Not in my jurisdiction!

Recently at work, as we get busier and busier, we are asking our team members to complete certain tasks. With a few employees, there has been some pushback, claiming that "that's not part of their job." Granted, they may not have always performed these certain tasks, but guess what - it's the fourth quarter and we are busy, so everyone needs to help out everywhere!

I think when working in a team setting, everyone needs to be willing to help out wherever and whenever needed, especially when its crunch time. I have certainly helped out my peers and taken on additional responsibilities that are not necessarily part of my everyday routines. I think being able to help out not only helps you build great relationships with your team, but also shows your supervisors that you are a team player. Unfortunatley, there are times when you are helping out others and then unable to finish your own job and check everything off the to-do list. I think as long as you are doing what is best for the total store, then you are making the right decision.

Salary Negotiation

After my last blog post, I decided to do some more research on salary negotiation. I joined Target right out of undergrad and accepted their salary offer point blank, with no negotiation. After watching several youtube videos I decided this video was most beneficial!

Here are some tips from the video:

1. Don't bring up salary too soon! Wait until they are completley interested in you and let the employer ask about salary first.

2. Don't reveal your bottom number

3. Do your homework - know what comparable region and national salaries are.

4. Do take time to think. After the employer makes an offer, repeat the number and go home to think about it.

5. Be able to explain why you are asking for more, and how you will be able to benefit their company.

Most importantly - DO negotiate! 80% of recruiters expect candidates to negotiate, but only 30% actually do, that number is even less for women. The least you can do is ask, otherwise you could be leaving money on the table.

Women and salary negotiating

After a discussion at work today, I was prompted to do a little research about negotiating salary and came across the article " Salary, Gender, and the Social Cost of Haggling" written for the Washington Post.

Overall, the article explained how women are less likely to negotiate a higher initial salary, as well as raises throughout their career. A Professor at CMU ran several experiments with volunteers and found that men were much more likely in all experiments to ask for money.

They also researched the percentage of graduate students accepting job offers and found that four times as many men as women attempted to negotiate for a higher starting salary. While the difference may only be a few thousand, over a career this small difference can result in several hundred thousand.

But why don't women just negotiate for more? Bowles, the professor at CMU, ran several experiments to find out. One of the most interesting findings is that men were less willing to work with women who attempted to negotiate salaries than with women who just accepted the offer.

As a manager, would you look at potential employees, male or female, differently if they attempted to negotiate their salary?

Abstract - Work Life Balance

For the first time in history there are four distinct generations of workers in the workplace. Each of these generations has different perceptions of work-life balance based on the era they grew up in. Work-life balance varies across generations and companies who want to attract young talented new members of Generation Y need to re-evaluate their stance on work-life balance in the workplace. Work-life balance programs can be used as a competitive advantage to attract and retain quality employees. With work-life balance programs affecting everything in the company from morale to absenteeism to recruitment and everything in between, it is important that companies take a closer look at their employees and make sure that they are offering programs beneficial to their workforce.

As companies compete for talent in the workforce, they cannot ignore the needs and wants of GenX and GenY. These generations have different attitudes and desires and reshaping the work environment. Additionally, workplace dynamics are changing as the number of women in the workforce has more than doubled since 1970. More women in the workplace has led to the need for more work-life benefits as less women are staying at home to take care of their children. Some popular work-life benefits include dependent care, maternity and paternity leave, and flexible work schedules such as telecommuting.

Looking for someone like YOU

So, tomorrow is the Target Information Session for Kutztown. After a fairly successful afternoon at the career fair last week, we are hoping for a decent turnout at the info session. At the info session, you can learn all about the exciting opportunities that Target has for Executive Team Leader and Intern positions.

Voted one of the top companies to start your career with, Target offers leadership opportunities that will greatly change your impressions of working in retail. While it is true that once in a while I ring register, or stock items on the shelves, the majority of my time is focusing on activities that improve my strengths and opportunities. I have grown so much in the last 18 months as leader and learned many invaluable lessons about myself and my leadership skills.

