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Responses

Christopher Lynch

One of the forces that shape the relationship between business and society is sustainable development. Companies need to take a responsible environmental approach to their business model because their actions can have serious ecological ramifications. But what happens when your business model requires environmental impact?  According to Hammond and Christensen, “some industries inherently operate with more blatant pollution and environmental disruption.” (2016, 1.1) One clear example of this would be a paper mill; historically, they have clear-cut large areas of forest to produce their products. But it seems even companies with a significant environmental footprint are getting on board with sustainable development. To increase their sustainability, papermills have undertaken several initiatives. These include replanting cleared land and using up to 39% recycled materials during manufacturing (Scott, 2017).

Another force that contributes to sustainable development is social investment.  This happens when companies invest in people inside and outside the company (Hammond & Christensen, 2016).  Investing in your people has many benefits, including happier, more productive, and loyal employees.  There are many ways to invest in people and make then feel valued; for instance, healthcare, fair pay, training, and opportunity for advancement.  Misra said that more engaged employees can result in a 20% increase in sales (2018), this contributes to a third force, and the lifeblood of every company, profit.

Nathan Anderson

One force that shapes the relationship between business and society is profit. Every business, in order to succeed has to stay alive by making money. Without money the business will no longer exist. Profit is needed, but some companies solely focus on just making more money, which in turn can lead to bad profit. " In essence, bad profits are earned at the expense of customer relationships, and they can spell disaster for your company in the long run (Morgan, 2016)."  Bad profits are all those hidden fees and charges that can be found on items like cable and cell phone bills. Companies ultimately doing this are more concerned with their bottom line than making their customers happy. Profit in general is very good, not only for the company but for the employees and consumers. Companies can use this to invest in improved products, improved customer support, more programs or better benefits for employees. It can even be used to invest in local communities and bring awareness to social issues. 

Another force is the environment. I think this one is more prevalent now then what it was years ago because of the growing concern of global warming and climate change. "this metric simply means calculating and understanding the cost of physical waste or the cost and extent of pollution (Hammond, & Christensen,  2016)." Companies are having to weigh the costs of doing the right thing regarding waste. We can look at industries that dump pollution into freshwater sources like Lake Michigan. Ultimately, destroying the environment and local ecosystems.  However, companies have the opportunity to lead and set a standard in the world.  For      example "Amazon has announced its $2 billion Climate Pledge Fund to invest in sustainable technologies and services that will help the company reach its commitment to be net-zero carbon in its operations by 2040 (Shieber, 2020)." Outside of this investment into renewable energy Amazon is also going to be using electric delivery trucks for their entire fleet of vehicles. As one of the larger companies in the world, Amazon is doing their part to shape our communities by reducing waste and pollution caused be their services. Other companies may see this is an example of what to do and can be led down the path to a cleaner world.

Jason Vega

Describe two forces that shape the relationship between business and society. Provide two examples (one for each force you choose). Look for flaws and strengths in examples and applications. 

     Two forces that shape the relationship between business and society are globalization and new technology. Globalization plays a large role in the relationship between business and society. According to our text “Globalization refers to the increasingly interconnected network and flow of goods and services across national and international boundaries” (Hammond, & Christensen, 2016). An example of globalization shaping the relationship between business and society is McDonald's having separate menu items in different countries. This enables McDonald's to adapt to whatever environment they are in which can be considered a strength in terms of business.

     Technology is consistently changing and businesses adapt accordingly. An example is social media. Businesses have turned to social media to market new products and reach more customers. “The rise of Internet-based social networks and social media has been very difficult for corporations to understand and navigate” (Hammond, & Christensen, 2016).  Businesses have dedicated teams hired to manage their social media pages. Reaching a new market is a strength, opening a company up for the world to comment on may be considered a flaw.