Marks and Spencer Corporate Social Responsibility

This report discusses Marks and Spencer's CSR strategy and programs to address social and environmental issues. It covers the six main features of CSR, different national contexts, theoretical avenues and concepts, and M&S's CSR programs in operations, products, environment, employees, and society. The report concludes with recommendations for a more sustainable CSR strategy.

Marks and Spencer corporate social
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MARKS AND SPENCER CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY
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Summary
In the modern world of business, consumers do not only look for high quality when buying
products and Services. For the company to survive in this modern world of business, it needs to
take a social stand. Users will always consider a company that gives back to the society. In a
study by cone, communication revealed that 87% of consumers would buy a product from a
company that supports an issue they care. Marks and Spencer (M&S) adopted various CSR
procedures. Its products are improved with no artificial colour and no flavourings. The company
is involved in community support programs, and it is working on eliminating waste and reducing
pollution.

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Marks and Spencer corporate social responsibility
Introduction
Mark and Spencer plc (M&S) is a global multinational retailer in British with their
headquarters situated in London city. In 1984, Michael Marks and Thomas Spencer formed a
partnership and started M&S Company (Farrell 2016). Currently, M&S Company has 1,433
stores across the world where it has specialised in the selling of clothing, food products, and
home products (Marks and Spencer Group 2016). The company has employed 85,000 people in
its outlets across the globe. M&S is approved by the London Stock Exchange where their main
trade associates are Euro commerce, the Confederation of British industry, and British Retail
Consortium. It emerged to be the leading retailer in entirely three carbon trust values, waste and
water, along with certification to the ISO 50001 energy management standard in 2014 (Farrell
2016). In 2017 the corporation emerged as the top in the Confederation of British industry
retailer and ranked second greatest company overall, in the initial corporate human rights
standard (Khan 2013, pp. 12). In the year 2007, M&S launched a plan A which was targeting to
reduce pollution and eliminate wastages (M&S 2015). The company achieved most of its
commitments and engendered a yearly profit of $105million from plan A (Marks and Spencer
Group 2016). Every corporate body must protect the interest of the society as a whole. CSR
creates an expectation for every corporation to participate in societal development (Harvey
2017). This report will provide CSR strategy for M&S Company
CSR in different national contexts
There are six main features of CSR which acts as the crucial features that hold the meaning of
the concept of practising CSR activities (Belal 2016, pp. 13). They include:

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Figure1: six core characteristic of CSR (Belal 2016, pp. 15)
Voluntary
These are corporate social responsibility activities that go beyond that prescribed law.
The activities help the company to maintain and survive in the market (Hannington 2016, pp.
15). M&s has used the strategy, and it has helped the company to keep and stand in the market.
Employment is one of the problems facing the young generation; in 2016 the company launched
a program which helped 5,000 youths get employed. Together with their neighbour social
network created better connections with local charities in 2015. It introduced M&S spark card
for their customers who had nominated a charity. More than 5.6 million customers received the
cards which helped to raise a total of $24million (Farrell 2016). The company launched a

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program called forever fish, where they used cash raised up by charging for carrier bags, create a
yearly beach, channel and river clean-up days in the UK, which was run until 2015 (Wilson and
Beard 2014, pp. 99).
Managing externalities
Externalities are all activities that are carried out by an organization that has a negative or
positive consequence that is experienced by unrelated third party (Blowfield and Murray 2014,
pp.32). An externality can also be defined as the negative impact to the public that may result
from the activities of an organization. Externalities affect the rights of a shareholder which the
organization does not put into consideration during decision making. Regulation is put which
force the organisation to internalise the cost of the externality. Since the organisation will spend
a lot in setting measures and reduction of pollution to create a safe environment for the public, it
will incur a cost (Campbell and Tawadey 2016, pp. 16). Mostly CSR activity deals with
externalities to bring satisfaction to the public. M&S can manage externalities. The corporation
is maintaining carbon for M$S operated activities worldwide. M&S also ran cleaning programs
in the region (Wilson and Beard 2014, pp. 99).
.

