Teck Resources Ltd. has been Canada’s largest diversified resources company since it was formed in 2001 when the company’s Cominco and Teck merged. They are in the mining business and they produce materials such as copper, zinc and coal. Businesses in this line of work all come across a similar problem, the environment. In this article, Mark Hume speaks of how Teck Resources had devised a plan to fix the selenium pollution problem in British Columbia’s Elk Valley that they had caused but failed miserably. They created a $100 million water treatment plant that was supposed to be the solution to this problem. It was evident that it did not work when Environment Canada reported that selenium levels were so high that fish were being born with deformed body parts. 

This is just a short description of what Teck resources does on a day to day basis.

Teck Resources’ treatment plant developed to improve their environmental stance. This clearly turned out to back fire on them and has become an even bigger problem. Their plan was to improve their corporate social responsibility. When Teck was developing their plan they kept in mind the three aspects of the Triple Bottom Line; social, environmental and economic. Socially, they recognized that the treatment facility would improve their brand image since the public would notice their efforts in saving the environment. Developing the plant shows that they are committed to improving the environment by reducing waste creation, increasing waste reduction and treating their polluting emissions. Both improving brand image and improving the environment go hand in hand. When you try to do one thing for your company you usually have to do the other too. These two things contribute to the final aspect of the triple bottom line which is economics. They both lead to the company being more profitable. Whether it is from increased public awareness due to the positive environmental actions or the possible growth opportunities that come from a more positive brand image.

This is an illustration of how a company must focus on CSR just as much as they do the business side of things.

Despite all the thought that Teck Resources may have put into their Triple Bottom Line and creating a more positive CSR it all went to waste. Their treatment plant did not work and seems as though it made the problem worse. This proves that it is not as easy as it seems to do these things. It takes well thought out planning, tough decision making, large amounts of money and precise execution. Something may look great on paper, just like Teck Resources treatment plant, but it is rarely the case where everything goes smoothly. Ultimately, the point is that contributing to sustainable development and creating a good Corporate Social Responsibily for a company is a difficult thing to do.

Here is a video showing what the pollution of these waters means for BC:

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/news-video/video-polluted-waters-what-the-mount-polley-mine-spill-means-for-bc/article19989169/

Source(s) Used:

Teck.com. Teck Resources, n.d. Web. 9 Nov. 2014. <https://www.teck.com/Generic.aspx?PAGE=Teck+Site/Diversified+Mining&portalName=tc>.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/british-columbia/teck-water-treatment-plant-shut-down-after-dozens-of-dead-fish-found/article21359828/

Hume, Mark. “Teck Resources Water-Treatment Plant Shut After Dead Fish Found.” The Globe and Mail [Vancouver] 28 Oct. 2014: n. pag. Print.

https://www.teck.com/Generic.aspx?PAGE=Teck+Site/Diversified+Mining&portalName=tc

In the National Hockey League, the Boston Bruins are looked at as “the team to beat” year in and year out. There are many reasons why their organization is so respected by other teams and why other teams fear them so much. One of the main reasons they are so successful is that they have built a certain culture into their entire organization. They have been nicknamed “The Big Bad Bruins.” They pride themselves on being a strong, physical and tough team to play against. This is a huge reason why they have had so much success. If your team doesn’t have an identity then you will not be successful. Weaker teams only have a few good players but do not have that sense of unity that teams like Boston have. They may not be the most skilled or do things the prettiest way but they work together and all have one similar goal in mind. That is winning the Stanley Cup.

This is the Boston Bruins team identity and what they are known for across the league.

Similarly to the world of professional sports, the business world can use this philosophy to be successful also. Integrating a certain culture into a company should be high on the CEO’s to-do list.  Employees need to represent their company’s values through the way they interact with customers. They cannot be ignorant and unreliable or else the company will lose these direct customers and possibly future customers due to them.  If the employees perform their duties the way they were instructed to do then they will be rewarded. For example, the company Zappo’s (Online Shoe Company) wants everyone to feel equal in the company and want it to feel like a second home. They offer things like free everyday meals and free medical insurance. The CEO has the same office space as any other employee and only makes $36,000 a year. Their goal is to raise the entire company’s morale which will ultimately increase performance. The culture they are implementing into their company is that everyone should be happy and enthusiastic when ding their job.

Comparibly, the Boston Bruins ad Zappos both have one common plan. That is to establish a certain type of culture throughout their organizations.Both in the sports and business world’s success depends on how well your team works together. If your whole team doesn’t have the same mentality then your system will not work and there will always be someone better. To stay on top you have to go above and beyond anybody else in your industry.

Source(s) Used:

Lentile, Sal J. “The Boston Bruins Philosophy: You’re All In, Or You’re Out.” TheHockeyDaily.com. N.p., 16 Sept. 2013. Web. 10 Nov. 2014. <http://thehockeydaily.com/boston-bruins-philosophy-youre-youre/>.

http://thehockeydaily.com/boston-bruins-philosophy-youre-youre/

Article: http://www.vancouversun.com/news/metro/Unilateral+park+declared+Tsilhqot+includes+Prosperity+mine/10192766/story.html

Whenever the First Nations need something or do not approve of something they are usually given what they please. No matter what the matter is, it seems as though nobody wants to upset them. In some cases I’m sure that the First Nations make pretty good cases and receive what they deserve. On the other hand though, I’m sure there is instances where they do not make good arguments and still get what they want because nobody wants to go against them. I am a person who believes that one should only get something if they truly deserve it.

