A. Jeff's attitude could be interpreted as a lack of involvement, concern, or
understanding of corporate social responsibility. Regardless of the exact
reason, it could pose several problems for Perry's Printing if his sole
interest is because a competitor has it and Perry's does not. Although it
doesn't specifically identify the CEO's age, there could be some
generational differences at play as well. Different generations tend to have
different experiences, values, viewpoints, and preferences, leading to
communication and leadership issues (Saylor, 2012-a, p. 329). The business
environment constantly changes, and corporate social responsibility has
become significantly more important to consumers and investors. Many
organizations have learned how to integrate successful CSR programs to
develop a competitive advantage.
If Jeff wants to adopt an aggressive CSR program to compete with
Donovan's, he will need to do more than slap a catchy slogan on their
website. The CEO must drive a CSR strategy to foster buy-in from internal
stakeholders and develop it into a competitive advantage integrated into
its Strategic Plan (Goldsmith, 2013, p. 16). For example, suppose Jeff wants
Perry's Printing to compete with Green or Sustainable companies. In that
case, it will need to integrate sustainability into the Strategic Plan. He will
also need to modify or create a vision and mission statement supported by
goals that align with the new strategy. Otherwise, it's just window dressing,
and Jeff runs the risk of sending the wrong message to the stakeholders of
Perry's Printing.
B. Perry's Printing must remember that no response is still a response. So,
ultimately, because Jeff now knows the situation, he must respond in some
fashion. However, before making any decisions, the organization should
probably conduct another analysis of its internal and external environment.
This should enable Perry's to determine if a modified or new strategy will
provide a competitive advantage or detract from its current position chain
(UMGC, n.d., " Week 2: External Environment Assessment," para. 1). When
Perry's Printing conducts its analysis, it should remember that it is not an
all-or-nothing strategy. Perry's can continue to brand itself as a family-
owned business and add a CSR program to inform its stakeholders that it
will ethically conduct business to benefit and improve society (Saylor,
2012-b, p. 590). Lastly, once Perry's Printing has analyzed its environment,
it could apply the eight-step Rational Decision-Making Model to weigh the
decision criteria, generate alternatives, and choose the best option for its
strategic direction (Saylor, 2012-c, p. 332).
C. Yes. However, sustainability won't sell a poor product or service.
Sustainability as a strategy incorporates social and environmental priorities
into a business's strategic plans and includes all aspects of the
organization's operations (Saylor, 2012-d, para 1). A company may have a
stand-alone CSR program, or it could integrate it into the overall business
strategy. Regardless, sustainability should be a part of the organization's
comprehensive strategic approach to business. For example, suppose
Perry's Printing chooses to adopt a sustainable approach to business. In
that case, it will not change the fact that it is a family-owned organization
or that it strives to provide competitively priced, quality signage for retail
stores. However, it adds another dimension to the organization that may
be important to some consumers or stakeholders. It could be the
determining factor for some stores when shopping for sign providers.
Additionally, it demonstrates to the community and its stakeholders that
Perry's Printing is committed to ethically conducting business to benefit or
improve society (Saylor, 2012-b, p. 590).
References:
Goldsmith, D. (2013). Rethinking the Company's Competitive Advantage.
Financial Executive, 29(6), 14- 17.
Saylor, (2012-a & c). Mastering Strategic Management.
https://resources.saylor.org/wwwresources/archived/site/textbooks/Maste
ring%20Strategic%20Management.pdf
Saylor Academy. (2012-b). The Business Ethics Workshop.
https://saylordotorg.github.io/text_the-business-ethics-
workshop/index.html
Saylor, (2012-d). A Primer for Sustainable Business.
https://saylordotorg.github.io/text_a-primer-on-sustainable-business/s11-
02-sustainability-asstrategy.html#:~:text=Sustainability%20as%20
strategy%20entails%20a,the%20world%20a%20better%20place.
