Relevance of Social Responsibility and Good Relations - Assignment Example

Qn. 1 Mountain Spring Bottled Water In the recent years bottled water industry has become a very profitable venture in the business terms. Currently various multinational firms are making billions out of water which is simply extracted from the ground slap label and sold at competitive prices. Statistical results of Mountain Spring Bottled water company indicate that bottled water consumption has become likeable to many (Klessing, 2004). Surveys show that individuals consume 89 billion liters of water annually. Hence the need to promote the companies’ sales through organization of a Net ball fares at the Forest spring Community centre for the coming three years. Through the use a traditional product development that is the race process. This is whereby activities are done in sequence in which roles are passed onto the next individual responsible. This in turn creates awareness within the community of bottled water firm and increasing its sales and profit maximization. The “Race process” therefore is used as a tool to make more individuals aware of the roles and purpose of Mountain Spring Bottled Water Company. If the firm carries out such an event it would increase its sales in the eventual end. Therefore research of the project is relevant to facilitate the smooth running of all activities. This is hence a suitable methodology which may include other techniques to have adequate information. Research will in this event create a linkage between the consumer, customer and the public through information obtained. This would be used to define opportunities, monitor marketing performance and problems the bottled water company will endure. The marketing research will specify the information that is relevant to address issues and the structuring of the method for collecting data and analysis. Through it communication will be made to the Bottled Water firm on the findings and its implications to both the firm and adjacent community. Marketing research will therefore be a procedural data gathering and analysis of the products. Through sponsoring the netball fare the firm would hence engulf the community by introducing its products (Malhotra, 2002). Malcolm (2007) emphasizes that this would help in the planning of the moves to be made by the firm towards securing its potential consumers. It will thereby identify and evaluate how transitioning products of the market impacts on the targeted consumers that is the Forest Springs community. The firm will hence use both consumer and business to business research which methodologically may be quantitative or qualitative. Marketing managers will thus have the potential to make smart and tactical choices towards identifying and ensuring consumer satisfaction of bottled water. For instance they will make conclusive decisions on the opportunities that are available within the community and implementing of marketing programs. This will determine the pricing, promotion and distribution of the product. Complications which would otherwise hinder the processes of the firm will be eradicated. These include: competition, public policies and cultural changes. Eventually a link will be created between the marketing variables and consumers that is bottled water and Forest Spring community. Qn. 2. Relevance of Social Responsibility and Good Relations Social responsibility is a framework of policies which are integrated into the business model. Through these, mechanisms are put in place to instigate the adherence of ethical standards within organizations. The purpose of social responsibility is to promote public interest through fostering development and eradicating practices that would maim the public. According to Aupperle (1985), venturing into business targets at maximizing profits and financial expanding territories, social responsibility being a recipe of such. For social responsibility to take effect the executive should embrace ethics. Social responsibilities and good relations shield societal welfare as well as promoting organizational interest. Therefore firms should uphold social responsibility because social costs affiliated to any production process will be passed on to the buyer and social costs and interests determine production of the firm. This raises the need to engage into certain social problems that are far from the normal organizational operations. For a firm to enhance good business habits it is necessary to focus on urban, consumer, environmental and employment affairs. Though most of the firms engage in socially responsible activities controversies prevails rather than being appropriate. Businesses are subsets of the society it has great relevance to the society. It is hence liable to ensure development of the society. For maximization of profits the firm in turn has to maintain good relations with stakeholders and promote social responsibility. For instance, in Australia the Brotherhood of St. Laurence (BSL) is an organization which is meant to reduce poverty in Australia. Through the erection of social enterprises which address inequality. The organization owns commercial enterprises which emphasizes on ethical businesses. In this event firms are encouraged to be socially and environmentally responsible. To implement this would mean positive contribution for sustainable world wide trade and investments. Through it the economy would realize an uprising and sustainable development through social inclusion and enhancing equality of human and social rights. This would pave way for corporate governance and encourage multinational enterprises (ADL, 2003). The executive of a firm should consider social and environmental issues in decision making process. Apart from that the firm should focus on reduce its focus on short term profitable goals. This issue has been put forward in the context