Corporate Social Responsibility Case Study: SC Johnson Initiatives

This case study examines the corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives of SC Johnson, a multinational company. It evaluates the impact of their CSR policies on environmental and sustainable development activities, analyzing initiatives like forest conservation, use of recycled materials, and footprint reduction. The study also highlights external assurances and recognitions received by SC Johnson for its sustainability efforts. Furthermore, it analyzes the challenges faced by multinational companies in maintaining compliance with human rights, workforce legislation, and ethical standards, particularly within their supply chains. The case study also explores SC Johnson’s range of philanthropic activities and contributions to wider societies and local communities, including environmental safety, education, and social programs. The report concludes by emphasizing the importance of CSR for business sustainability and its impact on stakeholder relations and market expansion.

Case Study

Contents
Introduction...........................................................................................................................................2
Case Study.............................................................................................................................................2
1. Evaluate the impact of SC Johnson’s CSR policy and analyse its initiatives on environmental and
Sustainable development activities...................................................................................................2
2. State external assurances and recognition, comment on the company’s achievements in
meeting its environmental and sustainability ambitions...................................................................3
3. Analyse major challenges for multinational companies with cross border facilities is to maintain
compliance with human rights and workforce legislation and ethical standards..............................4
4. Analyse the SC Johnson’s range of Philanthropic activities in contributing to wider societies and
local communities..............................................................................................................................5
Conclusion.............................................................................................................................................6
References.............................................................................................................................................7

INTRODUCTION
Corporate social responsibility is basically a concept of management in which
companies integrate environmental as well as social concern in their operational activities as
well as develop an interaction with the stakeholders (Grayson and Hodges, 2017). These are
the essential activities that has direct impact over business growth as well as business
sustainability. In this process, project manager requires to have an ability to take such
decisions that promote social works in business working. This report is based on CSR
activities of SC Johnson’s, which was dedicated to the manufacture of wooden floors. This
organisation was founded by Samuel Curtis Johnson in the year of 1886 in Racine,
Wisconsin, USA. This report is going to determine Corporate Social Responsibility
Initiatives of firm as well as external assurances and recognition of firm. Furthermore, major
challenges for multinational companies with cross border facilities. It will also determine the
contribution of firm in wider society and local communities.
CASE STUDY
1. Evaluate the impact of SC Johnson’s CSR policy and analyse its initiatives on
environmental and Sustainable development activities
The CSR strategy of SC Johnson would have an effect on the market on a positive
picture. As the long-term relationship provides committed staff who make best attempts to
accomplish the goal, life-changing creativity has a positive effect on the businesses over the
long term. SC Johnson initiates the process by lightening the product of the business,
minimising the carbon emissions goods and introducing the good value product in order, in
future generations, to provide consumers with something nutritious, clean and thriving. Main
objective of such is to manage a sustainability for firm in the target market. The followings
activities of firm are determined below as:
Conservation of world forests: Protection of forests is a new and big priority field
for the next decade. These practices helps in promoting green initiatives for environment
safety and development. They have been carrying out a project to protect the forest for nearly
17 years. Not only do they conserve it, but they also cultivate new trees to enhance forest
conditions. By 2025, the raw material for the entire oil palm industry is 100% approved
(Carroll, 2015).

Use of recycled material: The programme takes minimal volumes of post-customer
recycled materials and can be used for the latest product production. These are one most
effective support for social and environment protection. For this business, the workers have
to hit high quality targets at a given time.
Figure 1How Recycling Can Boost Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), 2020
Development of wellness Centre: They open clinics for their staff to keep them safe
and remain capable of finishing their jobs. These practices helps in employee retention at
workplace that provides job satisfaction to workers. In the 2020 pandemic, Covid-19 is a
great asset and a centre for alienation and government assistance (Wang and et.al., 2016).
They are still promoting and inspiring young people, always accepting some fresh and
creative ideas from any of their workers.
Footprints reduction: Green energies are used to supply their services all over the
world from fiscal year 2018/19. Approx.32% of the company's clean energy in this year has
been used and the carbon pollution has decreased to 62% and they intend to introduce the
solar power station in all their output units in 2021. Another way to reduce their footprint is
by reducing pollution from the industrial sector used by sites.
2. State external assurances and recognition, comment on the company’s achievements in
meeting its environmental and sustainability ambitions
From the very outset they have identified benchmarks for the business and after
achievement, thus SC Johnson accomplished different stages in the light of environmental

and sustainability goals (Lins, Servaes and Tamayo, 2017). Details of such determines that
SC Johnson was recognised on the top 100 national lists by the US Environmental Protection
Agency. This ranking is focused on the businesses that use the country's biggest renewable
energy customer. In the year of 2016 the government recognises and allows the organisation
to use approx. annual consumption of renewable electricity is 78 million kW hours.
Furthermore, the Environmental Protection Agency has the organisation ranked in the top 30
in the generation ranking of its locations. All these practices will helps them in managing
growth suitability for the growth of community as well as firm for a long run duration. This
contribution includes those companies which produce and consume renewable energy in the
Green Electricity Partnership.
On the other side, the closure of the financial year 2019-20 was another huge
milestone. 100 percent of SC Johnson factories delivered their waste production goods to the
waste disposal site. In the year 2019, WHO publishes the details on finance offered to the
universal assistance organisation by the SC Johnson company. The Environment and Energy
Solutions centre grants a prestigious business climate leadership award by 2020 for the
outstanding application of greenhouse gas regulation. Which one was the huge achievement
for the firm due the reason of some award taking decisions which was taken by firm. Dr
Sylvia Earle recognised Mr Fisk Johnson and honoured him for his efforts to raise awareness
of disasters related to the contamination caused by plastic oceans in 2019 (Crane, Matten and
Spence, 2019). The 2016 Eco Health Partnership award for the contribution to redistribution
of money and the distribution of education content for the most vulnerable families around
the globe to the organisation. All these programs will aid them to run further business
operations easily by managing their effective concentration towards the welfare programs.
3. Analyse major challenges for multinational companies with cross border facilities is to
maintain compliance with human rights and workforce legislation and ethical standards
One of the biggest obstacles that global corporations like SC Johnson face around
continents is to ensure that human rights and workers' rights regulation and ethical principles
are followed. By leveraging its supply chain, SC Johnson incorporates its human rights
principles and activities. They uphold the transparency of the supply chain and feel that they
should be aware of the goods they serve to the clients. In the compliance with the legislation
and regulations, and contributing meaningful improvements in business life, SC Johnson is
committed to the consumers and respects the interests of humans. The goal of them is to

