Aligning HR Strategies with Corporate Social Responsibility: A Case Study of Unilever
Question
Task: How can Saint Peter restaurant in Sydney, Australia, leverage innovative business models assignment to navigate and thrive in the disrupted global hospitality industry amidst the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic?
Answer
Introduction
Due to its outstanding record in CSR and environmental activities, Unilever, a multinational consumer products corporation with operations in over 190 countries, was chosen for this project (Unilever, 2023). The assignment is to analyse how well Unilever's HR initiatives match with the organization's strategy, examine the contribution of HR to developing corporate citizenship, and contrast HR possibilities and difficulties with those faced by other international businesses. The Sustainable Living Plan of Unilever, which emphasises livelihoods, environmental impact, and health, is in line with the UN SDGs. The company's Sustainable Living Report makes clear how transparent it is. In order to understand the role that HR plays in advancing CSR activities and forming corporate values, the assignment aims to analyse how Unilever's HR practises promote fair and effective work environments.
Mission, Vision, Values
The goal of Unilever is to improve people's lives by offering food, personal care, and hygiene products that encourage wellbeing and self-confidence. They want to have a good social and environmental effect while becoming a worldwide leader in sustainable business. Unilever's dedication to doing business responsibly, accepting responsibility for their activities, and appreciating diversity is reflected in its values of integrity, accountability, respect, and innovation (panmore, 2023). These declarations of goal, vision, and values highlight the critical place that corporate social responsibility (CSR) plays for Unilever. They show how committed the organisation is to enhancing people's lives, sustainability, and social impact. Unilever's focus on duty, integrity, and respect demonstrates its dedication to moral corporate conduct and stakeholder involvement. Unilever's goal, vision, and values all show how deeply they have incorporated CSR into their company brand and business practises.
Corporate Social Responsibility Track Record
In terms of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), Unilever has an admirable history of starting sustainability projects and setting important goals. Several decades ago, the corporation started on its path towards CSR, and they have since increased its efforts to address issues with social issues, the environment, and corporate governance (BIRHANE, 2019).
When Unilever created its first environmental management programme in the early 1990s, its sustainability activities really took off. With the help of this programme, they hoped to reduce their impact on the environment and advance environmentally friendly business practises generally. Since then, Unilever has advanced significantly in a number of sectors.
Unilever introduced its Sustainable Living Plan in 2010, a comprehensive sustainability plan with challenging objectives for the business to meet by 2020. The three main objectives of the strategy were to improve livelihoods, lessen environmental impact, and improve health and well-being. It sought to include sustainability across every level of Unilever's value chain and business operations.
Under the Sustainable Living Plan, Unilever has made a number of significant advancements throughout the years. Through programmes like achieving 0% non-hazardous waste to disposal across all of their production facilities, they have lessened their influence on the environment. Unilever has made important advancements in improving lives as well, including empowering women through their Sustainable Living Young Entrepreneurs Awards and encouraging sustainable agricultural practises through partnerships with farmers.
Comparison of United Nations 17 Sustainable Development Goals
The 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations are supported by numerous of Unilever's CSR programmes, showing their commitment to tackling global issues (UN, 2023). The following is a description of how Unilever's CSR programmes relate to particular SDGs and includes some illustrations:
. Unilever strives to promote people's health and well-being through its products in accordance with SDG 3: Good Health and Well-Being. For instance, they offer programmes aimed at increasing access to clean water, encouraging good hygiene, and combating hunger.
b. Unilever is dedicated to advancing gender equality and empowering women in accordance with SDG 5: Gender Equality. There are initiatives like the Unilever Sustainable Living Young Entrepreneurs Awards that coach and encourage female company owners who are pursuing sustainable practises.
c. SDG 6: Access to Clean Water and Sanitation: Unilever strives to guarantee that these goals are met. They offer programmes aimed at encouraging excellent hygiene habits, water purification, and water conservation.
d. SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth: Unilever seeks to promote inclusive economic growth and opportunities for decent work. They place a high value on chances for skill development and career progression, safe working conditions, and fair pay.
e. Unilever is committed to sustainable consumption and production methods. SDG 12 is about responsible consumption and production. Programmes have been put in place to encourage recycling, lessen waste, and create environmentally friendly packaging options.
f. SDG 13: Climate Action: Unilever has committed to become carbon positive by 2030 and obtaining all of its energy from renewable sources, among other ambitious goals to lessen their environmental effect. To slow down climate change, they make investments in sustainable agriculture methods and renewable energy sources.
g. Partnerships for the Goals, SDG 17: To accomplish the SDGs, Unilever actively interacts with a range of partners, including NGOs, governments, and suppliers. They form partnerships to promote group activity and information sharing.
