Sustainability Initiatives that Have Been Implemented by 4 Pines Brewing Company - Case Study Example

Case Study on 4 Pines Brewing Company The purpose of this report is to identify the sustainability initiatives that have been implemented by 4 Pines Brewing Company and to evaluate the extent to which the company is authentic about its sustainability initiatives. The report also examines the benefits of the initiatives to the company and how the initiatives would differ in a different business context. One of the main sustainability initiativesthat4 Pines Brewing Company has implemented relates to addressing the needs of the community. The company has put in place a programme that allows its employees to contribute to the community by either donating to causes that address community problems or volunteering their time to community-based initiatives (4 Pines Brewing Company n.d., p. 4). Also, 4 Pines Brewing Company is committed to improving the welfare of its employees by addressing their needs and creating the most appropriate corporate culture (4 Pines Brewing Company 2016, p. 1). Moreover, the company is currently running a programme that is based on reducing its footprint and aligning its relationships with its stakeholders to ensure that it contributes to environmental conservation (4 Pines Brewing Company 2016, p. 1). In general, organisations are committed to sustainability initiatives because they seek to achieve the benefits that are associated with being socially responsible (Thauer 2014, p. 40). One of the justifications for corporate sustainability is founded on the concept of the triple bottom line. It is observed that companies implement sustainability initiatives with the aim of conserving the environment, addressing the needs of the societies to which they belong, and becoming sustainable financially (Pachauri 2004, p. 4). Thus, sustainability is associated with the social, economic and environmental benefits that companies gain over the long-term. Moreover, firms that are truly committed to sustainability implement various initiatives as part of their values and not as a way of complying with regulations (Muller 2006, p. 9). In this regard, 4 Pines Brewing Company is authentic in implementing its sustainability initiatives. For example, the firm is fully committed to improving the welfare of its employees and this commitment is reflected in its corporate mission statement. Moreover, the company is committed to addressing community and social challenges because it has signed up for the B Corp initiative (4 Pines Brewing Company 2016, p. 2. In theory, firms that are committed to sustainability normally initiate a broad range of initiatives, depending on the industries in which they operate (Yudelson 2009, p. 18). However, the essence of sustainable business practices is that firms use them to address social problems, reduce their environmental footprint and addressing the needs of their employees (Sanders & Wood 2014, p. 205). In this regard, 4 Pines Brewing is doing what other businesses that are committed to sustainability do. Some of the sustainability initiatives of 4 Pines Brewing Company contribute to enhancing positive social and human resource outcomes forthe company. For example, the initiative of improving the welfare of the employees by creating a very supportive corporate culture significantly contributes to enhancing positive social and human resource outcomes for the firm. In theory, there is a positive correlation between a positive corporate culture and the productivityof employees (Rao 2013, p. 118). When employees consider the culture of a company to be supportive, they tend to perceive the organisation positively. Moreover, there is a positive correlation between employee welfare and overall organisational performance (Dwivedi 2008, 75). When employees are engaged, they tend to perform better than when they are less engaged (Motilewa, Agboola & Adeniji 2015, p. 299). Thus, overall employee welfare improves the performance of the employees as well as that of the organisation. 4 Pines Brewing Company is committed to creating and maintaining a corporate culture that supports its employees. Using this approach has been beneficial to the company because it has helped it to maintain high levels of employee engagement. Also, the commitment of the company towards improving the welfare of its employees has helped the firm to maintain a positive public image over the years (4 Pines Brewing Company n.d., p. 14). Therefore, the devotion of 4 Pines Brewing Company to improving the welfare of its employees has contributed to enhancing its human resource outcomes. The initiatives of 4 Pines Brewing Company may not necessarily produce different outcomes if they are applied in other business contexts. For example, the initiative that allows the employees of the company to volunteer their time or donate resources to community-based initiatives helps the company to have a positive impact on the affairs of its community and builds it overall profile. It is worth noting that this initiative may produce similar outcomes for large or small organisations operating in any industry. It is noted that addressing community needs is one of the main initiatives that define the corporate sustainability practice of any organisation (Sanders & Wood 2014, p. 205). Similarly, the initiative that is based on the need to address environmental problems would produce similar outcomes if it is applied in other business contexts. Large and small organisations are directly affected by environmental issues and this the reason why conservation of the environment is one of the main pillars of corporate social responsibility practices of all types of companies (Pachauri 2004, p. 7). Moreover, Yudelson (2009, p. 16) notes that concern for the environment is important even for companies in the retail sector. Therefore, although 4 Pines Brewing Company is in the manufacturing sector, its corporate sustainability initiatives can produce similar results in an industry of any type or size. In conclusion, the sustainability initiatives of 4 Pines Brewing Company are based on three key areas of concern: improving the welfare of the company’s employees, addressing environmental challenges, and solving various problems in the community. Also, the company is fully devoted to implementing these initiatives and getting the benefits that are associated with them. Lastly, given the concept of corporate social responsibility, it is likely that these initiatives would produce similar results if they are implemented in a different business context. References 4 Pines Brewing Company 2016, ‘Save the pines report,’ viewed 2 September 2017, . 4 Pines Brewing Company n.d.,4 Pines guide for lovers of beer: because lovers of beer matter, 4 Pines Brewing Company, Manly. Dwivedi, RK 2008, Organisational culture and performance, John Wiley & Sons, London. Motilewa, BD, Agboola, GM & Adeniji, CG 2015, Organisational culture and performance: a study of Covenant University, International Conference on African Development Issues,2015, viewed 3rd September 2017, . Muller, R 2006, Rationales for corporate social responsibility in the telecommunications domain: the cases of Magyar Telekom group and tele2 Hungary (Master‘s thesis, Central European University, viewed 3 September 2017, . Pachauri, RK 2004, ‘The rationale for corporate social responsibility in India,’ The Financial Express, 22 December 2004, viewed 3September 2017, . Rao, PL 2013, International human resource management: text and cases, Cengage, Mason. Sanders, NR & Wood, JD 2014, Foundations of sustainable business: Theory, function and strategy, John Wiley & Sons, Mason. Thauer, CR 2014, The managerial sources of corporate social responsibility, Cengage, Mason. Yudelson, J 2009, Sustainable retail development: New success strategies, Springer, Heidelberg. Read More