June 21, 2013
ETH/316
An organization’s sense of social responsibility should be above the standard ethical and legal practices. Social responsibility extends to the company’s local and global communities. Companies that have social responsibilities takes into consideration those stakeholders who do not have a formal relationship with the company. Informal stakeholders include the residents of the community, its land, and the programs provided within the community to aid in the well-being of its residents. Whole Foods Market is a national supermarket chain that offers farm grown products from communities in the United States and other countries. Whole Foods’ involvement and responsibility within its community includes striving to create an economic partnership to help the poor found in the communities they receive product from. Whole Foods is also managed on an individual store level instead of a corporate or "one size fits all" plan. Each location decides what is needed for and in the community and can customize the store to each community. The company holds community giving days or days where 5% of the days proceeds is donated to a local non-for profit or educational organization. Team members also volunteer time to different causes within the community of each location. The “Whole Foods Market” (2013) website states " Through innovative assistance for entrepreneurship — including direct micro-credit loans and tangible support for other community partnership projects — we seek to unleash the energy and creativity of every human being we work with in order to create wealth and prosperity in emerging economies" (Whole Planet Foundation). The company’s social responsibility is influenced by the need to offer healthier product for its customers while maintaining the well-being of those communities that provide the healthy foods. If the farming communities residents
References: Whole Foods Market. (2013). Retrieved from http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/mission-values/caring- communities/community-giving Whole Foods Market. (2013). Retrieved from http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/mission-values/caring- communities/core-values