Use your business, leadership and people skills to inspire exceptional performance. Maximize sales and profits for your Target store. Ensure great guest service and team member satisfaction. Create a fast-paced, energetic environment that delivers a consistent Target brand experience for team members and guests.

Still reading? Sound like something you or someone you know is interested in?

Check us out at the Target Info Session on Wednesday Oct 27th at 5pm in 100 DeFrancesco Hall.

Tell your friends, hope to see you there!

Find more info on Target.Com/Careers

Problem Performers

Last week I met with a few member of upper management to discuss things that I am working on in the store and figure out what I can do better to help develop me into a store manager. After some great collaboration and a few "aha" moments, I realized one of my opportunities is dealing with problem performers.

As many managers do, the majority of my job is developing my team. But what happens when someone doesn't want to be developed? What happens when someone does not follow through when you ask them to complete a task or has poor attendance? Well, in the past I have distanced myself from that problem performer, held them accountable for their actions, and worked through the corrective action and termination process.

But through my discussions with other managers, I realized that I need to continue to treat problem performers, at least on the surface, the same that I treat everyone else. We should be able to go behind closed doors and have a serious conversation about their work performance and then maintain friendly professionalism in front of others.

Although I feel like this could be a challenge for me, as I lose respect for problem performers, it is something that I am working on. Check out this article about 8 rules for dealing with problem performers. As managers in the workplace, this is some great info for when you inevitably will have to terminate someone.

Telecommuting

Just read a pretty interesting article about flexible work arrangements and one quote really popped out to me.

Also driving companies to offer more flexibility is the fact that more women are managers. Companies with more women in top leadership are more likely to provide such options as traditional flextime, daily flextime, a gradual return to workafter childbirth and regular work-at-home options, Galinsky says. Her group found that fully 82 percent of companies with large numbers of female executives offer flexible work hours, compared with 56 percent in companies without many women in top positions. Moreover, the more female executives a company has, the more likely the firm is to provide on- or near-site child care, dependent-care assistance plans and elder-care resource and referral programs, the report found.

It seems like as more and more women are breaking through the "glass ceiling" they are changing the workplace environment as they do it. Does a woman's softer, more emotional side lead them to offering more flexible workplace opportuntites? Do women see the importance of a work-life balance more than their men counterparts? While this logic does seem to make sense, it sounds like a lot of stereotyping is going on here. All I can say is - watch out for the women of Generation Y -it's going to be a whole new playing field.

Generation Y Work Life Balance Concerns

Just read an interesting article in USA Today by Sharon Jayson addressing the work life balance concerns of Generation Y and how companies are slowly adjusting to up and coming concern. Jayson points out that Generation Y workers have a vastly different attitude than those of past generations. Workers born since the early 1980's, which we have identified as Millenials, Generation Y or Echo Boomers, crave a more collaborative workplace environment and fear boredom.

As this generation hops from job to job, how can companies retain talented workers? How can companies get Generation Y employees to move up into management positions left vacant by retiring Baby Boomers instead of moving out to a new company?

Jayson notes that big firms like Pricewaterhous Coppers and Deloitte and Touche have revamped their recruiting and retention programs to address work life balance concerns and appeal to Generation Y.

But I wonder is that enough? It's one thing for a company to say they promote work life balance but do they follow through? It's great for a company to offer gym discounts and tuition reimbursement, but does it make up for the fact they expect you to work 70+ hours a week? Do they offer 4 day work weeks, but not for management level positions?

Be wary of "false advertisements" in company recruting and marketing materials. Do you research and get the real scoop of a year in the life of an employee at that job before you sign on the dotted line.

Old enough to be my grandpa!

Our discussion last week made me think about the many, many different types of people that I mange at work. I am directly responsible for 16 and 17 year old kids in high school, single moms, mentally disabled baby boomers, and cashiers old enough to be my grandfather!

