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CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY

Introduction
CSR is considered to be self-regulation in operating business in the international region. In this study, it is discussed that CSR helps a business to establish an internal organizational policy and ethical business practices. CSR contributes to an understanding of strategic initiatives that enhances the reputation of a company. It has been found that CSR strategy tends to encourage the company in order to make a positive effect on stakeholders such as customers, shareholders, committee, staff and also the environment. However, CSR has an impact on the outcomes in the financial aspect. Due to Covid-19, most of the people have been affected; this has an impact on CSR, which transformed the business towards society.

Impact of CSR on the retail sector in the UK
Retailing is known to be the large sector that contributes to the UK economy that provides offers of different ranges of services and products to customers. It has been suggested that reporting CSR activities made the companies capable of handling complex value. Integrating CSR into the business is a central way to focus on acquiring sustainable raw ingredients, managing of waste, climate change within the retail sector within the UK. It has been found that CSR achievements are the main objective for top retailers. For example, Tesco uses key performance indicators and assurance that helps them to measure CSR performance. In addition, in the retail sector, many companies use transportation to obtain raw materials and ship products to different stores. In this regard, retail companies tend to establish CSR in their business practices. This encourages them to reduce emissions of greenhouses from vehicles. For example, Sainsbury tries to transport all products in cases, and the company sets a target to decrease carbon emission per case transported by 5%. Most importantly, the company commits to decreasing the distance travelled through its STF (supplier transport fleets) by 2010. In addition, Sainsbury also made a commitment in 2007 to transform 20% of their online delivery fleet to GEV (green electric vehicles). Perry and Wood (2019, p.10) have stated that execution CSR with retail supply chains needs retailers to determine impact of social and environment in operating business on a huge array of stakeholders.

Figure 1: Figure representing that CSR business practices (Source: Sughra et al. 2019)

It is also acknowledged that the CSR strategy assists the retail companies to make sure that they are focusing on meeting requirements and expectations of customers. This is why retail companies tend to offer good quality and healthy products to customers. An example can be found in this respect, through integrating CSR practices in business Tesco has built customers question time meeting systems in order to identify issues and concerns of customers. This aids the company to improve its performance and enhance customer’s loyalty (Kuokkanen and Sun 2019, p.20). Corporate social responsibility encourages retail companies to mitigate discrimination in the workplace. With respect to the fact, the retail companies in the UK adopt the 2004 Disability Discrimination Act, which makes them understood how to treat disabled individuals with proper respect. It also has been recognized that UK retail companies provide disability awareness training in order to deal with disabled customers as well as staff.

Figure 2: Figure representing that staff training and education (Source: Hultman and Elg, 2018)

Additionally, managing workplace is the main aspect of the retail business. This is because the staff is an essential human resource for the success of the business. Therefore, there are certain factors that drive satisfaction of employees within the company. This include, •	Training and education •	Equality and diversity •	Effective recruitment •	Managing health and safety •	Rewards and benefits These commitments are established and strengthened when a retail organization adopts CSR business practices. CSR activities tended to make convinced the retail companies to improve the infrastructure of the local communities. This is why most of the retail companies made partnerships with local staff, local public services.

Issues in the UK retail industry and how to overcome it with CSR It has been found that the UK retail sector is struggling to grow from high competition in 2019. Beschorner and Hajduk (2017, p.10) have opined that by applying CSR context a firm can understand the perceptions of the organisational environment such as competition, regulations. In addition, changing customer’s interests is the main challenge in the retail sector.

Changing customer’s interests: It is known that shifting in demand of customers from offline to online introduce challenges for the retail companies in the UK. In the competitive retail circumstance, providing the best service to customers is another challenge for retail companies. Thereafter, lack of proper customer’s service program affects brand reputation, customer’s loyalty, customer retention capability of the company. It also has been found that poor customer-friendly channels such as social media, web chat and video have a negative impact on customers, as most of the staff are not aware of how to use these channels. However, when a retail company adapts CSR practices, they tend to focus on customer satisfaction. Therefore, it is concerned that if training and education can be provided to staff and monitor their performance, then they might deliver better service to customers through understanding their issues.

Poor supply chain management:

Figure 3: Figure representing that supply chain management with the help of CSR (Source: Gigabyte.com, 2020)

Supply chain management is the main aspect of the retail business. This is because inventory and logistics must be managed for delivering raw materials at the right time to the stores that will be sold to customers. However, nowadays, most of the retail companies had not managed supply chain management that led to the late delivery of the products and services. It is also noticed that poor relationships with suppliers by the retail companies increase operating costs and disrupts their reputation in the market. However, whenever a retail organization integrates CSR practice that promotes the company to establish a code of conduct for suppliers and maintain a good relationship with suppliers (Hultman and Elg, 2018, p.355). In addition, CSR strategy might encourage the company to provide training to suppliers on how they can deliver products just on time.

'''Ways business can utilize CSR to improve performances. ''' It has been found that a strong CSR program can help a retail business in order to improve performances and sustainable practices. There are some ways that business can use CSR that drives profitability and growth.

1. Boosts retention of staff:

Figure 4: Figure representing internal communication between staff (Source: Hrps.org, 2017)

Staffs are the main key to get success in the retail business. This is because, acquiring the best raw ingredient, serving best service to customers staff are the main key component. Chazireni (2019, p.5) has opined that CSR initiatives facilitate communication between each and every member among customers at the workplace for working in a sustainable and responsible way. Proper communication helps every individual to share their issues with seniors and resolve issues of customers in a sustainable way. This leads to higher rates of retention and to assist the companies in making a difference than existing companies, as employees adopt ethical behaviour. For example, Tesco reduces turnover rate up to 50% and increase productivity by 13% with the help of CSR strategy.

2. Builds brand image and reputation:

A solid CSR activity is a key part to improve organization's notoriety and help position as a moral and dependable option in contrast to rivals. It serves to make and continue trust between organization and customers, pulling in new business/associations, strengthening existing connections, and expanding market share. It has been found that Customers in the UK are very aware related to sustainability practices of the retail companies. For example, Marks and Spencer's focused on the implementation of a carbon-neutral plan in order to mitigate environmental issues. Therefore, this company moved to fairly traded products and decrease waste along with using organic cotton to produce clothing products within the agenda of CSR. This makes an impression on customers and enhances company’ brand reputation. 3. Express the activities of corporate social responsibilities:

Social advertising has become an essential element of most organizations' promoting campaigns. Web-based media platforms have empowered retail organizations to have a more extensive reach, and this is additionally an incredible chance to present its philanthropic endeavours. In acknowledgment of the intensity of web-based media, the management even makes web-based media groups within their ranks, and they are liable for dealing with their web-based media accounts. These web-based media accounts are the ideal roads to share the organization's CSR activities in front of customers. Due to the fact that most of the retail companies execute CSR activities, but customers are not aware of it. Del Giudice et al. (2018, p.530) have stated that most of the company get engaged in some form of CSR that helps them to communicate their activities through social media platforms. This is why it is more essential to make the customers aware of the CSR activities executed by the retail company.

5. Conclusion

It can be concluded that corporate social responsibility helps a retail company to gain trusts and loyalty of stakeholders as well as suppliers. Much retail company such as Tesco in the UK tend to manage supply chain by considering the corporate social responsibility in context. Through adopting CSR, the retail company might get engage in providing ethics training to employees. This helped staff to make ethical decisions and maintain the image and reputation of a company. This is why staff then became able to provide the best customers' services to all types of customers, especially disabled ones.