Management Question

‫المملكة العربية السعودية‬
‫وزارة التعليم‬
‫الجامعة السعودية اإللكترونية‬
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
Ministry of Education
Saudi Electronic University
College of Administrative and Financial Sciences
Assignment 1
Introduction to International Business (MGT 321)
Due Date: 05/10/2024 @ 23:59
Course Name: Introduction to International
Business
Course Code: MGT321
Student’s Name:
Semester: First
CRN: 16496
Student’s ID Number:
Academic Year:2024-25-1st
For Instructor’s Use only
Instructor’s Name: Dr. Swapnali Baruah
Students’ Grade:
Marks Obtained/Out of 10
Level of Marks: High/Middle/Low
General Instructions – PLEASE READ THEM CAREFULLY
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The Assignment must be submitted on Blackboard (WORD format only) via allocated
folder.
Assignments submitted through email will not be accepted.
Students are advised to make their work clear and well presented, marks may be reduced
for poor presentation. This includes filling your information on the cover page.
Students must mention question number clearly in their answer.
Late submission will NOT be accepted.
Avoid plagiarism, the work should be in your own words, copying from students or other
resources without proper referencing will result in ZERO marks. No exceptions.
All answered must be typed using Times New Roman (size 12, double-spaced) font. No
pictures containing text will be accepted and will be considered plagiarism).
Submissions without this cover page will NOT be accepted.
Learning Outcomes:
Knowledge:
1.3 Explain the forces driving and evaluating the impact of globalization.
Skills:
2.2 Identify the major components of international business management.
Values:
3.1 Carry out effective self-evaluation through discussing economic systems in the
international business context.
Case study
Please read Case 5: “Woolworths’ Corporate Responsibility Strategy” available in your
e-book (International business: Competing in the global marketplace (13th ed.), at page
no.632, and answer the following questions:
Assignment Question(s):
1. What challenges do you think a company like Woolworths Group is facing when
developing and implementing a companywide corporate social responsibility
strategy that considers more than 205,000 employees, diverse interests, and
stakeholders? Discuss.
(Minimum words: 400, Mark:2)
2. Woolworths Group is trying to reduce its carbon emissions or footprint by 10
percent. Based on where we are as a world, is 10 percent enough of a reduction?
Perhaps global warming is not real, albeit the vast majority of scientists clearly
suggest it is; what do you think? Give logic in support of your answer.
(Minimum words: 600, Mark:6)
3. Woolworths’ targets are to achieve a top quartile ranking in how the business
engages fairly and equitably with its suppliers. How do supplier relationships and
the fairness in dealing with suppliers relate to sustainability and “doing good” for
society (and the company)? Explain.
(Minimum words: 400, Mark:2)
Important Notes:
• This is an individual assignment.
• All references must be cited using APA format. This includes both in-text
citations and the reference list at the end of the document.
• Originality, Similarity and Plagiarism Check: Your work must be original. All
papers will be submitted through SafeAssign software to check for similarity and
plagiarism. Any instance of academic dishonesty will result in a grade of zero for
the assignment. No exceptions and no second chances!
Answers
1. Answer2. Answer3. Answer-
632
Part 7
Cases
Woolworths’ Corporate Responsibility Strategy
The Woolworths Group (woolworthsgroup.com.au) is
an Australian conglomerate founded in 1924. The
company’s headquarters is in Bella Vista in New South
Wales, a southeastern Australian state. Colloquially known
as “Woolies” there, the company has extensive retail interests in the Oceania region, particularly in Australia and
New Zealand, but it also has a substantial foothold in
India. The Woolworths Group consists of three core businesses (Woolworths Food Group, Endeavour Drinks, and
Portfolio Businesses), which altogether employ more
than 205,000 people, and have a combined revenue of
about $46 billion USD. Woolworths has 13 subsidiaries
across the three businesses.
Integrating these 13 subsidiaries into a corporate social
responsibility program is a challenge for a company with
so many employees and diverse interests. To accomplish
its objective, Woolworths Group’s Corporate Responsibility Strategy identifies 20 corporate responsibility and
sustainability goals. These goals cover a broad range of
Woolworths’ stakeholders (e.g., customers, team members,
suppliers, and local communities in which Woolworths
operates). In particular, the indirect employees—in various
supply chain partners—create a challenge when
Woolworths designs and implements CSR initiatives.
Woolworths’ Corporate Responsibility Strategy is based
on a framework of People, Planet, and Prosperity. Here,
we will take a look at these “three P” areas, where
Woolworths thinks it can make a difference.