Having such a variety of team members to lead can post a wide array of problems. How do you communicate to so many different audiences? How do you tailor your message differently? What about holding people accountable? If your 21 year old cart attendant calls out because he is "sick", yet you hear rumors about a party last night, do you write him up for attendance? What about if your 35 year old single mom cashier calls out because her son is sick, do you write her up too? Do you have to maintain consistency across the board or can you make exceptions?

What about motivating yout team? We learned about the various ways that employees are motivated in the workplace based on their generations. Check out this generational differences chart to learn alot of interesting facts about the attributes of different generations.

Can youtube lead to termination?

An interesting situation occurred at work recently. A few employees approached me and my fellow managers about a video that had been posted on youtube. Essentially, it involved a backroom employee who used their cell phone to videotape some shenanigans they did while at work.

If these incidents had been witnessed by a manager it would be cause for immediate termination. However the dilemma lies in the fact that no one personally witnessed these acts. It is clear that the employee involved videotaped these acts while at work and they are against company policy.

Can we use social media like youtube, facebook or twitter to coach and/or terminate employees?

What Gen Y Really Wants - Time

Just read a great article about what motivates generation Y, namely the 20-somethings in the workforce. With the increased availability of technology Generation Y has constant access to work. This is much different than the Baby Boomers who maintain a work-life balance by seperating work and family. Generation Y has to work harder to find the right blend of work and life. The lines between work and home don't really exist.

If employers want to recruit, maintain and motivate Generation Y they need to think creatively about promoting a work-life balance. This generation is more willing to check their pda's and email at home and on the weekends if they have flexibility during the week. Many also have a high achievement orientation which makes telecommuting and working from home a great option.

Understanding Generation Y is important for managers at all levels because one day soon, Generation Y will be the bosses.

Balance: The New Workplace Perk

I read some interesting points in this article. According to a recent survey by the Association of Executive Search Consultants, 85% of recruiters have seen candidates reject a job offer because it wouldn't include enough work-life balance. And 90% of recruiters say work-life balance considerations are more important now than they were five years ago.

As baby boomers think about retiring, positions are opening up for the net generation. Soon, it will be become a candiate's market. And now, many candidates are thinking about more than just salary. The net generation wants a work life balance and an employer who is willing to support that. We want 4 day work weeks and options for telecommuting and working from home.

The article also mentions some very creative ways that companies are incorporating a work-life balance into the mix. Google for instance offers laundry, car washes, mandatory fun breaks, free vacations, an amazing cafeteria and much much more for their employees. Check out their video here.

If you are planning on moving to another company after you finish your MBA, will you demand a work-life balance? Will you expect 4 day work weeks and options for working at home?

Net generation

How does the net generation approach work?

Check out the article The Net Generation is the Smartest Generation, written based on an interview with Don Tapscott.

As a generation with the internet constantly attached to our hands, we approach work differently than our parents do. Growing up digital means that we are used to multitasking, to having information overload and to be more proactive to finding answers, rather than waiting around for someone wiser to give it to us.

In the article, Choudhury states:

"Digital natives are no longer satisfied with the old corporate model of recruiting, training, supervising and retaining. Companies should adopt a new model in retaining them that is, initiate, engage, collaborate and evolve."

The net generation approaches work wanting immediate feedback, stronger work relationships, better challenges and opportunities, and more of a work-life balance. This means companies should alter their management styles.

The net generation has a lot to offer. Companies that change their management styles to adapt to this are the ones that will come out on top. How should companies accomplish this? Companies should allow the net generation to utilize wikis, blogs, facebook and youtube to harness their creativity and innovation. Companies should allow employees to work part time from home, and to encourage teleconfrencing and collaboration.

What other ways can companies embrace the net generation?

