The Purpose of Corporate Social Responsibility and Ethics
Introduction
The effective management of a company begins with developing a comprehensive strategic plan then aligning the activities of the company to that plan. The fundamental basis for a corporate strategic plan is the mission statement of the company. Every aspect of the company's activities, including corporate social responsibility (CSR), should draw from the strategic plan, and by extension, from the mission of the company (Tran, 2019). CSR is a form of self-regulation that enables a company to become an excellent corporate citizen. Such self-regulation includes adherence to applicable laws and ethics and also acting in the best interest of the community. Ford Motor Company has a reputation for its effective CSR strategy that combines the ethical and philanthropic pillars of responsibility, based on the company's mission statement.
The CSR Policy of Ford Motors Company
Ford has an elaborate CSR policy that covers both the official activities of the company, which is the production of cars and the secondary philanthropic activities that the company engages in. Ford's CRS policy has three mainstays. The first is enhancing people's lives, which includes components such as using innovation to produce the best possible mobility for its customers (Ford, 2019). The second is advancing our planet, which involves issues such as environmental protection and charitable activities. The third mainstay is innovating future motions that seek to limit the overreliance of cars, more so in urban centers. This third pillar includes the development of a transport mobility cloud in urban centers to ease the process of moving (Ford, 2019).
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Pillars of Responsibility they Seem Most Focused on
The two pillars that the CSR policy of Ford is most align with are the ethical and philanthropic pillars. For clarity, Ford also engenders the economic and legal pillars, but the ethical and philanthropic pillars are more prominent. First, the mainstay of enhancing peoples' lives through its manufacturing process aligns with business ethics. Ford is not just seeking to develop the best marketable cars, as it is also seeking to ensure that their cars provide actual value for its customers and improve the quality of their lives (Ford, 2019). Secondly, the second and third mainstays align with philanthropy. Ford seeks to apply innovation to limit the impact of its manufacturing activities on the environment beyond regulatory minimums. Further, the CSR projects that support education and other charitable programs exhibit philanthropy. Its transport mobility cloud project is also charitable as Ford does not benefit from it financially (Ford, 2019).
How the Company's Mission Statement Aligns with its CSR Policy
Ford's mission statement is " to make people's lives better by making mobility accessible and affordable " (Thompson, 2019). By protecting the environment and initiating charitable projects, Ford is making the lives of people better, over and above making good cars for them. For a second example, Ford's transport mobility cloud is seeking to make mobility accessible and affordable for all people, not just its customers. Indeed, the transport mobility cloud is an archetypal example of seeking to meet the mission of Ford in a manner that might seem to limit sales. By helping people find alternative modes of transport in urban centers, Ford is not advancing the sale of its primary product, cars. The move is inordinately philanthropic, yet it aligns with the mission statement of the company, meaning that the mission statement has a charitable component.
Conclusion
Based on the analysis and discussion above, Ford has a comprehensive CSR policy that focuses on the ethics and philanthropic pillars of responsibility. Among the areas that exhibit business ethics is seeking to ensure that its products provide actual value to its customers. Similarly, philanthropic aspects include environmental protection and assisting the community ease the process of mobility. Finally, Ford's CSR also aligns with its Mission Statement, a fact that ensures that its CSR projects are aligned with its overall strategic plan.
References
Ford. (2019). Our Future is in Motion: Sustainability 2018/19. Ford Motor Company . https://corporate.ford.com/microsites/sustainability-report-2018-19/index.html
Thompson, A. (2019, August 22). Ford Motor Company's Mission Statement & Vision Statement: An Analysis. Panmore Institute . http://panmore.com/ford-motor-company-vision-statement-mission-statement
Tran, B. (2019). Corporate social responsibility. In Advanced Methodologies and Technologies in Business Operations and Management (pp. 270-281). IGI Global.