The primary focus on People in Woolworths’ CSR
approach is about encouraging diversity: “We value diversity across Woolworths. Our customers should see in
Woolworths’ people a reflection of themselves and their
communities. In this strategy we embrace targets that support diversity and, hand in hand with this aim, tolerance
and respect.” The target goals include striving for gender
equity by targeting at least 40 percent of executive and senior manager positions to be held by women. Woolworths
is also setting a goal of no salary wage gap between male
and female employees of equivalent positions at all levels
of the company. And being rooted in Australian business,
the company is embracing diversity by increasing the number of indigenous employees so it is in line with the company’s stated commitments under the Australian Federal
Government’s Employment Parity Initiative.
The focus on the Planet in Woolworths’ CSR approach
is innovating: “We recognize the environmental impact
we have across our value chain and will work with our
suppliers, service providers and operations to innovate
for a healthy planet. We will move to a circular economy,
source environmentally sustainable commodities and
respond to climate change.” Woolworths is working
toward zero food waste going to landfills. According to
the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 20 percent of
Shutterstock/haireena
what goes into municipal landfills is food. Woolworths is
also trying to reduce its carbon emissions by 10 percent.
Many of our daily activities (e.g., using electricity, driving
a car, or disposing of waste) cause greenhouse gas emissions. A carbon footprint is defined as the set of greenhouse gas emissions caused by an individual, event,
organization, or product, and it is expressed as a carbon
dioxide equivalent. Emissions trap heat in the atmosphere, which according to most scientists contributes to
disruptive climate change.
The focus on Prosperity in Woolworths’ CSR approach
is founded on trusted relationships: “We will focus on
positive relationships with suppliers, give back to the
communities in which we operate, and rebuild trust with
our customers.”1 Woolworths’ targets are to achieve a
top quartile ranking in how the business engages fairly
and equitably with its suppliers, as measured by independent supplier surveys. Inspiration is also built into prosperity in the form of the company implementing
activities to inspire customers to consume all of
Woolworths’ products in a healthy, sustainable way. The
most transparent Prosperity initiative, though, is to
invest the equivalent of 1 percent of total earnings in
community partnerships and programs.
Woolworths’ People-Planet-Prosperity strategies
drive how the company does business. The strategies
outline that Woolworths is committed to hard work and
that its integrity is resolute. The foundation is a downto-earth culture with family friendly values. Every
aspect of Woolworths’ business exists for the purpose
of making customers’ lives simpler, easier, and better.
Underpinning Woolworths’ operations is a working
relationship built on mutual trust with suppliers. More
than 80 percent of the company’s suppliers have been
strategic partners with Woolworths for a decade or
longer.
1
”Woolworths Group’s Corporate Responsibility Strategy 2020.”
Woolworths Group, 2020.
186036_woolworths-group-corporate-responsibility-strategy-2020.pdf.
Cases
Sources
Dimitri Sotiropoulos, “Woolworths Sets Sights on Sustainability,” Inside Retail (Australia), February 14, 2017; Justin Smith,
“How Woolworths Is Building Resilience in Its Food Supply
Chain,” Sustainable Brands, April 11, 2016; Jason LaChappelle,
“Woolworths Sees Benefits of Working with Sustainability
Standards,” Iseal Alliance, September 19, 2014; “Woolworths
Group’s Corporate Responsibility Strategy 2020,” https://
woolworthsgroup.com.au/page/community-and-responsibility/
group-responsibility.
Case Discussion Questions
1.
What challenges do you think a company like
Woolworths Group is facing when developing
and implementing a companywide corporate
social responsibility strategy that considers
more than 205,000 employees, diverse interests,
and stakeholders?
633
2. As mentioned, the focus on People is about encouraging diversity. The idea is to increase the number of
indigenous employees so as to be in line with the
company’s stated commitments under the Australian
Federal Government’s Employment Parity Initiative.
Does such a diversity approach enhance the
company’s sustainability strategy, or no? How?
3. Woolworths Group is trying to reduce its carbon
emissions or footprint by 10 percent. Based on
where we are as a world, is 10 percent enough of a
reduction? Perhaps global warming is not real, albeit
the vast majority of scientists clearly suggest it is;
what do you think?
4. Woolworths’ targets are to achieve a top quartile
ranking in how the business engages fairly and
equitably with its suppliers. How do supplier
relationships and the fairness in dealing with
suppliers relate to sustainability and “doing good”
for society (and the company)?

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