Work - Life Balance

A few months ago my friend was leaving for the day, about 2 hours late, and getting ready to head home. She popped her head in to her boss's office to say good-bye and he said, "what, leaving already?" To that she responded, "yep, it's been a long day, it's all about work-life balance." He replied, "are you sure it's not LIFE-work balance?" in a bit of a sarcastic tone. He said, "If you want to make senior (tax accountant), sometimes you need to put your career first."

Once home, she decided to tell her mom about the situation. Her mom replied, "you need to put your family and friends and yourself first or you'll never be happy.

Hearing the conflicting advice between two important people in life is confusing. Now, I don't have children yet, as I am certain that brings a whole new ball into this juggling act. How do you prioritize your goals in life? Is it more important to work hard, especially for those with a high achievement orientation, to get that promotion, or to work just hard enough to get your paycheck and spend time with your friends and family?

Find out if you are considered a workaholic by taking this quiz.

You Own Your Own Development

In response to some of the comments posted, I have some follow up answers. I began my journey with Target in the summer of 2007 with an internship at a store in Pittsburgh. The internship was essentially a 12 week long interview which turned out really well and led to an advanced internship during the fall of 2008. During my last semester at Pitt I did another internship at a different store in Pittsburgh and also acted as the Campus Liason for Target and Pitt and participated in many recruitent activities. Upon graduation in December I started my 6 week "business college" training and asked about any potential opportunties in the Lehigh Valley where Matt and my families were. I spent about a year at Stroudsburg as the ETL-Guest Experience, and was then transferred to Quakertown this past April.

You own your own development. That's a phrase you will commonly hear at Target. If you have the ambition and drive to get to the next level, Target will help get you there. It's most common to stay within your own store when moving from a team member to specialist to team lead position. When moving from a team lead to a salaried executive position it's usually best to move to a near store. The great thing about Target is the that there are so many stores in the district you have many opportunties for development and promotion without having to move to a new state. There are so many tools and resources to help you own your own development. Every month you re-evaluate your accomplishments from the month before and address your areas of opportunties. You choose new challenges to work on problem areas in your workcenter, the store, or your team and choose activities that will address these problems and continue to develop your leadership by focusing on your own personal strengths and opportunities.

I am excited that I am working on my own development while addressing challenges at the Quakertown store. I am also stretching my leadership by assuming new captainships and responsibilities like inventory captain and recruiting captain. I hope to have my own store by this time next year!

Expect More. Pay Less

Hi everyone!

My name is Jessica. This is my 4th semester in the Kutztown MBA program. I graduated from the University of Pittsburgh in 2008 with a BSBA in Finance and Marketing, a minor in economics and an International Business Certificate. I got married this past summer to my amazing husband Matt!

While at Pitt I studied abroad in China and interned at Fedex and at Target. I started with Target full time after graduation. I currently work as an Executive team Leader, much like as assistant manager. I also happen to be the recruiting captain for Kutztown. If anyone is interested in learning more about a career at Target please let me know. You can also check out our website. We are holding mock interviews on campus the last week in september, as well as an internship fair on October 20th and an information session on October 27th. Come and check us out!

Abstract: Corporate Social Responsibility: The New Competitive Advantage

One of the major challenges that managers face today in order to be competitive is the growing demand for corporate social responsibility. Most businesses compete on efficiency, price, or the level of quality or service as their competitive advantage. The purpose of this paper is to show that managers can think strategically and utilize corporate social responsibility (CSR) as a new source of competitive advantage to ensure long-term business competitiveness and success.

There are many aspects to CSR that managers can act on to gain a competitive advantage. The most common being philanthropic and environmental sustainability will be developed further in this paper. However there are several other aspects to CSR including a commitment to diversity, business ethics, legal, and economic. These components of CSR are necessary for companies to build a positive reputation and will help managers realize several benefits including better access to human and intellectual capital with diversity in the workplace, better access to financial capital and a corporate identity that others trust by building ethics into the corporate culture, and increased shareholder value and increased revenue by maximizing shareholder wealth with economic CSR. These benefits, as well as others such as strategic branding and operational efficiency can be achieved through philanthropic and environmental CSR.

