Company Q Corporate Social Responsibility

The 21st century has proven to be an interesting period for businesses. With the invention of social media and the availability of information on-demand through the internet and mobile devices, businesses are constantly facing scrutiny from the public eye in regards to how they conduct themselves. Gone are the days of the 90’s when a business didn’t have to place much emphasis on their ethical responsibilities. Today however, a business must be very precise and careful in how it operates. Whether it be which political party they support, or their stance on same-sex marriage, a business must be very careful to stay within the boundaries of acceptable behavior. Consumers and media alike are paying much more attention to how a business reacts
First, Company Q should have performed a thorough evaluation to find the root cause of the consistent loss of profits in the 2 stores they closed in higher crime-rate areas. They would have likely found that the products that they were offering in all stores simply did not sell well in all of the stores due to the varying demographics. Catering product offerings is vital to ensure sustainability and growth. If Company Q offered organic vegetables and cage free eggs in an area that is typically classified as lower income, they would probably have a hard time selling those products. However, if Company Q stocked low-cost food items and affordable goods that were catered towards the demographic of their customer, they would probably turn a profit. Diversification across Company Q’s various stores will definitely take more effort, but the outcome could relate to more jobs for their employees, more customers, and more growth for the
Company Q’s refusal to donate products to the food bank due to potential theft brings light to an even larger problem. A good fraud, waste, and abuse program is an important foundation in any company’s ethical code of conduct. If a small team of company employees was created, they would be able to find the instances in which there may be fraud or abuse with food bank donations. It’s absolutely irresponsible to throw items away that could go to needy due to a fear of theft by internal employees. Food banks rely on donations from grocery stores to help feed the less fortunate. Other grocery stores participate in this practice and have obviously found a way to donate successfully without theft, and with some thoughtful controls put in place, Company Q could do the