Sustainbility - is it a matter of ability?
In writing my last paper on CR policy of NIke, I realised that in many ways, companies tend to be forced into taking responsible actions. In Nike's controversial 'Sweatshop' incident, it took Nike 10 years to finally get pressured by stakeholders to move (potentially as they realised they are losing financial value with slipping sales). What happened since the mid 1990s is a slow transformation and action taken to be more responsible - especially towards their 2nd or 3rd tier supply chain partners (and contract workers).
To be fair, Nike has taken a more responsible approach to procurement - something loads of fashion labels and retailers are guilty of not doing. In fact, Play Fair 2008 report for Beijing Olympics reported that many sports apparel business are still not working hard to improve the working conditions among contract workers. For the Beijing Olympics 2008 in Aug, in order to meet the deadline and massive orders, there have been higher incidences of overtime and poor working conditions. Even Nike was often cited for being slow in reacting.
In the end, one wonders if there is indeed Sustainability in all these? Companies claim to be sustainable but truly, do they have the ability to do it? If they have the ability, are they willing to do it? Plus, if they are doing it, are they responding fast enough? Or do we have another 10 years to wait for something marginal to occur? By then, what kind of world will we live in?
I believe there can be sustainability in businesses - companies are learning through the painful way that being responsible is no longer a nice to have. Premium pricing for Green products should no longer be the case. In the end, whether environmental or social, companies need to realise that being responsible is the way business conduct is deemed acceptable to all stakeholders, particularly customers.
Our world is indeed changing - and I hope this change can lead to a sustainable world - one that our future generation can be proud of (rather than despise our generation of eroding their basic right to living in a safe world).
To be fair, Nike has taken a more responsible approach to procurement - something loads of fashion labels and retailers are guilty of not doing. In fact, Play Fair 2008 report for Beijing Olympics reported that many sports apparel business are still not working hard to improve the working conditions among contract workers. For the Beijing Olympics 2008 in Aug, in order to meet the deadline and massive orders, there have been higher incidences of overtime and poor working conditions. Even Nike was often cited for being slow in reacting.
In the end, one wonders if there is indeed Sustainability in all these? Companies claim to be sustainable but truly, do they have the ability to do it? If they have the ability, are they willing to do it? Plus, if they are doing it, are they responding fast enough? Or do we have another 10 years to wait for something marginal to occur? By then, what kind of world will we live in?
I believe there can be sustainability in businesses - companies are learning through the painful way that being responsible is no longer a nice to have. Premium pricing for Green products should no longer be the case. In the end, whether environmental or social, companies need to realise that being responsible is the way business conduct is deemed acceptable to all stakeholders, particularly customers.
Our world is indeed changing - and I hope this change can lead to a sustainable world - one that our future generation can be proud of (rather than despise our generation of eroding their basic right to living in a safe world).