Greenwashing: Business and Social Responsibility - Essay Example

? Greenwashing: Business and Social Responsibility Greenwashing: Business and Social Responsibility Coping with the demands of the rapidly changing facet of the business world today, entrepreneurs of most of the business firms cannot escape the essential call of social responsibility. It is very much known that the topmost threat facing the present day world is global warming and the continuously increasing scarcity of water besides the steadily increasing atmospheric pollution from many ways. As the contemporary world is packed with a lot of problems and possible challenges that are estimated to harm the human species and with their potential presence to warn us against a fast approaching manmade evolution, it is a need for the common people to know as to how the business world is truthful to the commitment they ought to maintain for the social wellbeing. This essay is meant to make a travel through the realities of the profit-bothered present day business world and the upshot that is facing the next generation. There is no doubt that a unit of production of anything has to compromise with their controls to reduce garbage; however, the efforts it is willing to take to control the mishandling of such industrial wastes discriminates among the standards of various companies. In this alarming context, it becomes a collective responsibility of the people to protect their environment in order to get rid of the hazards in any form. If a standardized approach to ensure the shielding of environment is concerned, there arises the need for initiating the efforts to ensure the widely approved ‘green washing’ trials to save the earth from further degradation. To uncover the fact of social wellbeing lying in the core of every collective human effort, businessmen of the current time have to realize that the profitability of their motives takes the right path only when the social requirements are fulfilled. The efforts of the visionaries to invoke the retailer giants and their sources are taking a better lead in the recent past as more and more customers are turning green-friendly by acting upon the need for refreshing the environmental conditions either directly or indirectly, thanks to their identification of most potential threats (The sins of greenwashing). However, the preference of customers to adopt a particular product that serves a specific purpose takes a categorical influx of differentiated opinions about making the right choice. In fact, it is not predictable as to what proportion of the customers is satisfied with most of the products they use daily. The need for a rethinking has to be identified with the managements of businesses that are directly dealing with the routine needs of the buyers in which they can implement trials on improving their social identity as responsible entities. The alarming fact of uncontrollably increasing domestic garbage and the plastic disposal are the greatest actors in the challenges against the world nowadays. Many countries have recently developed a mechanism to promote the idea of protecting the environment by urging the common public as well as the visitors to adopt nature-friendly lifestyles. However, there are many witnesses from actual recipients of the evil face of many of the hoteliers and restaurant owners who comfortably compromise with their standards of such an ‘all green’ operation of their businesses. From the experience note of Lane (2011), it is so indicative as he says that most of such posters and catalogues that declare the ‘noble’ causes of behind the ‘love-all-green’ urges of the owners are no more beneficial than saving their cost-cut tactics by reducing the use of electricity and water whereby creating inconvenience to the guests. In most of the situations where the organizers of tours and holidays prepare sincere campaigns against the use of materials disastrous to the natural conditions of their own locations, plastic bags and containers are still a notable item of their trade. Developed countries like Canada, Australia etc are proclaimed caretakers of their eco-friendly hospitality services. However, the amount of garbage raises the question of their lacking sense of integrity to their ideologies when it matters the real situations. According to surveys (as cited in Lane, 2011), these countries account for the accumulation of domestic as well as industrial garbage which poses a great threat to the ecosystem as a whole. Experts in the fields of ecological studies fear the potential damaging capability of the unscientific management of wastes in any form. Whatever may be the place in the wealth chart, any country can receive a devastating impact of some of the calamities that are caused by the careless handling of garbage from all sources. As the systems for the disposal or treatment of waste materials from hotels and restaurants fail, the effect of such a situation directly affects the water supply of the region, which in turn proves fatal to both the flora and fauna of the region. Moreover, the increasing trend among the small and medium business owners to carelessly approach the nature poses a huge threat to the existence of some of the rare species of the flora and fauna. Apart from the manufacturing units, restaurants and other consumer frequency zones such as super markets and open street markets all have their share in the rapid degradation of the land in the recent years. Unlike the olden days, the present day business is all about dealing with well educated customer groups which makes decisions based on the right choices. In this regard, traders of consumer goods as well as restaurants come under the public scanner for their immediate influence on the people in both positive and adverse ways. Even a single advertisement that can misguide the people’s choices by influencing their conscience can be held responsible for the failure of customer satisfaction. The ‘consumer choice theory’ justifies this argument. Consumer choice is a macroeconomic theory links goods/services consumption preferences to consumer demand curves via consumption expenditures (cited in Morris et al 2007, p. 24). More and more studies reveal the fact that the choices among the city-bound customers are growingly quality based as against the pre-existing ‘branded hygiene’ concept and the people are increasingly conscious of the amount of social responsibility handled by the restaurants they choose to dine at. Knowing the importance of the quantum of competition to be overcome, entrepreneurs of the modern time are trying their best to lure the public attention by making campaigns and socializing programs to demonstrate their corporate social responsibility. As Beisinghoff (2009) points out, the CSR theory simply states that a company is obliged to be responsible for the impacts of its operations on the community/society; and this theory assists organisations to make balance between their financial and social goals (p.85).Some hotels and restaurant groups even hire employees with high regards for environmental safety. A pioneer hotel industrialist Kimpton Hotels proudly declare their social commitment by introducing various programs to make a green-friendly identity among the business world (Kimpton). However, there are claims and reports against the derailment of some of the business groups from their objectives by breaching the ethical code of social responsibilities. The governments of many developed countries are alarmed about the quality of the foods and the facilitation for the best disposal of wastes with a view to bring the problem of both direct and indirect health hazards to consumers as well as the environment. In order to negotiate with the issues on quality controls and waste disposal, governments of the respective regions should implement strict laws. Moreover, since the fundamental objective of every business is profitability, there should be a considerable amount of support from the administrative bodies for the sustainability of private investment in the market. Continuous and comprehensive control over the systems of such customer security undertakings by business organizations has to be employed for better service to the public. Moreover, the owners of small time business as well as restaurants must be compelled to maintain their standards in accordance with the provisions for running a nature-friendly business. They must also be aware of the fact that the reliability of a commercial enterprise today is proportionate to its social responsibility. References Beisinghoff, N. (2009) Corporations and Human Rights, Peter Lang: Germany. Kimpton. Official site. Retrieved from http://www.kimptonhotels.com/ Lane, I. (2011). Latest example of greenwashing found on Hilton Head Island. Greenloon, Sept 27. Retrieved from http://www.greenloons.com/blog/trip-reviews/latest-example-of-greenwashing-found-on-hilton-head-island.html Morris, S.et al. (2007) Economic Analysis in Health Care, John Wiley & Sons, England. The sins of greenwashing. 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