The pressure for companies to solve society’s most pressing problems is growing exponentially, fueled by the gravity of looming issues such as climate change or social inequality. While the majority of companies have already defined their corporate commitment and social impact objectives, many leaders are struggling to implement strategies that actually achieve their aspirations. Considering that 78% of executives believe their companies are failing to deliver on their social impact pledges, there’s a dire need for companies to drive social innovation across each department and generate positive social change through their day-to-day operations.
Amid the changing business landscape, companies are required to achieve two core objectives: generate profits and elevate corporate social responsibility. Due to procurement’s immense purchasing power, more executives are turning to their CPOs to drive innovation and sustainability – all while generating tangible impacts that benefit the communities they operate in. Here’s how procurement leaders can achieve these objectives and simultaneously generate new business value by adding social impact into their sourcing and procurement process.
“Impact sourcing results in a more engaged and motivated workforce for companies, and enables them to increase their global competitiveness.” — The Rockefeller Foundation
You need the work done and there are countries that are disadvantaged, war-torn or underemployed that have motivated, educated workers who can perform the work you need. It truly is the correct choice. Why continue outsourcing to developed countries or countries in which the vast majority of people already have access to the middle class?
Did you know that outsourcing to India is the number one reason it now has a thriving middle class? Are you aware that through outsourcing an entire generation was lifted out of poverty in both China and India? Do you know that when you outsource to a country, it can change the trajectory of people’s lives? In a 2003 speech, Anne Krueger, First Deputy Managing Director of the IMF stated that the impacts of globalization have benefited both India and China by lifting millions of people out of poverty since 1980 and putting tens of millions of people firmly into the middle class. In addition, China has seen their extreme poverty rate fall from 84 percent to about 10 percent largely because of trade, reports the Economist.
Think environmental, social and governance (ESG) factors only matter to specialist investors? While ESG standards may have been the exclusive purview of sustainability investors a few decades ago, that is no longer the case. “Only two decades ago, concerns about climate change, water scarcity, exposure to corruption, working conditions in the supply chain and gender equality were barely on the agenda of company executives. They were considered externalities or were dealt with through philanthropic approaches with little or no impact on the bottom line,” noted Harvard Professor of Management Practices Dr. Robert Eccles, and former United Nations Global Compact Executive Director Georg Kell. But times have changed.
Just two years ago, the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) began promoting “responsible business conduct for institutional investors” in its Policy Framework for Investment. In it, the OECD encourages investors to engage with corporate leadership on ESG risk and contends that ESG issues represent part of a company’s fiduciary duty when evaluating long-term value. It’s an approach that more institutional investors are taking to heart. In an article on EthicalBoardroom.com, Michelle Edkins, a Managing Director and Global Head of Investment Stewardship at BlackRock writes, “An emphasis on investing for the long-term, changing client and societal expectations, and better data, reporting and research have all influenced a steady mainstreaming of ESG considerations by investors.”
Investors. Consumers. Employees. Suppliers. They all want—even expect—the companies they associate with to operate with transparency and trust. But lately, trust has been in short supply. In the U.S., for example, trust in institutions—government, business, media and NGOs—declined a record 23 points in the annual Edelman Trust Barometer survey, which covers 28 markets around the globe. Business alone saw a 10-point, year-over-year decline. Clearly, companies in America need to focus on rebuilding trust, but how?
Embrace Corporate Social Responsibility
Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) criteria can play a significant role in establishing or regaining trust. What do CSR and ESG entail? CSR involves implementing a business model that includes accountability—to stakeholders and consumers—on a range of societal and environmental issues. Similarly, ESG focuses on how companies tackle key issues such as climate change and human rights, which financiers increasingly consider alongside traditional financial factors when evaluating investment portfolios.
In my time working in the sourcing sphere I have become passionate about ethical sourcing. Mexico, where I have lived for nearly eight years, is where many companies source cheap, nearshore labor and is a resource for bilingual, cost-saving talent. I have witnessed unethical sourcing practices in my time here and I am always looking to educate myself and others on the benefits of ethical sourcing. As companies chase better costs to remain viable, the possibility of building a supply chain with poor ethical practices increases. Ensuring ethical sourcing practices in your supply chain can be labor intensive but the benefits are immense.
According to the Chartered Institute of Purchasing & Supply (CIPS), ethical sourcing is the process of ensuring the products being sourced are obtained in a responsible and sustainable way, that the workers involved in making them are safe and treated fairly and that environmental and social impacts are taken into consideration during the sourcing process. Ethical sourcing also means the procurement process respects international standards against criminal conduct and human rights abuses and responds to these issues immediately if identified.
As corporate cultural battles play out, workplaces have become the battleground, with outcomes increasingly dependent on worker engagement, health, well-being and a sense of belonging or purpose. The following are 14 workplace trends reshaping corporate cultures in 2014 and beyond:
How Procurement Can Help Tackle Today’s Most Pressing Challenges
The pressure for companies to solve society’s most pressing problems is growing exponentially, fueled by the gravity of looming issues such as climate change or social inequality. While the majority of companies have already defined their corporate commitment and social impact objectives, many leaders are struggling to implement strategies that actually achieve their aspirations. Considering that 78% of executives believe their companies are failing to deliver on their social impact pledges, there’s a dire need for companies to drive social innovation across each department and generate positive social change through their day-to-day operations.
Amid the changing business landscape, companies are required to achieve two core objectives: generate profits and elevate corporate social responsibility. Due to procurement’s immense purchasing power, more executives are turning to their CPOs to drive innovation and sustainability – all while generating tangible impacts that benefit the communities they operate in. Here’s how procurement leaders can achieve these objectives and simultaneously generate new business value by adding social impact into their sourcing and procurement process.