Reference no: EM132188985
Executives consider it an honor to have their company named one of Business Ethics magazine’s “100 Best Corporate Citizens.” Companies are chosen from a group of one thousand, according to how well they serve their stakeholders—owners, employees, customers, and the communities with which they share the social and natural environment. Being in the top one hundred for five years in a row is cause for celebration. Two of the twenty-nine companies that enjoy this distinction are Timberland and the New York Times Company.
The two companies are in very different industries. Timberland designs and manufactures boots and other footwear, apparel, and accessories; the New York Times Company is a media giant, with nineteen newspapers (including the New York Times and the Boston Globe), eight television stations, and more than forty Web sites.
Visit the Timberland web site and The New York Times web site to learn how each, in its own way, supports the communities with which it shares the social and natural environment. Look specifically for information that will help you answer the following questions:
1. How does each company assist its community? To what organizations does each donate money? How do employees volunteer their time? What social causes does each support?
2. How does each company work to protect the natural environment?
3. Are the community support efforts of the two companies similar or dissimilar? In what ways do these activities reflect the purposes of each organization?
4. In your opinion, why do these companies support their communities? What benefits do they derive from being good corporate citizens?