Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is a component for organisations to evaluate the effect they have on society and adding responsibility, good approaches set up to help people, the nearby network and the environment. Regardless of its new name, it’s not a new concept; a few organisations previously had moral and social points set up before CSR turned into wonder.
Otherwise called corporate responsibility, corporate citizenship or mindful or sustainable business, CSR necessitates that an organisation surveys its stakeholders, for example, its employees, customers, suppliers and assesses its duties to them. CSR strategies then focus on creating and implementing policies that benefit society in different ways.
Corporate social responsibility strategies keep organisations accountable and ethical. Effective strategies that are intended to enhance a relationship with local communities, employees and customers, and put in place to encourage and monitor ethically and environmentally responsible activities. The goal is often sustainability, complementing business activities with socially responsible actions that support communities, individuals and the environment.
Adidas:
Adidas, a global leader of a sports brand which produces sport apparels across the world. Every year Adidas produces around 900 million products with independent manufacturing partners worldwide. It is the second largest company holding Reebok sportswear company as its subsidiary brand. Adidas was founded by Adolf Dassler in the year 1924 and acquired its 3 strips logo in 1952. The vision of the company states that “we are innovation and design leaders who seek to help athletes of all skills levels achieve peak performance with every product we bring to market. We are consumer focused and therefore we continuously improve the quality, look, feel, image of our products and our organizational structures to match and exceed consumer expectations and to provide them with the highest value. We are a global organization that it is socially and environmentally responsible that embraces creativity and diversity and is financially rewarding for our employees and shareholders. We are dedicated to consistently delivering outstanding financial results.” The company’s strategy focuses on the sustainability as the vision explains that the company’s core target is to help athletes with every product they launch in the market. Also, the company concentrates on the social and environmental aspects and the financial results which shows the company is working to achieve triple-bottom line strategy for sustainability. Adidas initiated various sustainability strategies for which it was included in Dow Jones Sustainability Indices, 19th year in a row. Dow Jones sustainability Indices evaluates sustainability performance over 2500 listed companies. The company implemented many methodologies for achieving sustainability.
Since 1989, Adidas has been working on its sustainability and corporate social responsibility activities to differentiate its brand amongst the competitors and to create a brand loyalty from the customers. 25 years down the line the company attained to work for the better cause for our surroundings by following certain environmental policies, also took some effective actions for the good foundation of society and the company produced eco-friendly products which are not harmful.
Adidas Corporate Social Responsibility Practices:
Adidas has been running its shoe under leadership programs for many years in different ways whether it is global supply chain management, environmental factors or society programs to help the people and to sustain in the market with reputation. From many years the company involved in many CSR activities following its vision to help the athletes, producing sustainable products for the customers, protecting environment and achieving outstanding financial results holding a position for the company.
while discussing about the company’s Corporate Social Responsibility strategies the company initiated for various approaches which is beneficial and helpful for the people and planet while aiming for the company’s value and profits.
Steps towards environmental measures:
The company started its sustainability strategy in the year 1989 with an environmental cause, that’s when they decided to ban the consumption of chlorofluorocarbons in all of their products and the company was aware of causes of the gasses that effects our habitat and it never used those substances that impacted the surroundings. They also have a policy of not using chemicals while producing their products concerning that they might cause any harmful or toxic substances and the company’s approach for sustainability is to test the restricted substances that the company use for the product materials. As part of the environment strategy adidas commenced on using 100% “quality-based cotton” which benefits on increasing the environment impact on the cotton industry for further 7 years. However, this initiative aim is to only increase their quality-based standard regarding their product by saving water content and reduce the usage of pesticides in the farm management of the product.
The company-built standards by signing contractual commitment with all its suppliers under manufacturing agreements for international human rights and labour rights conventions.
Adidas has taken an initiative to support the refugees based on the following three aspects
- Employment integration
- Humanitarian aid
- Close collaboration with public authorities
In the year 2016, adidas joined the German business and started a project named Wir Zusammen (Us Together). However, this program has helped 89 refugees to set a place in the society by completing the internship program. In the year 2018 Adidas receives support into the business, retail and supply chain which empowers the amalgamation into the European market which is progressive for the future growth. In the year 2016 and 2017, Adidas formulated on financially supporting a project for Syrian children in collaboration with the Turkish Ministry of Youth targeting to enable up-to 2,000 children to enhance in their mental, social and physical well-being. Reebok is a brand-name which comes under groups of adidas. Whereas, In the year 2009 Reebok introduced a program named as “BOKS BY REEBOK” a social cause to target school children between age 5 and 12 to focus on fitness and provide free training programs. This initiative helped to hire staff and pay-off the funding to keep the program on-going. Therefore, by end of 2017 the number of BOKS school raised from 1,500 to 2,800.