of corporate donations. It was as a result of the 2004 Boxing Day Tsunami. A group affiliated to James Hardie decided to fund asbestos losses owed by subsidiary organizations. Moreover, in the recent past findings on Cole Royal Commission that depicted AWB may have been involved in a scum to secure export contract from Iraq. Australian firms through, Companies Act 2006 emphasizes the adoption of corporate social responsibility which would makes firms masculine. In this case firms are able to combat non-financial risks and inflate long term monetary value (PJC, 2006). Surveys that carried out within Australia in 277 companies relay appreciable result on adoption of good relations and social responsibility. Most of the firms realized increased sales and continual equity. On the other hand returns on assets declined this hence showed no significant result as a result of lack of measure of corporate social responsibility. However, when conducted on a small scale return on assets were much clear. Therefore to have a clear picture structuring a mechanism to measure the latter is vital. It should concern economic function, life quality, social investment and problem solving measures (Aupperle, 1985). Qn. 4. Cloud Computing vs. Public Relations Public relations commonly abbreviated as PR is mainly concerned with upholding of healthy public image of the firm. Therefore according to Chia (2009), the purpose of public relations professional is to maintain a good communication atmosphere between the organization, high profile people and the public in general. On the other hand cloud computing is gradually taking shape into the technological trends and hence being embraced by the business world though the uncertain future of public relations professionals. Cloud computing as depicted by Apple Corporation is the potential to have access to various computing hubs via a digital network that is WAN or wide world web. Therefore to gain access into such one needs to have a net book, pad computer or smart phone. In this case a public relations professional is responsible for channeling organizational policies and use good communication mechanics through communication media, advice the management on its policies towards the public, coordinate organizational activities with effects to the public and depicts the public situation and perception concerning the firm. The future posses various challenges to the PR profession through the innovations so far being made. This would hence create more opportunities for the profession. Most of the firms will need vast labor to engage effectively both in dialogue and transparency within firms. Cloud computing would mean shifting from default channels of communication that is press release and human interactions. In this event it calls for designing of a proper framework to sensitize the stakeholders and implementations. This means the PR personnel are liable for this and should in this way have adequate information. The management should be concerned about these issues primarily. PR executives would move beyond the sphere have access over chief marketing officer which initially was not the case. This would mean dealing with critical issues such as customer-driven innovations. Through increased specialization skills gaining access into network domains would be less hard. Access to information is vital in the future highly networked global economy (Dawson, 2006). According to Hinchcliffe (2009), public relations specialists were among the freshmen who employed social media power hence dominated the social space. Therefore they had the potential to strategize organizational functions and other related issues of the firm. With the emergence of the “cloud computing” the future seem flawlessly bright for the business world in relations to the PR representatives. In the recent past the internet made a tremendous impact on the role of PR. Introduction of this would increase social platform relations, minimize limitations hence build relationships and cost effectiveness. The future will thus mean reduced hassles through online and reliable interlinking. Social media release services have through various channels that are social media and e-mail has enhanced constant cycle of feedback mechanism promoting good firm-public relation. It would mean media transformation, dialogue business, and multidimensional flow of information and promote transparency. Technology is a fundamental entity in the business world and in this way for prosperity one needs to culture it. The cloud computing holds uncertain questions and inherent challenges thus adopting such would mean putting at risk the organization which in turn public relations officers will seem a liability for misguided advice. This is due to being uncertain of the organizational data that is stored in the “cloud” which could otherwise be rendered uncontrolled. Bibliography ADL. (2003). The Business Case for Corporate Responsibility. Cambridge: Arthur D Little Limited. Aupperle, K. C. (1985). An Empirical Examination of the Relationship between Corporate Responsibility and Profitabilty. Academy of Management Journal June , 446-463. Chia, J. &. (2009). An introduction to Public Relations . London: From Theory ro practice. Dawson, R. (2006). Six Facets of the Future of PR. The Future of the PR Industry , 044-045. Hinchcliffe, D. (2009). Eight ways that cloud computing will change business. ZDNet . Klessig, L. (2004). Botled Water Industry. Eau Claire: University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire. Malhotra, N. (2002). Basic Marketing Research: A Decision-Making Approach. New Jersey: Prentice Hall. McDonald, M. (2007). Marketing Plans (6th ed.). Oxford: Butterworth-Heinemann. PJC. (2006). Parliamentary Joint Committe on Corporations and Financial services. Corporate responsibility: Managingand Creating Value, Canberra Read More