Reflective Essay on Social Responsibility and Globalization

This reflective essay explores the impact of social responsibility and globalization through analysis of videos on Cotton On Foundation, Starbucks CEO, issues in globalization, and Wal-Mart bribery scandal. It emphasizes the importance of ethics, integrity, and CSR in business operations.

Reflective Essay Assignment
1

Contents
Reflective essay...............................................................................................................................3
Introduction....................................................................................................................................3
1 - 2013 Cotton On Foundation wrap up - Thank You..............................................................4
2 - Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz on Social Responsibility...................................................5
3 – Issues in Globalisation: How Fair is Fashion?......................................................................6
4 - Cotton on Foundation: We Empower, We End Poverty......................................................7
5 - The Bribery Aisle: How Wal-Mart Used Payoffs to Bribe Its Way Through Expansion
in Mexico.........................................................................................................................................8
Conclusion......................................................................................................................................9
References.....................................................................................................................................10
2

Reflective essay
Introduction
The following assignment has been prepared to reflect the understanding that has been developed
through watching the videos present in learning materials. In this assignment, 5 videos will be
taken and interpretation of each video will be stated including the message, information, and
knowledge received.
3

1 - 2013 Cotton On Foundation wrap up - Thank You
The above video is presented to depict the good initiative taken by a group of individuals of
Australia so that the poverty can be eradicated not only from Australia but also from different
part of the world. The prior focus of this group is to serve education services in the region of
Uganda, South Africa, Thailand, and Australia. From the video, it has been understood that the
organisation has the objective of setting up over 20000 educational institutes by the end of the
year 2020 and the beginning has been marked from Uganda (Cotton on Foundation, 2013). The
video reflects that the general manager of the foundation stated that the start in Uganda of
educating people has been done from the figure of 4,285 students. The organisation is planning
to raise this toll of the student to 20,000 children by the end of 2020. For achieving the stated
objective, the foundation has partnered with Global poverty project so that along with increasing
education the poverty can be eliminated.
I believe that Cotton On Foundation is performing well towards achieving its objectives that can
be justified by throwing light over the series of actions taken by the organisations such as taking
part in the Global Citizen Festival organised in New York City and organising Run Australia
event in Australia. With the help of Fifth Army event, a wide awareness campaign to remove
poverty has been initiated so that the customers or public take part in the procedure of elevating
poverty from Uganda.
It has also been discovered by me that Cotton On Foundation will achieve its desired objectives
by the end of 2020 as the progress of completion of the objective is fast and steady. This can be
proven by measuring the progress by certain facts such as over 300 children are admitted in
Kinder Garden that becomes the largest figure till now. Moreover, for the removal of poverty
4

and better life standard the project of opening St. Bernard’s Mannya Health Centre has also been
finished that provides health facilities and services to almost 100,000 people. The main purpose
besides the video is to thank all the partners, organisers, and customers that contributed to the
development of educational service in Uganda.
5

2 - Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz on Social Responsibility
In the chosen video Howard Schultz the CEO of a profound coffee chain named Starbucks has
been interviewed to identify and understand the importance of social responsibility for the
organisation to proposer in long run. In the video, Schultz stated that Starbucks not from today
but since the time of establishment is operating on the morale of keeping a balance between
profit earning and social responsibility (GenConnect U, 2013). From the video, I have
understood that the concept of CSR is about assuming the responsibility towards the society and
stakeholders. The social responsibility is not the mere responsibility of the public authorities but
the businesses can also assume some responsibilities towards the society.
Schultz stated that the concept of corporate social responsibility (CSR) is challenging in nature to
the objectives of the private organisation as it hinders the profit maximisation by suggesting to
invest more for high satisfaction to the customers, employees, and other stakeholders and
fulfilling other needs of the society as well such as environmental safety (Tai & Chuang, 2017).
With the help of adoption of CSR, the objectives become difficult to achieve at the early stages
but once the social identity and public recognitions get developed the firm can perform its
various functions effectively and smoothly with great assurance of achievement of objectives.
From the video, it has also been understood that the government is not sufficient to deal with the
issue of poverty and environmental degradation. Because of lack of budget, the needs of the
society failed to meet. This direct the business leaders to come forward for assuming the
responsibility towards fulfilling the needs and demands of public related to social and
environmental issues. The business leaders can effectively and easily identify the needs and
6

demands of the public by staying in close touch with the customers through the process of sale
and purchase.
In the video considered above, an example of employee responsibility has been given in the
context of Starbucks. The company from the early stages identified that the employees are to be
valued and delivered high satisfaction and for the same, formulates a strategy of developing a
safe workplace that equipped with all safety tools and measures (Cheng, et. al., 2014).
7