reduce the environmental effects that could be negative in the sense. Business makes a code
of ethics for the manufacturers and there are others connected with the company's high-
quality product provision in order to deliver reasonable product quality for the clients. These
kind of practices helps them to develop an effective customer loyalty towards the firm in
order to gain desired marker share easily (Harjoto, Laksmana and Lee, 2015). The
management of production quality will hel.ps them in providing desired satisfaction to
customers by the products of firm. On the basis of such, firm can a desired competitive
advantages over their potential rivalries.
In order to do so, firm implement some policies as suppliers should coordinate with
all legislation and regulations covering human rights, labour and welfare in national or local
governments. These are the required aspects that helps an organisation to manage its business
operations and activity in legal manner. The guidelines of firm are that no provider
discriminates against workers on the grounds of age, race, sex and any other aspect.
Furthermore no work related practices or any other company policies will be liable to any
unethical practices that can be based on delivering, consumption and so on. Suppliers shall
act under some predefined regulations i.e. pay and benefit, as workers shall earn the salaries
in connection with their employment and benefit from the additional working hour or
whatever they will be dealt with. Another act is related to working hours, its restriction
working hour and extra time needed if the provider provides the workers with benefits.
Absence of such can create issues and challenges in front of Multinational organisations
therefore, it is needed to implement such in order to effectively manage their business
practices in different countries.
4. Analyse the SC Johnson’s range of Philanthropic activities in contributing to wider
societies and local communities
The philanthropy of SC Johnson continues to benefit the community by contributing
to growing society and locality. SC Johnson's activities contribute from the outset, giving 5%
of their prefix to society in 1937 (McWilliams, 2015). In 1959, the charitable trust in SC
Johnson was given up to the world where they work and to extend global peace. All these
activities of firm are managed as award winning that impact positively over them. Apart from
them, it is required for firm to py their attention towards different activities such as:
 Environment safety and sustainability: For an organisation, it is required to pay
their maximum attention towards the activity that may help in environmental safety.

As government of different countries also promotes such acts. In this a firm can
implement work related to material waste control programmes, recycling promotion
and environmental conservation initiatives.
 Education: In the terms of society welfare, an organisation can provide its
contribution by supporting and promoting education. SC Johnson proposes the money
for the major scheme to support individuals with studying and providing them with
instructional resources. These programs and contribution of a firm are related to
community development as well as work as business sustainability.
 US Commodity Contributions: For an organisation, it is required to grab effective
support from the governmental bodies. In this context, SC Johnson can take high
support from by contributing CSR practices as government supports several
businesses who contribute in community welfare. Big donations are made from the
business to support the small and other businesses make the environment safer. And
help the local economy grow its market share.
 Social: In terms of managing social practices, a business firm can contribute by
supporting some program related to disease control (Chernev and Blair, 2015). The
initial start is from promoting vector-borne diseases prevention and eradication. It
encourages the reduction of poverty from society and sets a standard of life for the
population. In this regard they contribute in NGO’s by the contribution of funds and
many more things.
CONCLUSION
From the above report it has been summarised that it is a responsibility of different
business organisation to provide their effective contribution in CSR practices. These policies
and practices works as a responsibility of firm towards the society and economy
development. Thus it is needed for a firm to manage their sustainability by providing their
effective contribution in such. Maximum benefits of such is to bring loyal customers as well
as investors for firm. CSR practices manage a balance between solutions of environment as
well as society. Major objectives of such is to develop wellbeing of community and further
lead to a desired market expansion.

REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Grayson, D. and Hodges, A., 2017. Corporate social opportunity!: Seven steps to make
corporate social responsibility work for your business. Routledge.
Carroll, A.B., 2015. Corporate social responsibility: The centerpiece of competing and
complementary frameworks. Organizational dynamics.
Wang, H. and et.al., 2016. Corporate social responsibility: An overview and new research
directions: Thematic issue on corporate social responsibility.
Lins, K.V., Servaes, H. and Tamayo, A., 2017. Social capital, trust, and firm performance:
The value of corporate social responsibility during the financial crisis. The Journal
of Finance. 72(4). pp.1785-1824.
Crane, A., Matten, D. and Spence, L. eds., 2019. Corporate social responsibility: Readings
and cases in a global context. Routledge.
Harjoto, M., Laksmana, I. and Lee, R., 2015. Board diversity and corporate social
responsibility. Journal of Business Ethics. 132(4). pp.641-660.
McWilliams, A., 2015. Corporate social responsibility. Wiley encyclopedia of management,
pp.1-4.
Chernev, A. and Blair, S., 2015. Doing well by doing good: The benevolent halo of corporate
social responsibility. Journal of Consumer Research. 41(6). pp.1412-1425.
Online
How Recycling Can Boost Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). 2020. [Online]. Available
through:< https://www.thebalancesmb.com/recycling-corporate-social-
responsibility-2878034>.