the competitive footwear industry

“A company’s duty to operate honorably, provide good working conditions for employees, be a good steward of the environment, and actively work to better the quality of life in the local communities where it operates and in society at large”.

However, despite the benefits that operating socially provides, there are also several inherent conflicts with corporate strategies:

  • Investment in CSR initiatives take resources that may compete with resources to improve profits and expand operations, or can significantly increase costs and require higher product prices that consumers may not always support.
  • Different countries in which firms operate may allow things such as child labor, low pay levels, and lax safety and environmental regulations. In fact, these maybe not only legal, but also socially acceptable. For example, in some countries, families rely on children to work and earn wages to help support the family.

How should I answer the following questions for the competitive footwear industry that I am participating in as part of the BSG simulation which is Affect! footwear company.

  1. What are some additional ways that a footwear company could contribute to CSR initiatives that are not part of the BSG simulation? How would you balance the benefit with the cost?
  2. How do you answer criticism that by building plants in countries with much lower labor and manufacturing costs, it is often at the expense of jobs, revenue, and expertise in US?