3 – Issues in Globalisation: How Fair is Fashion?
The video considered for the following essay reflection reflects the case study of textile giants
present over the world and made out the advantage of the globalisation very effectively but not in
fair and acceptable manner (Pumpkin Interactive, 2011). From the video, I have understood the
meaning of the term Globalisation as the liberal trade and business practice with any part of the
world. With the help of Globalisation, the import and export function gets simplified and the
business can extend to a great height of success. With the help of Globalisation, products are
produced at low prices by choosing the cheapest raw material seller and low-cost labour and
identified the best market for earning maximum profits from the world.
This concept of Globalisation brings various benefits such as large market, low-cost production,
and high efficiency to many of the industries and one out of the industry in the textile industry.
Along with the benefits, the textile industry is considered in the video for understanding the
foremost issue in Globalisation is exploitation of human resources (Cramer, 2017). From the
video, I have understood that the availability of low-cost human resources with high skills in
Bangladesh made it able to attract the textile giants to get their products manufactured in the
country. This delivers the advantage of Globalisation to the textile giants but the same offers
drawbacks to the human force of Bangladesh as they are been exploited and forced to do work at
low cost.
I have understood that the people are so choosy in picking things up that are usually fashionable
and have the tendency to get the best quality product at the lowest price possible. The low price
to the customers and objective of high-profit maximisation of the textile industries grinds the
employees or labour in between that results in exploitation as the average per annum pay to
8

Bangladesh residents is $600p.a that is normally $30,000p.an almost 50times high. This
drawback offered by globalisation states to the issue of lack of social responsibility assumed by
the business leaders. Before the demand of Bangladesh’s workers grows, the textile giants must
stop the unfair practice and keep steps for the development of community so that high support of
workers can be accrued that is must survive and sustain competition (Knowles, et. al., 2014).
9

4 - Cotton on Foundation: We Empower, We End Poverty
From the chosen video, it has been discovered that Uganda is suffering from utmost poverty and
diseases that are emerging as a threat to life. In the country, there was no source of income and
proper services that will make the people of Uganda again earn the healthy lifestyle. This video
states that in the severe circumstances, a group named Cotton On Foundation has put its steps
forward for the development of Mannya village of Uganda (Cotton On Foundation, 2013). From
the video, I have understood that for the development of a place and community four important
areas that are to be considered are health and care sector, education, infrastructure, and
sustainability (Kruss, et. al., 2015). The group believes that after working on these four areas the
future of the village can be good and the level of poverty will be reduced to a minimum.
Health and care sectors are to be developed for the better care facilities so that the people
suffering from the severe disease of HIV/AIDS can be relieved and the future growth of this
disease can be put to an end. The education sector is identified as the other important sector that
is must for the development of a society of Mannya village. With the help of education the
importance of living, the standard of living, and the skills for earning money can be inherited
among the individuals of Uganda. I have also understood from the video that for the
development of living standard it is essential to growing the economic situation as the foundation
along with educating children and development of health care units for the eradication of poverty
converted the land to agricultural land for the growth of coffee beans (Kruss, et. al., 2015).
Now the people Mannya village is getting appropriate education especially for the cultivation of
coffee beans so that income can be earned and can be used in utilising services that are been
10

developed such as health and care and other infrastructure services in Uganda. Thus I find these
factors to be very essential for the development of place or country.
11

