered various programs within the company for the purposes of ensuring that they perform well. Also, so that they can be in a position to balance work and home-related duties (Humate, 2010, p.5). Disney Disney takes employee training very serious. This is because there is the need for employees to learn new concepts every time since the business dynamics keep on changing. This includes changes in technologies that are used. The management of the company is constantly offered training in leadership and development. This is done to enable them help other employees gain self-confidence and also develop a sense of belonging to the company. The company ensures that there are safety and security measures within the organization. There are proper facilities available for ensuring that there is workers safety. The company also fulfills the quality, ethics and social-friendly services for the employees. Disney does this by ensuring that there is the provision of a socially and friendlier environment for the workers to ensure that they provide better results. It also ensures that there is maintaining of the social responsibility decorum by the employees (Giesler, 2014, p.865). The company encourages open communication among the employees with the purpose of understanding their problems. Disney Company has benefits provisions for workers. This includes retirement and the saving options for the purposes of building a secure future for them. There is a provision of health and wellness programs for the employee’s security and also well-being. This is achieved through the confidential health pursuits with the aim of making employees aware of their health status and also that of their families. Also, there is the provision of insurance cover for the employees. Finally, it offers employees growth and development opportunities through career planning and development (Giesler, 2014, p.865). Corporate social responsibility and the community Samsung The rate of the economic crisis has created a bigger gap between the poor and the rich. This has also created high unemployment rates. This has called for responsible capitalism. In a nutshell, the conditions have made communities demand more from businesses. Samsung Company has embarked on a series of socially responsible actions aimed at improving the sustainability of the surrounding communities where it operates. This has been done through volunteer and donations. One of the programs that the company is currently dealing with is Samsung Hope for Children that is being implemented in 30 countries in nine different regions. This is a program that is aimed at supporting education and the health of the youth and children. Also, Samsung is giving subsidiary to different programs in different countries that are aimed at promoting small scale business. This includes financial assistance and also training activities. Although Samsung has not invested much in the communities as compared to the revenues that it gets annually. This has attracted huge criticism (Armstrong, 2013, p.5). Disney Disney’s responsibility to its shareholders is one of the serious activities that it undertakes. The company is strongly committed to the community as one of the shareholders of the company since they are the main consumers of the company’s products. The company is aware that reputation is very important to it achieving the objectives that it has set. Through community collaboration and outreach activities, Disney has been able to continue with its corporate social responsibility efforts. Disney Company has been involved in various charitable activities. This is through supporting various local economies through the contribution of significant tax revenue. It has also been able to give back to the community through training them. This has been able to increase knowledge among the community members on how to manage a business that has been able to improve their economic conditions. The employees of the company have also been involved in caring for communities through civic engagement, tax contributions and also volunteerism. The company encourages its employees to show good deed within their communities through the volunteer’s program (Armstrong, 2013, p.5). Corporate social responsibility and the environment Samsung Company The environment is an important factor as it contributes to the growth of the environment. The company has a high concern for the development of Eco-friendly products with the sole purposes of reducing environmental impact. This is focused on green management policy that promotes the development of greener environment. The company launched an Eco Design Assessment System in 2004 to help it come up with environmental friendly products. The products of the company have a longer life cycle for the purposes of ensuring that they meet the environmental care requirements. This has been realized through the provision of a reasonable warranty. The company has developed a technology that extends the lifecycle of specific products. The innovation is called “smart evolution kit." It extends the life cycle through updating the processors and the operating system. Hence, encouraging upgrading than replacing (Giesler, 2014, p. 866). Disney Disney as a company has its environmental goals. To achieve the goals, the company shares its objectives with the stakeholders and the community. The company has been involved in ensuring that there is a reduction of the waste that it produces by 50% by the year 2016. The company has also embarked on environmental friendly TV commercials that are aimed at empowering the kids and also teen on the importance of improving the environment. This is a strong CSR communication to the young generation that together they can be able to save the planet. The company has also campaigned for the reduction of the emission of greenhouse gasses. This has seen a reduction in the emission by 3.5%. The company has also invested massively in Africa in a carbon offset project aimed at saving forests. It has donated around 230 million dollars to help new eco-friendly organizations globally (Giesler, 2014, p. 866). Conclusion Corporate social responsibility, as applied to the two companies, indicates that is very important for their performance. The essay has analyzed the two companies in greater depth. It has concluded that although they are both engaged in corporate social responsibility activities. Disney has one of the best initiatives in all the aspects that has formed the basis of the essay analysis. Hence, it is the reason as to why it is in the top five. Reference Armstrong, J., 2013. Effects of corporate social responsibility and irresponsibility policies. Journal of Business Research, 1(3), p.5 Chico, H., 2012. In South Korea, the Republic of Samsung. The Washington Post, p.2 China Labour Watch., 2012. Samsung’s Supplier Factory Squeezing Child Labour Investigation Report on HEG Electronics (Huizhou) Co. http://chinalaborwatch.wordpress.com/2012/08/06/samsungs-supplier-factory- squeezing-child-labor-investigation-report-on-heg-electronics-huizhou-co-ltd-samsung- supplier/ Giesler, M., 2014. Creating the Responsible Consumer: Moralistic Governance Regimes and Consumer Subjectivity. Journal of Consumer Research, 41, p.849–867. Humate, M., 2010. The symbiotic sustainability model: Conceptualizing NGO-corporate alliance communication. Journal of Communication, 60 (3), p.577–609. Sun, W., 2010. How to Govern Corporations So They Serve the Public Good: A Theory of Corporate Governance Emergence. New York: Edwin Mellen.  Valhouli, C., 2002. The World's Best Amusement Parks. Forbes.com, p.1 Read More