Target Corporate Social Responsibility Case Study

Target Corporate Social Responsibility

“Social responsibility is a business’ obligation to pursue policies, make decisions, and take actions that benefit society” (Williams, 2014, p.78). Not many people are aware of this but one of the leading companies that stand for Corporate Social Responsibility is leading retail store and brand Target. Target Corporation is a retail/food store that was founded February 11, 1902 by Goodfellow Dry Goods and is known today as the second largest discount retailer in the United States. Target’s sole purpose is to fulfill the needs of every single guest that comes in or interacts with Target. Target is a guest friendly retail store that values every single customer, and strives to make sure that every single

guest shopping in Target always finds what they are looking for. Target doesn’t just strive to get sales in stores but rather they focus on local community issues and just issues period in the U.S. Target was striving and the company goal was to give $1 billion dollars for education by the end of 2015. Education is one of the main issues for Target employees and guests so Target has taken it into initiative to make that one of their top priorities showing that they have corporate social responsibility as one of their key building blocks in their company.
Targets primary stakeholders are YOU the guests. Target values their loyal customers and guests and asks for their opinions on everything that they are doing from in store projects and guest service, to being out in the communities trying to help our communities with educational issues. Target conducts guests surveys so that they can get valid feedback from their guests on how they are doing as a company in regards to upholding the brand of Target by helping stakeholders with all of their needs whether it is inside of company stores or if it’s at local schools or libraries in the community.
The secondary stakeholders are peopling like me the employees of Target.
“Target allows their employees to speak on behalf of the brand and personally express what their contribution means to them.” (Mainwaring, 2014)
Target offers us as employees surveys where we can express our ideas about new things that we would like to see, express our perspective on community issues and on how we think that it can be fixed, and express our concerns with what’s going on in the community.
“By witnessing the impact of their programs on people’s lives, employees come to understand the importance of the values, quality and reputation of the company in its category and marketplace. This in turn inspires them to defend the brand to promote the company and become passionate advocates.” (Mainwaring, 2014)
Target has ongoing relationships with Non-governmental organizations, community leaders, and governmental organizations that allows them to establish the most pressing and current issues facing our communities today. Target does a number of different things to demonstrate its social responsibility to the community. Many of these things include food donations, cleaning up schools and parks, painting homes, blanket making and even participating in games and crafts with seniors and adults who have disabilities.
“Since 1946, Target has been committing more and more effort and assets toward local and environmental support for the communities in which they have stores. Over the past several years, the company’s efforts—from growing sustainable practices to educational grants—have amounted to 5 percent of its profit going to local communities. That’s $4 million each week! In the area of education alone, Target has donated more than $875 million since 2010.” (Monero)
Targets number one focus on social responsibility is education. Many team members that work for Target and other volunteers visit schools and engage in programs like “reading buddy” where employees that work for target sit and read to kids. Some of the non-governmental organizations that are secondary stakeholders for Target include the NAACP and DiversityInc, who strive to create an innovative environment through diversity. Other organizations such as FishWise and ENERGY STAR who Target partners with to create strategies on how to develop specific action plans towards sustaining better seafood strategies for better health in the community and more efficient ways on saving energy with different products. Children’s Literacy Initiative and The Heart of America foundation are both non-governmental organizations who Target also partners with to help with education in our local communities and schools.
One example of how The Heart of America Foundation affects the perception of Target as a company is the reputation that Target earns, and secondly the publicity that Target earns from the public eye for focusing on childhood education issues and other issues facing our communities.

Target knows and understands that depending upon its corporate social responsibility that plays a key role in whether or not customers and consumers will shop in Target. Negative publicity can ruin any company’s reputation and can even lead to a company going out of business. Target demonstrates ethical responsibility because by volunteering in classrooms, at local shelters, and in local communities they show to all of their customers that they are just focused on doing the right thing. The shareholders and stakeholders differ for Target. Shareholders are only people who own part of the company through stocks. Stakeholders are interested in the company for other reasons besides stock such as corporate social responsibility, ethical responsibility, and economic responsibility for not only themselves but the consumers as

well.
Cleary, Target is striving to drive corporate social responsibility through their leadership in the community.

Target is proving that they are not just a regulated retail business and that they aren’t just in it for the money, rather they are here to provide service to customers inside stores and in local communities. They do many things to help drive better education like “buddy reading” where employees read to kids and they have given away $875 million dollars since 2010 just for educational purposes in our local communities. Target also partners with NAAPC and DiversityInc who strive to create an innovative environment through diversity in the working field. Target is clearly on the right path with corporate social responsibility and is leading by example in ways to truly make this world a better place. It isn’t just about making money businesses goals shouldn’t be about making the most money at all cost but rather it should be altered to shaping and changing the lives of our youth and future generation

leaders.

References
Corporate, T. (2016). Stakeholder Engagement. A Bullseye View.
Corporation, T. (2011). Target Named One of the "World’s Most Ethical Companies". The Bullseye.
Mainwaring, S. (2014). How Target Built A Brand Story That Benefits Employees, Customers, And Community. Forbes.
Monero, C. (n.d.). Doing Their Part: 3 Excellent Examples of Corporate Social Responsibility. Line/Shape/Space.