Another form of philanthropic CSR that can yield a competitive advantage is cause related marketing. Cause related marketing is a form of marketing which partners a corporation with a non-profit for a mutual benefit relationship. There are several corporations and non-profits that have utilized cause related marketing such as Yoplait and Susan G. Komen, Mariott and March of Dimes, and of course the largest cause related marketing program Product Red with companies such as Motorola, Apple and the Gap. Environmental sustainability is the final major portion of CSR that managers can utilize to create a competitive advantage. Managers in business, government, and non-profit organizations need to understand how their business affects the environment and how to balance the needs of maximizing profit with those of the environment.

In conclusion, the term corporate social responsibility involves many aspects of business and is defined different ways by different people. Simply, it’s how a business decides to do what they think is right. It may be what’s right for society, by having a diverse workforce that allows their business to capitalize on the potential human and intellectual capital that’s available. It may be what the business feels is ethically and legally right. They may express their decisions in a code of conduct that all employees are expected to work by. When many hear the term ‘corporate social responsibility’ they immediately think of companies donating large amounts of their profits to various philanthropies, a way of sharing the wealth. While this may be true in some cases, businesses don’t need to just donate large sums at random. In fact, they can donate to their advantage by effectively marketing their donations, choosing a few causes to get more involved in, or sharing in the profits through cause-related marketing. A growing trend for businesses today is becoming environmentally sustainable as a form of doing the right thing.

Marketing the New Green

Just read an interesting article: "MARKETING THE NEW GREEN: Companies should be rightfully proud of their environmental improvements. So why can't they market those achievements without seeming mercenary?" by Jessica Tsai.

Some major points from the article:

-The reality is that, among existing companies, green processes are usually just a byproduct of cost-saving or efficiency- improving projects.

-In 2008, Acutate began seriously considering ‘going green’ and put Seema Haiiji, senior product marketing manager in charge of the initiative. Haiiji developed the Acutate Sustainabllity Management report, which includes interactive dashboards, sustainability scorecards, and strategy maps to help companies measure overall employee satisfaction, environ- mental impact, access to training and education, and community engagement

Top 6 trends in going green:

• o Integrating green initiatives into every aspect of the organization
• o Using ecolabels and ecologos on products or marketing materials
• o Engaging customers in green marketing
• o Adopting a lifecycle approach
• o Shifting to the online space
• o Asking and respecting customer choices and preferences

Many companies realize that going green is not only emerging as a huge competitive advantage but as a way to cut energy costs and improve brand image. Managers in business, government, and non-profit organizations need to understand how their business affects the environment and how to balance the needs of maximizing profit with those of the environment. The trend of going green is becoming very popular as businesses begin making improvements as little as adding recycling bins and changing window shades to major changes in the ways they do their business. Some businesses will take advantage of this trend and promote their efforts dubiously through green washing. However, with resources available on the Internet, consumers are privy to immense amounts of information and cannot be fooled as easily as before.

Marketing the New Green

Scoop it Forward

Recently Target and Ben and Jerry's partnered together to launch a new volunteering initiative. You can check out this website to find somewhere in your community to volunteer. Then receive a coupon to get your FREE ice cream at your local Target. Ben and Jerry's has 2 target exclusive flavors, cleverly named "Brownie Chew Gooder" and "Berry Voluntary."

This is a great partnership between Target and Ben and Jerry's. This initiative flows nicely with both company's mission statements and CSR activities. It seems like a win-win collaboration for both companies. The coupons help to get customers (or guests as we call them) into the store where they end up purchasing even more stuff. Both companies build a better brand image and market the fact that they are involved in the community.

I scream you scream we all scream for ice cream!