These instances show how Unilever's CSR activities support several SDGs. Unilever contributes to the larger global goal of attaining the SDGs and building a more sustainable future by tackling important sustainability concerns (UnitedNations, 2018).
Human Resources Management and Sustainability
The congruence between a company's goal, vision, values, and long-term sustainable development is strengthened through human resources management (HRM). With regard to Unilever, the HRM division may implement a number of initiatives to enhance ethical leadership and advance the business' dedication to sustainability (Bilala & Odari, 2021).
The HRM department can facilitate the alignment by:
Talent Acquisition and Development:
HRM may make sure that the firm recruits and hires people who share its sustainable aims and values. They can include hiring criteria for sustainability, such as testing applicants' familiarity with and commitment to sustainable practises. Additionally, HRM may create training and development initiatives that inform staff members about sustainability, empowering them to make meaningful contributions to the organization's long-term sustainable growth.
Performance Management and Incentives:
HRM may set up performance management programmes with sustainable targets and measures. HRM may emphasise the significance of sustainable practises inside the organisation by coordinating individual and team goals with sustainability aims. Additionally, HRM may create incentive plans that recognise staff members for their contributions to sustainability, promoting responsible leadership and developing a sustainability culture across the whole company.
Examples of specific actions the HRM department can take to support responsible leadership in Unilever are:
Leadership Development Programs:
Programmes for developing leaders that emphasise sustainability and responsible leadership may be created by HRM. This may entail mentorship and training programmes that provide executives the knowledge and abilities to incorporate sustainability into their decision-making, to encourage sustainable behaviour among their workforce, and to spearhead the company's sustainability strategy.
Employee Engagement and Communication:
By encouraging employee involvement and opening up communication channels that invite input from staff members on sustainability projects, HRM can support responsible leadership (Raja, 2021). Establishing employee resource groups with a sustainability focus, holding town hall meetings or forums, and using digital platforms for clear and open communication on sustainability-related issues are some examples of how to do this.
Conclusion
Unilever is a prime example of a large corporation that has effectively incorporated sustainability and corporate social responsibility (CSR) into its basic principles and daily operations. Unilever has achieved outstanding advancements in tackling social, environmental, and governance concerns thanks to its Sustainable Living Plan and dedication to the Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations. Their purpose, vision, and values demonstrate a strong dedication to enhancing lives, encouraging ethical leadership, and advancing environmentally friendly business practises. Human Resources Management at Unilever has played a crucial role in coordinating HR initiatives with the company's strategy and maintaining a positive work environment. The track record of Unilever serves as an example of the significance of CSR and the considerable contribution that a multinational company can make to create a more sustainable future.
Bibliography
Bilala, H. A., & Odari, S. (2021). Role of sustainable supply chain management practices on performance of manufacturing firms. A case of Unilever Kenya Limited. Jomo Kenyatta University.
BIRHANE, B. (2019). ASSESMENT OF FACTORS THAT AFFECT JOB SATISFACTION: IN THE CASE OF UNILEVER ETHIOIA. Doctoral dissertation, st. mary's University, 1-97.
panmore. (2023). Unilever’s Mission Statement, Vision Statement & Purpose (An Analysis). Retrieved June 5, 2023, from panmore Institute: https://panmore.com/unilever-vision-statement-mission-statement-analysis
Raja, S. (2021). The Do-Good Spirit: A Study in Unilever’s Digital Communication of Corporate Social Responsibility. Doctoral dissertation, Rutgers The State University of New Jersey, School of Graduate Studies.
UN. (2023). Sustainable Development. Retrieved June 5, 2023, from United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs: https://sdgs.un.org/goals
Unilever. (2023). Our Company. Retrieved June 5, 2023, from Unilever: https://www.unilever.com/our-company/
UnitedNations. (2018). Do you know all 17 SDGs? Retrieved June 5, 2023, from YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0XTBYMfZyrM
