Business - Articles

Innovative ways to enhance corporate social responsibility (more)

Margaret Neale - Myths and Truths About Negotiation

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Everything you've ever assumed about the correct way to negotiate is, well, probably wrong. So says negotiation expert Margaret Neale at Stanford during the 2007 Nonprofit Management Institute. In this audio lecture, she explores many of the beliefs that surround negotiation "best practices" in an attempt to distinguish the reality from wishful (or wrong-headed) thinking. This talk will add to your understanding about negotiation, and give you tools to respond effectively in your next negotiation challenge.

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The Greening of Wal-Mart

By Erica L. Plambeck & Lyn Denend 5

For much of its history, Wal-Mart’s corporate management team toiled inside its “Bentonville Bubble,” narrowly focused on operational efficiency, growth, and profits. But now the world's largest retailer has widened its sights, building networks of employees, nonprofits, government agencies, and suppliers to “green” its supply chains. Here's how and why the world’s largest retailer is using a network approach to decrease its environmental footprint – and to increase its profitability.

Pamela Hartigan - The Power of Unreasonable People

Why are social entrepreneurs sometimes considered "unreasonable," and how are they different from business entrepreneurs? In this audio interview, author Pamela Hartigan discusses with Design for Change host Sheela Sethuraman how these pesky pioneers are creating markets that are changing the world. She also talks about Volans Ventures, her new enterprise dedicated to integrating the worlds of social and environmental innovation with business-driven wealth creation.

Gary Smith - Doing Well and Doing Good in the Supply Chain

Timberland, the footwear and apparel company headquartered in New Hampshire, is putting good old New England values to work to integrate socially responsible management practices throughout the value chain. Speaking at Stanford during the 2007 Responsible Supply Chains Conference, Gary Smith demonstrates in this audio lecture how in the more than 35 countries where his firm has a business presence, doing good does not have to be at odds with doing well.

Tony Prophet - Social Good and Environmental Sustainability at HP

With energy costs on the rise and the U.S. government expected to push for reduced carbon emissions, environmental sustainability has become a market imperative for Hewlett-Packard. Speaking at Stanford for the 2007 Responsible Supply Chains Conference, HP's senior VP of personal systems, Tony Prophet, shares how his company is working to reduce its environmental footprint throughout the product life cycle.

Stuart Smolkin - Disaster Managment Lessons from Katrina

When Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans, Stuart Smolkin's conveyor belt manufacturing company, Intralox, had no disaster plan in place. The company had to deal with the disruption of electricity, phones, and computer systems in order to organize evacuated employees into recovery teams. How did Intralox get running again in a mere 30 days? In this Stanford podcast, Smolkin offers lessons on preparedness for businesses faced with disruption.

Making Supply Chains Socially Responsible - Promoting Sustainability in the Coffee Industry

Starbucks has developed guidelines for creating and maintaining a sustainable supply chain, which it calls Coffee and Farmer Equity (C.A.F.E.) Practices. These coffee-buying guidelines help the company establish equitable relationships with farmers, workers, and communities. In this audio lecture recorded at Stanford during the 2007 Responsible Supply Chains Conference, Willard Hay explores what's making C.A.F.E. Practices successful.

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The Responsibility Paradox

By Gerald F. Davis, Marina V.N. Whitman, & Mayer N. Zald 5

Multinational corporations are in a quandary: Stakeholders are imposing higher standards than ever, but businesses are confused about what their global social responsibilities actually are.

The Stingy Hour

By Alana Conner

Workers paid by the hour are less likely to volunteer than are salaried employees.