Assignment 4 is a critical analysis assignment. For this assignment, we are assigning the company W.L. Gore and asking that you think of, research and consider a”Corporate Social Responsibility” (“CSR”) problem or opportunity facing W.L Gore.

Exactly what corporate social responsibility is, is not 100% clear and is the subject of some controversy. Some research on this topic at the outset might help. However, the most common definitions of CSR define CSR as a responsibility of businesses to behave ethically and contribute to economic development of the business while also improving the quality of life of the workforce and their families as well as of the community and society as a whole. There are some “laissez faire” capitalists who will say that there’s no such thing as corporate social responsibility and that the responsibility of a business is to maximize profits for its shareholder. For our purposes, we’re assuming that there is at least some level of corporate social responsibility. The extent to which you think there ought to be such responsibility can (and probably will anyway) influence your analysis.

First, you will need a research basis for your essay. NPC is providing you with 2 sources to start you off:

1. Innovation: The Classic Traps

Author: Kanter

2. W. L. Gore – Culture of Innovation case

Author: Rao

Both resources can be accessed from the “slides and documents” page for this course on the NPC student website.

You may find and use any additional academically reliable resources you like. The NPC virtual library can be used to gather additional research material. The precise amount of research and the extent to which you use additional outside sources (other than the above two) is left to your discretion. A good paper can be written with just the 2 sources above, but additional sources may be helpful.

Once you’ve done your research, the next step is to write your paper. The over-all goal of your paper is to present the corporate social responsibility problem or opportunity. (This can be one you think of by yourself or one that you read about, though remember that citations are necessary whenever quoting another source.)

While there is not necessarily one “best” way to write a critical analysis paper and you can still earn a good grade with another format, we strongly suggest the following structure:

• Start with an Introduction discussing: a brief description of the background of the corporate social responsibility (CSR) problem or opportunity facing Starbucks, the stakeholders impacted; what organizational environments are relevant (external, task, and internal), and the current situation (the nature and dimension of the problem/opportunity). Your introduction must end with a specific one-sentence statement of the management problem/opportunity that your paper will address. The one-sentence statement is critical because is it frames the rest of your paper. 

• Two Alternative Solutions: Each solution must address the CSR problem/opportunity you stated in your introduction – do not address a different problem or opportunity than the one stated. State the solution first, and then explain what the solution involves – your discussion of a solution should also clarify what specific steps that W. L. Gore must take and what specific managers should be involved in the implementation of the solution. Use academically sound sources (example: scholarly or peer-reviewed articles) to support your solutions – with quotes and/or paraphrasing. 

• An Evaluation: Each alternative solution must be evaluated separately, using a pro/con structure. Then your evaluation should explain how the solution is feasible and what aspects of the implemented solution the organization must monitor to make sure implementation of the solution stays on track. 

• Your Recommendation: Discuss with well-reasoned arguments why one of your two stated solutions is the best course of action at this company as compared to the one you did not choose, and support your choice with academically sound sources.

• A list of References must be attached, as a separate page to the critical analysis paper. The Reference list should be APA formatted (as an alternative, MLA or Chicago style formatting is also acceptable). If you are unfamiliar with these citation styles, the Purdue Online Writing Lab can be of great help. https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/section/2/ 

Length: The minimum length is 750 words. There is no maximum length. The exact length is left to your discretion.

Please review the Sample Critical Analysis Paper with comments (accessible from the slides and documents page) to get a visual picture of how your paper should be structured.

Question: Discuss an example of a time (or situation) when directness was appropriate in your response giving negative information. Why was it appropriate to use a direct response instead of an indirect response?

responses: 1. Giving a negative response is always hard for a speaker and recipient. Although, it is necessary.Have you ever in a situation that you realize your best friend’s problem but he/she doesn’t? It’s hard to give them a feedback which can hurt their feeling. However, because he/she is our friend and we just want them to be better, truly, we have to do it. Why do we do it? Because we respect them. We want them to realize that they are wrong and they need to fix it, otherwise it may be worse. Giving negative response is not we want to be bossy but because we sincerely care about them, about their business. That’s why we have to be honest with them. Another reason why we should not go round and round in this kind of conversation is we are friend. We share things together. You need to know what should be directly response and what should be indirectly response which may cause confusion. 

2.The example for directness I will be using is dealing with an employee issue.  The first two times that I addressed the tardiness was indirect and was for all of the employees in my department.  We went over the schedule and what time each one should be present and also what time each employee was able to leave. This was indirect because the group had the same hours.  When the problem persisted with one individual, I then had to change to a direct response.  I called the employee into my office and sat down with him one on one and also had to document the conversation.  This direct approach was needed because he was the one violating the policy. 

3.

Working with insurance claims on a daily basis, I consistently use the indirect method to break news to policyholders on issues with insurance coverage. There have been times, however, when dealing with internal personnel issues that I felt the direct method was more appropriate. In one particular case, an issue with one of my direct-reports occurred on a day that I was out of the office, and the issue had already been addressed by my superior the day prior. By the time I got involved to discuss the consequences of the individual’s action, I felt more appropriate using the direct method as the employee already was informed of the forthcoming disciplinary actions the day before.

Assignment 1: Not All Companies Are Viewed as Equal

In the land of free trade, the public does not view all industries as equal. Do you believe that is ethical? Do you believe that some industries are unfairly targeted? Should it be consumers’ choice to partake in products that are not healthy for them, or do those companies have an ethical obligation to protect people? In this assignment, you will choose one (1) industry to write about. Possible industries to research could be tobacco, soda, alcohol, casinos, or candy companies, just to name a few.

Write a one and a half to two (1½ – 2) page paper in APA format, in which you:

1. Become an advocate for either the consumer or the industry. Prepare an argument explaining the major reasons why you support either the consumer or the industry.
2. Explain the role capitalism plays in corporate decision making.
3. Discuss if you believe it is possible for a company to cater to both its best interest and that of the consumer conjointly or if one always has to prevail. Justify your response.
4. Use at least two (2) quality references. Note: Wikipedia and similar Websites do not qualify as academic resources.
5. Format your assignment according to the following APA formatting requirements:
   1. Typed, double spaced, using Times New Roman font (size 12), with one-inch margins on all sides.
   2. Include a cover page containing the title of the assignment, your name, your professor’s name, the course title, and the date. The cover page is not included in the required page length.
   3. Include a reference page. Citations and references must follow APA format. The reference page is not included in the required page length.

The specific course learning outcomes associated with this assignment are:

• Determine the considerations for and process of ethical business decision making to balance corporate and social responsibilities, and address moral, economic, and legal concerns.
• Analyze selected business situations using the predominant ethical theories, such as utilitarian, Kantian, and virtue ethics to guide ethical business decision making.
• Use technology and information resources to research issues in business ethics.
• Write clearly and concisely about business ethics using proper writing mechanics