Diversity in the workplace

Companies that are able to develop diversity programs can create a competitive advantage by capitalizing on human capital. According to the “Top 50 Companies for Diversity” list by Diversityinc, Verizon, Consolidated Edison CO. of NY, the Coca-Cola Co., Health Care Service Corp and HBO are the top 5 companies for Diversity (Diversityinc). Diversityinc developed their list by asking questions on diversity training, employee-resource groups, mentoring, and multicultural marketing. DiversityInc, researched women- and minority-owned businesses and assessed the CEO’s direct involvement in diversity initiatives. Most companies have developed diversity programs as a part of their overall CSR strategy. For example,

· CIGNA strives to create and support an environment that attracts and retains the most talented, ethical, well-trained, mutually supportive and diverse people. An ethnically and culturally diverse workforce mirrors our customer base, and is important to increasing profitability and building shareholder value in the company.

· At Dupont, More than half of DuPont's new hires for professional and management positions are minorities and women.

· Microsoft has programs in place to acquire talent from the African American community. Those programs include efforts with national organizations, historically black colleges & universities (HBCUs) and those with high African American enrollment, advertising in ethnic media and via Pathways, a newsletter targeted to professionals from diverse cultural backgrounds.

· At Walt Disney, fostering a best place to work environment, attracting top diverse applicants, having minorities and females well represented in key positions and providing more opportunities for flexibility in the workplace are part of the company's employment-related diversity initiatives.

How does your company promote diversity in the workplace?

CSR as a Competitive Advatage

Most companies compete on the basis of price or the level of quality or service as their source of competitive advantage. Could your business create an even better competitive advantage by building a positive CSR?

Today's consumer expects some level of CSR, but you could your business act on potential social, economic, or environmental advantages that can help your bottom line? Not only is CSR better for the community, but the business reaps the benefits as well. Depending on the form, your CSR involvement could build a better brand image, increase revenues through cause-related marketing, and create shareholder value. Going green can help to increase efficiency through environment conservation and recycling initiatives. Plus, having a positive CSR reputation can help you attract better employees, make it easier to get financial capital, and help maintain and attract consumers as they become more aware of your CSR efforts.

Has your company utilized this form of competitive advantage? If not, why? What do you think the drawbacks are?

Cause Related Marketing and Product RED

I recently read the article "Bono's Product (RED) Initiative: corporate social responsibility that solves the problems of 'distant others" and learned about one form of CSR, cause related marketing.

Here are some key points from that article:

• The Product (RED)TM initiative was launched by Bono at Davos in 2006. Product RED is ‘a brand created to raise awareness and money for The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria by teaming up with iconic brands to produce RED-branded products’.
• Consumers can help by shopping at American Express, Apple, Converse, Gap, Emporio Armani, Hallmark and Motorola, where a portion of the proceeds go to the Global Fund
• CSR has developed over the last few decades ranging from Corporate Philanthropy initiated by Andrew Carnegie and John Rockafeller who donated millions to charitable causes to focusing on issues during the 1960’s relating to labor practices and employee and product safety. After the emergence of sweatshops in the 1980’s and 90’s many corporations began to include Social Responsibility as a part of their overall strategic plans and codes of conducts.
• Recently, we have seen the emergence of cause-related marketing in which the marketing of a brand, company, product or service is tied directly to a social cause, most often with a proportion of the sales going to support the cause.
• The RED initiative was formally launched at the World Economic Forum in Davos in early 2006, with several other companies joining over the next few years. These companies offer a variety of products and services at a range of prices with proceeds donated to Product Red.
• Benefits of cause related marketing with Product Red range from increase of sales of Product RED items, to building a better brand image.

Cause related marketing is a form of marketing which partners a corporation with a non-profit for a mutual benefit relationship. There are several corporations and non-profits that have utilized cause related marketing such as Yoplait and Susan G. Komen, Mariott and March of Dimes, and of course the largest cause related marketing program Product Red with companies such as Motorola, Apple and the Gap. Cause related marketing is a unique form of CSR in that it allows the consumer to identify with the charity in which their purchase is helping to fund. Cause related marketing is a win-win situation in that the partnership between the companies helps to build a better brand image, increase sales and help the non-profit. When consumers are making purchase decisions they expect the corporations to do more than just make a profit, they expect them to improve the well being of others; whether it is in the local community or within the global environment. With the success of Product RED, it is likely that many more companies will try their hand at cause related marketing as a form of their Corporate Social Responsibility in the near future.

