Case Study-Silver Fern Farms: Key Stakeholders, Social and Environmental Responsibility, Cultural Web, and Value Chain Analysis

Running Order: CASE STUDY-SILVER FERN FARMS 1
Case Study-Silver Fern Farms
Name:
Institutional Affiliation:

CASE STUDY-SILVER FERN FARMS 2
Case Study-Silver Fern Farms
Part A
Question One - Key Stakeholders and Their Expectations
Management:
The management of Silver Fern Farms are the key stakeholders when it comes to setting
of business objectives and the company strategy. The management are responsible for leading
the company into success by coming up with different strategic initiatives and analysing and
resolving any underlying issues. They would like to see all projects succeed. As demonstrated in
the case, through management, the company has been able to regain its position in the market by
coming up with various initiatives. One such initiative is debt repayment (Slack,2015). The
management have been able to come up with ways of SFF being able to sell more hence
increasing profits and being able to repay the debts that were pulling the company down. Further
to this, management have been able to improve the organization’s operational efficiency through
staff training and adoption of lean methods of manufacturing hence leading to better processes
and customer service.
The management expects staff to perform well and have their goals aligned to that of the
company. Silver Fern Farm has more than 7000 staff across its branches and the management has
created cutting edge processing plants which it considers to be its innovation centres.
Information retrieved from the market is used in ensuring that the staff are producing quality
foods in line with the demands of the market. Management ensure that the staff are always
improving on their skills so that they master their craft and perfect their skills
(Rothaermel,2015). The management further ensures that the staff take approved training courses
from the New Zealand Qualifications Authority so that they achieve their full potential and
leverage SFF into achieving its business objectives and strategy.
The other expectation of management as stakeholders is to ensure that SFF maintains a
strategic position in its industry. To do this, the management has ensured that it has a team of
talented staff who use their skills to produce the best lamb, beef and venison, drawn from New
Zealand’s best livestock. Production of quality enables the company to attract and retain a

CASE STUDY-SILVER FERN FARMS 3
myriad of customers. SFF also invests in state of the art technology to be able to provide the best
to its consumers. The x-ray systems enable the company to get much needed information on
animal perfomance hence improving the decision-making process to cut what is best suited to
customer needs. SFF also focuses on the ‘plate’ first through identification of customer needs.
Suppliers:
Suppliers are very important in the SFF stakeholder list. SFF’s major suppliers are the
farmers and they determine the quality of products that finally reach the consumer. SFF together
with farmers has built a programme that has been tailored to New Zealand’s farming conditions
while leveraging on international best practice. This has led to suppliers being trained on lifting
standards in animal husbandry and farm management. The SFF programme ensures that farmers
achieve farm assured status by ensuring the farm is trained by an SFF livestock representative
and then audited by a recommended farm auditor (Rothaermel,2015). While auditing, the audit
covers animal health, animal husbandry and welfare, stock, animal nutrition, environment and
facilities. This has ensured that the suppliers meet very high standards that have enabled SFF
achieve its business objectives and strategy by producing quality meat products. SFF has also put
in place the farm IQ system that is aimed at helping farmers to manage their animals, land and
perfomance of their farm employees. The result of this is farmers being able to record, analyse
and report efficiently.
Customers:
Customers are very vital since the business exists because of them. Silver Fern Farms
strives to ensure that the customers get the best quality meat. The company strives to ensure its
customers are taken care of in terms of providing a robust customer care system that ensures
there is adequate feedback provision and that customer queries and concerns are taken care of.
One of the programmes that SFF has put in place is the Eating Quality System (EQ). This is a
process which is science backed and allow consumers to have a better beef eating experience.
This quality system rates beef using seven scientific criteria which have been proven to highly
contribute to the eating of quality red meat (Slack,2015). The customer gets high quality of taste,
tenderness and juiciness. The cuts are chosen by a master grader who then ages them with care
for 21 days and enables the beef to have a quality master grade.
The Government:

CASE STUDY-SILVER FERN FARMS 4
The Government is an important stakeholder since it makes the rules and regulations.
Rules and regulations differ greatly in different countries. Whatever rules and regulations that
have been set up enable a SFF to be able to penetrate the business environment. Government
rules and regulations either favor a business or make it difficult for the company to do business.
Various governments have supported SFF and enabled the company to be able to successfully set
up and further export to different countries.
Question Two-Importance of Social and Environmental Responsibility for SFF
Organizations must engage in both social and environmental responsibility is they are to
gain acceptance by the community. It is now a requirement that businesses engage in sustainable
practices that do not cause harm to communities in any way. It is paramount that businesses try
and follow the United Nations Sustainable business goals so that they are in line with what is
required in terms of meeting social and environmental goals (Rothaermel,2015). SF engages in
various activities that enable it to give back to the community. One of these activities is offering
of scholarships to the youth. The company gives scholarships each year that enable the youth to
advance their careers. The company in partnership with farmers also developed the Te Aroha
events center charitable trust. Further to this, SFF has a feed drive that helps farmers to manage
during times of drought.
Social an environmental responsibility is important to SFF since it improves the public
image. Since the company has demonstrated its commitment to different initiatives, they are
perceived as philanthropic and consumers would like to be associated with such companies.
Consumers feel good when they purchase the products or services of a company that has been
relevant in their midst. SFF can also further improve their public image by supporting different
events through their staff volunteering or them making donations. The more activities that the
company engages in, the more it becomes favorable in the eyes of consumers and this is
significant when it comes to increasing and sustaining customer numbers.
SFF engages in social and environmental responsibilities since it also gives them a
chance to increase media coverage on the company. This is a chance to get free publicity and
make consumers aware of the company’s existence. It will make non-customers get curious
about the company hence leading to more awareness (Slack,2015). When organisations like SFF