Every day, large companies, such as McDonald’s, must make corporate decisions regarding corporate social responsible. As a multi-million dollar international company, it is McDonald’s responsibility to establish development economically, socially, and environmentally. McDonald’s believes that “corporate responsibility is about living our values each and every day. It’s about taking action, achieving results and always maintaining open lines of communication with our customers and other key stakeholders.”
So how does a major company like McDonald’s uphold their commitment to being socially responsible?
1. Most importantly, McDonald’s has a Code of Conduct for Suppliers that specifically explains how suppliers should treat their employees. Demonstrating respect and care for its employees proves that the company values employment standards in the workplace.
2. Being the leader of the fast-food industry, McDonalds must face decisions every day that affects the environment and sometimes the safety of their workers. Recently McDonald’s created a sustainability project in order to promote ethical environmental practices in agriculture. A common tomato farm supplier that McDonald's purchases from underwent specific adjustments that improved the conditions of the farm and its workers in order to create a more sustainable business.
3. In today’s global marketplace McDonald’s must find a source for raw materials, which is often an international supplier. This ties the company to many environmental, ethical, and social concerns within the international area. By generating a sustainability program called Sustainable Fisheries Program that partners with others around the world in order to create ethical standards for wildlife. Their focus is to correctly guide and influence all worldwide purchases of wild-caught fish that contributes to the making of Fillet-o-Fish.
4. Finally, a large part to McDonald’s CSR is the concern with how the company affects the surrounding community. McDonald often views charitable activity as a marketing investment that builds stronger relationships with the community. Therefore, McDonald’s makes an enormous impact on the Ronald McDonald House by donating charitable contributions in order to support the health and well-being of children.
McDonald’s strong representation of corporate social responsibility allows the company to serve the local and global community very well. It also benefits the corporation as a whole, forcing the company to balance their moral and ethical obligations to not only their but employees but also the consumers.
Large franchise's and businesses like McDonald's need to take the necessary steps to the CSR expected of them. When companies dismiss their responsibility, they often run into issues. The best way for a company to be successful is for it to portray itself as a caring, humane, and value human welfare. It is interesting to see what McDonald's has done to give back to the community. I wonder if Burger King and Wendy's have tried to match or exceed McDonalds when it comes to CSR.
ReplyDeleteI find it most relevant that McDonald's emphasizes respect for its employees. Many companies don't realize that their success strongly relies on their employees' satisfaction with their jobs.
ReplyDeleteWhat with McDonald's being involved in propaganda throughout the years, it's great to find out that it takes CSR so seriously. I find that it is quite respectable that such a huge and now worldwide business values helping the community as well as showing concern for the well-being of children. Not only does this make for a better world, but it makes McDonald's a far more respectable corporation.