While doing some research, I came across this scholarly journal article. Why Green Companies Should Go Clear Instead written by Bennett, Andrew, and Greg Welch.

Here are the key points:

Key points:

• Too many companies claim to be “Green”, but what does it really mean?
• It’s more important for companies to be clear and transparent and open about their business impurities.
• Consumers want companies to contribute to society and do more than just exist to make a profit
• It’s important for more than 6 out of 10 Americans surveyed to buy from companies who have the same values.
• Clear companies of tomorrow will need open communication and constant collaboration.
• Potential changing the future of packaging, Wal-mart is developing a global index to rate and label products based on their social and environmental impact.

As many companies claim to have “green” products, it’s more important for companies to work towards becoming “clear.” Looking forward, “clear” companies of tomorrow will have well defined and communicated goals. Authors Bennett and Welch conclude that a recent survey found that 74% of consumers believe that corporations are just as responsible as the government in driving positive social change. Companies can achieve this by being “clear.”

It’s important for companies to have Corporate Social Responsibility as part of their mission statement and values. CSR can range from sustainability to community involvement to promoting diversity in the workplace. In a survey conducted by Penn, Schloen and Berland of over 1000 online consumers, 75% say that a company’s social responsibility is an important factor in determining which product to purchase. Wal-mart’s global index rating will help consumers determine which product best correlates with their own values and will create a unique opportunity for companies to differentiate themselves. Going forward, companies that are able to become clear instead of just green will have a competitive advantage over others.

Are U.S consumers willing to pay more for corporate responsibility?

In a recent survey of more than 1000 online consumers, Penn Scholen Berland asked consumers their opinions on how corporate social responsibility affects their purchasing decisons. Here are some key findings:

• 75% of consumers say that social responsibility is important when choosing a brand
• 55% of consumers say they would choose one product over another because it supports a certain cause
• Despite the recession 38% of consumers are willing to spend more on particular brands or services that are socially responsible
• 75% of consumers who read about a company's CSR through advertising or online information are more likely to purchase that product
• Fewer than 1/2 of consumers actually understand what CSR is
• Only 33% of people are aware of their employers environmental activities and only 24% are aware of their companies charitable activities
• Half of 18-24 year olds would be willing to take a pay cut to work at a more socially responsible firm

What have we learned from this survey? Most importantly, consumers are paying attention to social responsibility. This provides a unique opportunity for brands to differentiate themselves. Most consumers aren't likely to seek out the information on a company's website, so if CSR is important to your company, then advertise it!

Why CSR is so critical for brands.

It seems that consumers expect CSR to be a core focus in the culture of brands. CSR helps consumers align their personal values with that of the brands and give consumers reasons to purchase specific brands. CSR is critical for brands because it helps them to differentiate themselves among the shelves of products that are virtually identical.

If you know that a company donates part of its profits to the community or a nonprofit organization, are you more apt to purchase that product? If a brand markets that fact that they donate a portion of their sale to the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Research or Aids foundation does that make you want to purchase their product? Do the the compostable bags of Sunchips affect your purchasing decisions?

Very cool video - but the bags are so loud!

Do you buy specific products or shop at certain stores because of some aspect in their CSR?

Is CSR part of the Mission Statement?

An interesting questions came up during class discussion the other night. Is CSR part of the company's mission statement? Is that why some companies are more involved than others.

I started by further researching my own company. Yes, as I guessed giving back to the community is in Target's Mission Statement:

Our mission is to make Target the preferred shopping destination for our guests by delivering outstanding value, continuous innovation and an exceptional guest experience by consistently fulfilling our Expect More. Pay Less.^® brand promise.