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Figure 2: main features of CSR (Blowfield and Murray 2014, pp.35).
Multiple stakeholder orientations
During the process of delivering CSR activities, an organisation should consider a
multiple of stakeholder management. In an organisation, stakeholders include customers,
employees, suppliers, and shareholders (Blowfield 2013, pp. 18). There are three attributes
which are found during stakeholders’ orientation. It is based on their power, legitimacy of claim
and urgency. All these individuals have their roles to play in an organisation. Organizations
identify and prioritise their stakeholders through a gradual approach to set internal preparations
(Hopkins 2012, pp. 40).
Arrangement of social and economic responsibility
It involves balancing of unlike shareholders’ interests, while CSR may be about moving past
narrow focus shareholders and effectiveness (Brejning 2016, pp. 52). Some also believe it should
not, though, clash with responsibility. The organisation should not focus on profitability, but it

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should focus more on activities that need to be done with or without making a profit. The firms
should benefit economically and remain socially responsible.
Practice and values
CSR can be defined as a set of corporate practices, and policies that deal with social
problems. What corporations do in the social ground does not cause so much disagreement as the
debate about why they do it (Certo 2018, pp. 43). M&S emphases to offer CSR differently to the
individuals around the environment as CSR activity differ from one individual to another (Marks
and Spencer Group 2016).
Beyond philanthropy
Philanthropy can be defined as the intention of increasing the well-being of humanity, primarily
by charitable giving (Epstein and Buhovac 2014, pp. 9). The recent debate claims that real CSR
is just more philanthropy and public giving, but about how the whole working of the firm. The
corporate donated over $130 million to community programs (Harvey 2017). Over a period of
the past ten years, the corporation assisted over 17,000 people with different disabilities (Wilson
and Beard 2014, pp. 101)..
Table 1 Differences in CSR among large and small firms (Wilson and Beard 2014, pp. 103)
Large firms Small firms
Formalization CSR Formal, bureaucratized Informal
Main actors in CSR Shareholders, external
stakeholder
Owner-manager, employee

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Aims of CSR Build cooperate brand and
manage public legitimacy
Build trust, networks and
personal relations
Theoretical Avenue and theoretical concepts in CSR
There are three different models trying to explain the idea of CSR. In these theories each
shows how stakeholders view and define CSR activities differently. The first theory is the
classical theory: the traditional model implies that society is best served by a variety of
institutions, where each institution has its function to help (Salcines et al. 2013, pp. 74). This
model argues that the primary goal of the organisation should be economic rather than social.
The second is legitimacy model which claims that company disclosure are made as responses to
environmental aspects and to legitimize company action. The other stakeholders’ theory which
argues that’s stakeholders should be given rights with CSR activities which believe if done a
core duty it will result in the fulfilment of corporates objectives. The instrumental theory argues
that using CSR obligations as an approach will create a strong bond between the corporate and
customers (Salcines et al. 2013, pp. 76).
Table 2: CSR theories and concepts
Theories Explanation
Classical theory Argues that community is best served by a
diversity of institutions where each system has
its distinct functions. In this theory, the
primary goal of an organisation is to maximise
profit. The corporate will concentrate on the

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obligations required by stockholders whose
aim is to maximise revenue to make a gainful
profit on the money invested (Hopkins 2016,
pp. 60).
Legitimacy theory Argues that company disclosures are made as a
response to environmental aspects and to
legitimise company actions. in this theory,
business is permitted to open in the society as
long as it attends society norms (Heding et al.
2015, pp.83).
Stakeholder theory Argues that stakeholders should be given rights
with CSR activities which believe if done a
core duty it will result to fulfilment of
corporate objective. It provides all stakeholders
right to benefit from the business either
directly or indirectly (Jones et al. 2014, pp.
131).
Instrumental theory This theory argues that using CSR obligation
as an approach will create a strong bond
between the corporate and customers
(Schwartz 2017, pp. 28).
Pyramid model