5 - The Bribery Aisle: How Wal-Mart Used Payoffs to Bribe Its Way Through Expansion
in Mexico
This essay has been reflected in the video presenting the issue of a bribe by Wal-Mart results in
the closure of business from Mexico. From the video, I have understood that Wal-Mart is a great
giant in the retail industry and can perform any operation in its own way without considering the
market or supplier’s forces. This company has great recognition among the public as Wal-Mart
never fails to meet the expectations of its customers and strictly follows the principle of integrity
(DemocracyNow, 2012).
The company on its way of progress once identified Mexico as a great market that can be served
by the company. For the expansion of the business in Mexico, Wal-Mart goes off its way and
decides to bribe the government officials for the easy and fast accrual of the license that is
required to start a business in Mexico. The inclusion of bribery in the growth process reflects the
loss of integrity that was the core principle of the company (Crane, et. al., 2013). I have
identified that the violation of core principle and accrual of something forcefully is considered to
be unethical in nature. The loss of integrity and unethical characteristic of Wal-Mart in Mexico
results in the development of negative image and identity among the public.
For the business, good public reputation and recognition are just as the public is the actual person
that decides the performance of the company. The effective and efficient products also fail to
make the company sustain for long period of time if the public does not purchase or consumes
the products and services. I have developed this understanding by focussing on the case of Wall-
mart as less public support makes the supergiant of the retail industry to close all of its stores
remaining one in Mexico. The video considered also delivers the understanding that the business
12

nit must need to stay stick to the basic principles and ethics of the business. This presence of
ethics and basic principles of business guides the performance of the company to develop a good
reputation among the public so that high support can be accrued as and when required (Aguinis
& Glavas, 2012). With the help of high customer support only, the objective of widening the
business can be achieved otherwise the failure will be same as faced by Wall-mark on losing the
customer’s support by abusing the ethics and basic principles of business.
13

Conclusion
From the above assignment, it has been identified that the happening of past events and results
increases the effectiveness of decision taken in present. Moreover, the above assignment
discussed the importance of CSR, Ethics, and integrity for the effective performance of the
business. The assignment also states four factors education, infrastructure, health, and
sustainability that are important for the development of the region.
14

References
 Aguinis, H. and Glavas, A., 2012. What we know and don’t know about corporate social
responsibility: A review and research agenda. Journal of management, 38(4), pp.932-
968.
 Cheng, B., Ioannou, I. and Serafeim, G., 2014. Corporate social responsibility and access
to finance. Strategic Management Journal, 35(1), pp.1-23.
 Cotton on Foundation, 2013. 2013 Cotton On Foundation wrap up - Thank You.
[Online]. YouTube. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L6KKXXuXuS8.
Accessed on: [12 January 2018].
 Cotton On Foundation, 2013. COTTON ON FOUNDATION: WE EMPOWER, WE
END POVERTY. [Online]. YouTube. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=aY_9Y527LVM. Accessed on: [12 January 2018].
 Cramer, J., 2017. Corporate Social Responsibility and Globalisation: an action plan for
business. Routledge.
 Crane, A., Matten, D. and Spence, L.J., 2013. Corporate social responsibility in a global
context.
 DemocracyNow, 2012. The Bribery Aisle: How Wal-Mart Used Payoffs to Bribe Its Way
Through Expansion in Mexico. [Online]. YouTube. Available at:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hmr6uHjoV8o. Accessed on: [12 January 2018].
 GenConnect U, 2013. Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz on Social Responsibility.
[Online]. YouTube. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uHIoK4LviCc.
Accessed on: [12 January 2018].
15

 Knowles, M.S., Holton III, E.F. and Swanson, R.A., 2014. The adult learner: The
definitive classic in adult education and human resource development. Routledge.
 Kruss, G., McGrath, S., Petersen, I.H. and Gastrow, M., 2015. Higher education and
economic development: The importance of building technological
capabilities. International Journal of Educational Development, 43, pp.22-31.
 Pumpkin Interactive, 2011. Issues in Globalisation: How Fair is Fashion? (Preview).
[Online]. YouTube. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3YAUvDmMGMI.
Accessed on: [12 January 2018].
 Tai, F.M. and Chuang, S.H., 2014. Corporate social responsibility. Ibusiness, 6(03),
p.117.
16