To support our mission, we are guided by our commitments to great value, the community, diversity and the environment.

This made me wonder, is CSR part of other companies mission statements? First I investigated Wal-mart and discovered they don't have an official mission statement but I found this commonly used phrase: "to help people save money so they can live better." Looking into Wal-mart's CSR Report for 2009 I found that it is focused more on the sustainability of its company rather than community involvements. Wal-mart is focused more on providing low prices to low income families so they can live a better life.

Is CSR part of your company's mission statement? Can you think of any companies that greatly market the fact that they are involved in the community? Do you tend to buy their products more because of that fact?

Target - CSR

Working for Target I am aware of the many things we do to improve the community around us. However I wasn't aware of all that I found in the Target Corporate Responsibility Report 2009.

Here's what I found most interesting from the report:

Overall philosophy: Target is committed to the pursuit of profitable and sustainable growth, consistent with our unwavering dedication to the social, environmental and economic well-being of the global community in which our guests, team members and shareholders live

and work.

Social Responsibility

• Community Relations: 5% of Income ($3 million per week)
• Community giving: products, finances, volunteer hours
• TCOE (Take Charge of Education): Over $250 million donated through use of Target Redcards to help fund school fieldtrips, art programs, library makeovers, etc..
• Wellness programs, fitness discounts, etc..
• Safe City initiative: partnering with businesses, law enforcement, residents and city government to reduce crime.
• Diversity in the workforce: Inroads scholarships
• National Trust and Historic Preservation
• Target House: St. Jude's Research Hospital in Memphis, TN

Environmental Responsibility

• Retote bags
• Reducing Target's Carbon Footprint
• Energy Management System
• Recycling

Economic Responsibility

• Expect more. Pay Less.
• Corporate governance
• Corporate compliance

This is just a brief overview of the 50 page Corporate Responsibility Report that Target produces each year. How does your company feel about Corporate Responsibility?

Corporate Social Responsibility

According to Joseph Winn, President/CEO of Green Profit Solutions in his article Corporate Social Responsibility - Is it Good For Business? he defines Corporate Social Responsibility as:

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is a concept that organizations and mostly companies, have an obligation to consider the interests of customers, members, employees, shareholders, communities, and ecological considerations in all aspects of their operations. Just like the old definition of social responsibility, this obligation is seen to extend beyond their statutory obligation to comply with legislation.

CSR isn't just about a company going green, its about giving back to the community, volunteering, and promoting diversity within the workforce. As CSR moves from becoming just about a company's image towards legislation and market regulation, is your company ready? Will you be proactive in moving your company in the right direction or will you wait until you are forced with new laws and legislation?

Check out this video that gives an easy to understand definition of CSR.

How does your company define CSR? If asked by PR or by a potential employee what would your company say it is doing to help the community?

The Effects of Green Marketing

Comments from previous postings led me to do some more research on Green Marketing. Has anyone ever heard of a LOHA?

It stands for Lifestyles of Health and Sustainability. There are websites, blogs, facebook groups and a wikipedia page dedicated to LOHA's. There are several websites dedicated to LOHA consumers and how to reach them. Here's an interesting blog describing the basics of LOHA consumers and how companies can reach them .

Check out this video on the Effects of Green Marketing.

Comments

Thank you everyone for the great comments. I am having trouble figuring out how to comment on a comment!

Collette - great youtube video on greenwashing. I actually had never heard of the term greenwashing before your comments and the video. Very informative - i am intrigued to investigate further!

Going Green

It seems that every time you turn your head you find another company that has done something to "go green". Are they really doing it for the well-being of the environment and the community? Or are they doing it to improve their bottom line? Maybe they feel peer pressured by the other companies that are going green and are afraid they will lose market share by consumers choosing greener companies.

In the end, does it really matter? It seems to be a win-win for everyone involved. In fact, there are even businesses being created to market to other businesses that want to go green.

Check back next week for ways that companies are going green and how yours can do the same.