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Figure 3: pyramid model (Heding et al. 2015, pp. 84).
In the pyramid, we state from economic and legal through ethical and then philanthropic
responsibility.We start with financial trust which means that business is a fundamental
commercial unit in society. It means that the market will produce those goods and services and
make a profit as a reward for the company. The law covers the second part of the pyramid. It
means that all corporates attempting to be socially responsible must obey the law. A corporate
should abide by ethical responsibilities (Williams 2013, pp.13). M&s as part of their cross
corporate activity on social rights they efficient their strategies to reveal their new M&S
international sourcing values which involved goods supplies in session and survey about social
rights and modern slavery. Philanthropic have the smallest layer of the pyramid (Salcines et al.
2013, pp. 73). It consists of the willingness of the corporate to improve the quality of living of
the stakeholders. M&S organised many community helping programs (Marks and Spencer Group
2016). It also ran plans to support the people from disadvantaged part of the city
Three domain model

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This model argues that not any of
economic, moral or lawful is of
more importance than the other. It
only depends on the nature of
company practising it.
M&S CSR strategy
M&S Company has created a perfect relationship with outside work. M&s helped 5000
unemployed young people get into action 2016 through a program it launched called make your
mark. The company also participated in charity works. They joined their neighborly public
system to help their stores build better connections with local charities. M&s also was involved
in global community program which started determined variety of projects to address public and
environmental problems in nations where they source products. The company is trying to
improve the quality of the produce for the sake of their customer to remain safe, for example, an
introduction of healthier foods. The company has participated in various community programs.
They have contributed more than $130m to the community program, and on top of that, they
facilitated to raise some more $70million (Marks and Spencer Group 2016). It comprised a
seven-year partnership with Macmillan cancer supports world’s most prominent coffee morning.
M&s has helped more than 17000 people from disadvantaged parts of the community (Marks
and Spencer Group 2016). They have organised many cleaning programs.
M&S CSR PROGRAMS

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Operations Celebrating 25th anniversary
M&S spark card
Plan A marketing
Products No artificial colours or
flavourings
Restyled clothing
Healthier foods
Products with the plan a
quality
Environment Zero net carbon emissions
Carrier bags
Reduction in UK and ROI
waste
Organizing cleaning program
Launched global community
program
Cotton, wood and leather
come from more sustainable
sources

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Employees 5000 young people got
employed
M&S employability scheme
helped 17000 people over ten
years.
Helping people from the
disadvantaged community
back to work
Training employees
Society Donating to Community
program
Help the disadvantaged part of
the community
Support 12 cities with their
spark something good
community program
Recommendations
M&s has put a lot of effort and concern to make a better CSR strategy, but still, it has not
reached a level of a more sustainable CSR strategy. Ecological responsibility, the welfare of the
consumer and recruitment and retention of employees have been not entirely enhanced in this
CSR strategy
Environmental responsibility
M&S Company has launched global community program to address social and
environmental issues in the countries where they source products (Marks and Spencer Group
2016). They also practice carbon neutral operations. They have tried hard to eliminate waste and

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reduce pollution. Since there is a lot of wastage in the environment, the corporation should take
more measures to eliminate this waste. Recycling also should be increased to remove waste
Social welfare of the consumers
M&S Company has given their customers priority (Marks and Spencer Group 2016).
Customers should be treated specially. They should be offered products of high quality at fair
prices. The company should also consider people with low income and try to manufacture
products of their level which they can afford
Recruitment and retention of employees a
The company is involved in various programs to support the community. The same
should happen to employees; those willing should be given a chance to participate in community
support programs.
Conclusion
From the report, it shows that M&S Company is a CSR practising corporation. It has
followed almost all step required to create an environment that favours nearly all stakeholders.
The corporation has formed a strong bond with the customers and has maintained its relationship
with its stakeholders. The recommendations given can help the corporation create a profound
CSR for the public good.

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