University CSR Analysis: Drivers, Walmart, & Responsibility

This assignment analyzes Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) through three key questions. It begins by examining the internal drivers, such as cultural traditions, political reforms, and socio-economic priorities, that are compelling businesses to prioritize CSR, referencing Visser's work. It then explores Walmart as a case study, highlighting its sustainable practices, including renewable energy initiatives and waste reduction, and discusses how these practices align with its profit-driven objectives. Finally, the assignment delves into the 'Age of Responsibility,' contrasting strategic CSR with systemic CSR and emphasizing the importance of responsiveness and scalability in sustainable initiatives, using Walmart as an example of balancing these factors. The analysis draws on various sources to provide a comprehensive overview of CSR's evolution and implications.

Running head: CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY
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Name of the Student:
Name of the University:
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Answer 1
The typical internal CSR drivers which are causing businesses in recent times to take
CSR into consideration are namely cultural tradition, political reform and socio-economic
priorities. According to Visser (2017), in several nations and regions, CSR draws strongly on
embedded Indigenous cultural customs of philanthropy, business ethics along with cultural
embeddedness. For instance, more than 1200 SMEs in Latin America, ideologies and beliefs of
the particular region are considered as key determinants for CSR. Furthermore, CSR tends to
fluctuate considerably among various Asian nations (Visser, 2016). However, such a variation is
not exemplified by the degree of expansion but primarily focus on factors in the respective
national business system. Meanwhile, studies of Visser and Kymal (2015) have noted that in
Africa, value based traditional philosophy related to African humanism (ubuntu) serves a highly
decisive role of the contemporary, inclusive approaches to CSR of the businesses operating in
that region.
On the other side, Visser (2017) has claimed that CSR cannot be separated from factors
related to socio-political reform processes, which frequently drive the behavioural patterns of
businesses in considering social and ethical issues. Stariņeca (2016) has taken the examples of
political as well as connected social and financial developments in Latin America since the
1980s. These socio-economic changes mainly involved factors related to democratization,
liberalization as well as privatization which have shifted the role of many businesses in acting
responsible and seeking issues concerning society and environment. Additionally, studies of
Pedersen, Gwozdz and Hvass (2018) have claimed that recently the primary objective of
attainment to EU membership has served a decisive role for several Central and Eastern
European nations in order to focus on CSR activities for being recognized as an effective

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practice in the EU. Moreover, CSR is mainly shaped by local socio and economic priorities. For
example, Montaña (2017) has noted that poverty alleviation, healthcare services in addition to
infrastructure development and education tends to be elevated on several developing nations’
agendas which shows significant divergences to several Western CSR priorities. These CSR
priorities mainly focus on consumer protection, environmental friendly marketing along with
climatic conditions.
Currently, majority of companies are vocal on SDG because of the constructive benefits
to company’s performance and act responsive to stakeholders’ interest. However, companies
who are not taking into account the importance of sustainability might encounter environmental
degradation and its impacts of climate change further causing material business risks (Visser,
2016). The consistent nature of environmental threats further tends to result in cascading risks.
Furthermore, comprehensive studies of Stariņeca (2016) has noted that as energy companies
primarily rely on water for extraction and production such as coal, gas, fuel and biofuels or
electricity generation and cooling severe energy generation can tend generate fluctuating impacts
across the economy of the company.
Answer 2
Taking into consideration factors related to sustainability, Visser has emphasized on the
sustainable performance of Walmart not only because of its size or dimension but the company’s
principles which are imperative for its performance (Rahdari, Sepasi & Moradi, 2016).
Banditwattanawong, Masdisornchote and Uthayopas (2016) have mentioned the main activities
of Walmart which is to mainstream sustainability, assessing overall impacts of the company,
efficiently empowering its clients and further engaging to suppliers. Reports of Montaña (2017)

