Company Q Social Responsibility

Part A. Evaluate Company Q’s current attitude toward social responsibility. Social responsibility in business is very important because it goes hand in hand with creating shareholder wealth. A business should strive to increase their positive effects on society and decrease their negative. In the case study we were given we were asked to examine Company Q’s relationship with social responsibility. Company Q is a small local grocery store located in a metropolitan area. After careful review of Company Q it is very evident that their social responsibility is poor and needs improvement. Recently they closed a few stores in higher crime areas blaming the closures on the stores consistently losing money. Company Q has finally begun to offer

It appears that Company Q did not do enough to try to save these stores from closure. They should have put some research into why these stores were losing money and performing poorly. It does raise a question that since they were in high crime areas Company Q could have made the decision to close more on the area and safety to their employees then thinking about the good of the community. Company Q needs to re-evaluate the closing of these stores and reconsider reopening for the good of the company. Putting safety percausions in for example security guards in stores or cameras in will help management, employees and the customers feel safe. The cost of adding these to the stores could be recaptured by customers feeling better that Company Q cares about their community and hence the customers will start to come back to the store and revenue will go

Nothing says this more than the management’s views on charitable donations. As of now management has made the decision to throw out the out dated food instead of donating it to the community food bank. This sends a message to the community that Company Q does not really care about its people. Company Q can easily change the way they are perceived by the community by setting a plan in place for the donation of food that will be thrown away. To make management feel more comfortable from theft by their employees Company Q can put in place a process that the food bank picks up daily the food that is expired from the store. Management can put the General Manager of the store in control of deciding which food is expired and ready to be donated and then coordinate directly with the food bank to ensure that all the food that is ready to be donated is secure and going only to the charity. This is a really easy positive change that can enhance the way the store is viewed