A Report on Sustainable Business and Innovation for the Virgin Group

This report analyzes the Virgin Group's approach to sustainable business and innovation, focusing on its application of the future-fit methodology. The report highlights the company's initiatives to address employee concerns, ensure fair employment terms, prevent discrimination, and provide a living wage. It also examines how the company safeguards employee health, promotes honest product communications, and protects community health. The analysis includes a discussion of the company's break-even goals and the steps taken to achieve them, referencing issues such as employee dissatisfaction, wage practices, and product failures. The report concludes by emphasizing the company's commitment to environmental and social responsibility, including its involvement in initiatives like Carbon War-room and Ocean Elders, and the use of Future-Fit Business Benchmark.

Running head: SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS AND INNOVATION
Sustainable Business and Innovation
Name of the Student:
Name of the University:
Author note:

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Table of Contents
Introduction................................................................................................................................2
Discussion:.................................................................................................................................3
Goal 1.....................................................................................................................................3
Goal 2.....................................................................................................................................3
Goal 3.....................................................................................................................................4
Goal 4:....................................................................................................................................4
Goal 5:....................................................................................................................................5
Goal 6.....................................................................................................................................5
Goal 7.....................................................................................................................................6
References..................................................................................................................................7

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Introduction
The current assignment focuses analysing the future-fit methodology and
sustainability analysis on Virgin Group. The paper highlights on the current issue of the
company Virgin Group and the potential alternatives for these issues which are practiced in
the company.

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Discussion:
It is evident that according to the recent sources Richard Branson claims that he has
lost many potential employees from the company (Virgin, 2019). In order to retain talented
employees and maintain balanced workplace for the employees, the company is focusing on
establishing 7 break even goals and the initials taken to achieve the goals ((Manninen &
Huiskonen, 2019).
Goal 1
Employee concern are actively solicited, impartially judged and transparently
addressed
It is observed that the employees of Virgin group are highly dissatisfied due to the
under seeing recognition of their talents and well-being. This goal aims at setting a minimum
threshold of acceptable performance from the companies (Mamorsky, 2019). This means that
the company must take effective concern that may arise regarding the employees and this
goal is particularly assessed by appropriate concern mechanism. In order to achieve this
particular goal, the company endures appropriate steps:
It follows all the legal legislation of fairness for example Fair Work Act 2009
It reduces uncertainty and ensuring transparency, employees have all right to know all the
relevant information about the company.
Performances related issues is positively approached by conveying the consequences and
sharing motivating the employees in the organization.
Goal 2
Employees are subjected to fair employment terms

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Richard Branson, has deliberately found issues with fair employment terms. The
employees are facing issues related to long hours and they are really exhausting. The
employees must be treated fairly and there must be a clear contract between the employee
and the employer regarding the rights and freedom and basic protection for the employees. In
order to achieve this goal the company must abide with the guidance of International Labour
Organization (Stanford, Hardy & Stewart 2018).
All the employees follows the same contract of rules and regulation with ethical norms. The
contract basically includes the following elements:
Freedom of association, employees have the right to get involved and take relevant and
appropriate decisions for themselves which does not have the respect of organisation.
No child labour the organization must not employee under-aged workers in the organization.
According to Fair work Act 2009, the maximum working hours is 38 hours weekly.
Goal 3
Employee are not subject to discrimination
The company is accused of job discrimination over the interviews, it is evident that an
airline individual claims of having employment tribunal. The employer claims having racially
discriminating against the employer over African name. The individual also claims on being
treated differently from the other applicants (Virgin, 2019). This issue has been faced by the
company of showing unfair treatment in interview. This following goal is set to avoid such
kind of problems and this is be achieved in the following ways:
A biased free organization which is obliged by the law of anti-discrimination and policies.
The organization monitors of recruitment and selection process, the pay structure, promotions
and performance assessments.

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Preventive measures and actions are taken whoever violates the law of anti-discrimination.
Goal 4:
Employees are paid at least a living wage
The Virgin active which is a subsidiary company of Virgin group have the poor wage
practice. Employees have issues dealing with the poor wage and poor benefits by the
company. The pay is poor in Virgin active and there the company must undertake necessary
actions for the same (Stewart et al., 2018). This goal aids the company to take prompt action
and deal with the above challenges. The steps taken by the company are:
The living wages act currently is $20.84 an hour, all the employees are given at least a living
age and there is statutory deduction practiced in the company (Mamorsky, 2019).
Goal 5:
Employee health is safeguard
Due to the unsuitable and risky working conditions the employee health condition
may get into risk. Therefore, this goal helps the company to achieve sustainable working
condition for the employees.
The organization is entitled to good and workable environment, this is under health and
safety law.
The employers have an interaction with the employees and consult the work condition and
necessary measures are ought to be taken.
Goal 6
Product communications (Honest, ethical and promote)
The Virgin group has faced several failures regarding its product for example: Virgin
cola. The product was considered to be very poor and unsatisfactory. Virgin Atlantic is facing

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the same issues with carbon emission which is affecting the wildlife. Therefore, the company
must ensure this particular goal in order provide sustainable offerings. The company ensures
that their products are avoiding all misleading claims for fulfil their target to customer. The
company ensures that markets their product honestly by avoiding misleading claims.
The initials taken by the company in order to achieve this goal are:
Effective product development, which do not affect the outside environment.
Understanding the needs of customer
Goal 7
Community health is safeguarded
In the early decades, the issues with corporate social responsibility was over burdened
by the company. The community safe guard is also an approach which must be concerned by
the company (Virgin, 2019). This goal helped the company to deal with such kind of issues
and what the steps taken by the company.
Carbon War-room initiated to identify the barriers that are preventing the market based scale
of climate change and pollution
The company follows the new system for removing carbon dioxide emissions from the
atmosphere.
The company participates in OceanElders, a group initiated to bring together the global
leaders and support to promote ocean conservation and pursue the safety of wildlife and
habitat.

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References
Aagaard, A. (Ed.). (2018). Sustainable Business Models: Innovation, Implementation and
Success. Springer.
Mamorsky, J. D. (2019). Employee Benefits Law: ERISA and Beyond. Law Journal Press.
Manninen, K., & Huiskonen, J. (2019). Sustainability goal setting with a value-focused
thinking approach. In Sustainable Business Models (pp. 89-118). Palgrave Macmillan,
Cham.
Stanford, J., Hardy, T., & Stewart, A. (2018). Australia we have a problem. The wages crisis
in Australia: What it is and what to do about it, 3-20.
Stewart, A., Oliver, D., McDonald, P. K., & Hewitt, A. (2018). The nature and prevalence of
unlawful unpaid work experience in Australia. Australian Journal of Labour
Law, 31(2), 157-179.
Virgin. (2019). What employee wellbeing means to me: Richard Branson. Retrieved 10
September 2019, from https://www.virgin.com/disruptors/what-employee-wellbeing-means-
me-richard-branson