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has revealed that currently over 25% of Walmart’s electricity internationally is supplied by
renewable energy. Although significant amounts of supply have been showing divergences from
country to country in which more than 65% s supplied in Mexico, but an insignificant proportion
of 15% supplied in the United States. Meanwhile, Rahdari, Sepasi and Moradi (2016) have noted
that although leading multinational companies like Google uses renewable energy to power
around 38% of its operations, Walmart surpasses the company by successfully establishing a
goal to attain 7 billion kwh (kilowatt hours) of renewable energy by 2020 which has been
estimated to be a 600% increase in comparison to 2010. Additionally, reports of
Banditwattanawong, Masdisornchote and Uthayopas (2016) have noted that in the U.S, Walmart
preoccupied 85% of its waste in 2014 across its stores, clubs, distribution centres as well as other
services. Moreover, outside the United States, the company has attained 70% of its waste
diversion. Furthermore, authors have claimed that Walmart is on a primary objective to
efficiently remove all landfill waste from its stores in the U.S in the next 5 years (Visser, 2016).
Walmart with its sustainable practices and leadership has emphasized on the importance
of next generation in getting engaged in using comprehensive information during their
purchasing decisions. Furthermore, authors have claimed that Walmart’s sustainable practices
have facilitated individuals in establishing a strong linkage between sustainable practices and
buying decisions. Additionally, reports of Visser and Kymal (2015) have revealed that Walmart
with its long-term objective to be inclusively supplied by renewable energy. It is important to
note that Walmart by sales sees no disagreement between its sustainability goals and its bottom
line. Reports of authors have revealed that one of the primary goal of Walmart is to attain around
7.5 billion kwh of renewable energy whereby around 1400 of its suppliers currently uses its

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Sustainability Index and have led Walmart to eliminate over 20 million metric tonnes of
greenhouse emissions from is supply chain.
Although, Walmart’s primary objective relies on its profit generation, the organization
primarily supports to save millions of individuals with its sustainable practices. These
sustainable practices are likely to reflect the business and further invest price reductions for its
customers (Stariņeca, 2016).
Answer 3
In the current period, where CSR has shown incompetence in the Ages of Greed,
Philanthropy, Marketing as well as Management the Age of Responsibility serves a decisive role
in the domain of organizational management. Age of Responsibility not only focuses on access
though but primarily sheds light in ambition. In order to act responsive in the Age of
Responsibility, majority of sustainability and corporate responsibility initiatives have started
showing less constructiveness rather than focusing on effective or constructive outcomes. Studies
of authors have noted that leaders are currently focusing on showing selectiveness and
compartmentalized "programs" instead of focusing than holistic as well as systemic change
(Lucia & Flavia, 2017). Additionally, systemic CSR in the Age of Responsibility primarily
emphasize on its performances and role on identifying and dealing with the original reasons
resulting to the lack of sustainability as well as irresponsibility. Such responsive generally
performs by implementing innovation in business models and further revolutionising their
procedures, products as well as services and aiming for progressive national and international
regulations and policies. Hence, while Strategic CSR is focused at the micro level by efficiently
sustaining social or environmental challenges which have the propensity to align with aims and

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strategies of organization, but without unavoidably shaping that strategy. Thus, as per the view
of Rahdari, Sepasi and Moradi (2016) systemic CSR to act responsive at the Age of
Responsibility primarily focuses on considering the interconnections in the macro level system
related to society, communities, economies as well as ecosystems and altering organization’s
approach to optimise the results for the broader human and ecological system.
Studies of Banditwattanawong, Masdisornchote and Uthayopas (2016) have noted that
Scalability tends to rely extensively on responsible as well as sustainable initiatives. In order to
identify transaction between responsiveness and scalability example of one of the leading
sustainable leader Wal-Mart can be cited. It has been noted that Walmart’s ‘choice editing’
scalability functions by exchanging to organic cotton. On the other side, for showing
responsiveness, greater degree of cross-sector affiliations in addition to stakeholder-driven
approaches are required at every level in addition to more transformative responsiveness, Such
an act of responsiveness tends to question whether particular industries or the business model
itself, are vital part of the explanation or part of the problem. However, Visser (2017) has cited
Corporate Leaders Group on Climate Change as good examples of the trade-off between
responsiveness and scalability.

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References
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