On September 11th, 2014 there was an article in the Vancouver Sun titled “Tsilhqot’in set to declare site of New Prosperity mine a tribal park.” Just from reading the title I noticed that this was another story about the First Nations complaining about some companies project that is supposed to be built on a specific piece of land. Stories like this seem to always involve First Nations people if you ask me. To be specific, Taseko Mines Ltd planned on opening a mine on the land that they own around Fish Lake (near Williams Lake). The Natives, who have “long opposed” the mine, have suddenly decided to make this land part of their Tribal Park. This would mean that the mine would not be permitted in the area it originally planned on occupying. The area of the mine was recognized by the courts as out of the Tribal Park boundary. Despite that, the natives still decided to expand the park boundary into the mine site.

These types of situations are what is happening in these native disputes. They believe that they are entitled to the land and have outright power in the situation. When they do this, the companies they are fighting against are losing big deals and lots of money. Taseko Mines Ltd had planned this $1.1-billion New Prosperity copper-gold project and now they do not know the future of it. Since the natives disputed their business plan they have no way out really. The future of the project ultimately lays in the natives hands which is not good for the company. I feel that it is not right for the natives to just declare the land as part of their own park. Taseko had a development plan in place and put large amounts of time and money into creating it. Now all that work is for nothing and its all over for them. Just like that? How are the natives able to do that? I do not think that they should have that much control in the outcome of the situation. There is really no way for Taseko to work around this. Their business plan was ruined. The natives cannot just declare the land theirs and expand their boundary without giving Taseko a chance to defend itself. The problem is that it seems as thought they can, and everyone seems to just let them continually do it.

Article: www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/international-business/us-business/hp-faces-10-year-ban-as-canadian-governments-technology-supplier/article20774807/

Hewlett-Packard, otherwise known as the company HP, is one of the largest suppliers of hardware, software and services to small- and medium-sized businesses and large enterprises in the world. They supply technology to the government, health and education sectors. One could say that without the technology that HP provides, a lot of businesses and other corporations would be in trouble. The article above talks about how HP has gotten into some recent trouble of their own. They were caught giving bribes to Russian government officials in turn for a large government contract. The Canadian government, after hearing this, has invoked a 10 year ban on HP providing them with their technology. Canadian government is not as lenient as other countries when it comes to stuff like this. They stated that they are only going to do business with suppliers who “respect the law and act with integrity.” 

This affects both the Canadian government and HP in a very drastic way. The government now loses all the technology that HP has been supplying them over the years. They now have to go and search for another corporation that can provide the supplies that HP has given them for many years. That could be tough to do because HP is arguably the top technology supplier in the world and it is hard to find someone else that has the expertise and efficiency that HP maintains. On the other hand, HP is probably affected by this more than the government. They are losing not only the business that the Canadian government has provided them for many years but could possibly lose more because of it. Their other consumers may follow in the steps of the Canadian government and not purchase their goods anymore. This negative burden is now attached to their brand name. When someone decides on purchasing an HP product or another suppliers they may now choose against HP due their mistake. On that note, HP’s competitors take advantage. This now creates a new market for other technology suppliers since businesses may be looking for new suppliers to replace HP. If a business can produce products that are better than or equal to HP’s they could seriously challenge for this market.

The whole situation that HP has put themselves in could prove to be extremely harsh on the overall value of their company. They are going to have to come up with a well thought out business plan that will get them back to where they were. No business wants to have something like this labeled to them. Only negative things can happen when you are caught doing a criminal act and they can be very difficult to recover from. I am very interested to see what kind of plan HP is devising to overcome their wrongdoings.

Here is a video that sums up HP’s situation:

http://www.bnn.ca/Video/player.aspx?vid=451006

Article: http://www.cbc.ca/news/business/staples-closes-15-canadian-stores-1.2783780

Staples closed 15 of its 331 stores located in Canada at the end of September this year. Their reasoning behind these decisions was that certain store locations were underperforming and removing them would increase the results of the company. They have recently been in a “in-store sales slump” because the retail market is moving online. In the old days to purchase a good you had to go somewhere and buy it. This has all changed with the growth of modern technology. People now have the option to purchase goods online in the comfort of their own homes.

Online shopping is one of the most prominent innovations in the retail industry ever. It was what some would call a “game changer.” Retail stores are now the second option in most consumers eyes. This means that companies have to make adjustments. If all the business is online, what are companies going to do? They are going to make or improve their online stores. That is exactly what Staples is doing by removing those 15 stores. Since other competitors like Office Depot have closed retail stores and are moving their business online, Staples must do the same. In general to keep up with competitors, companies must keep up with modern ideas and innovations. If they choose not to then they are taking a huge risk that could leave them in a hole too big to dig out of. For example, if Staples did not expand their market online and only had retail stores they would probably go out of business. With just retail stores and no online option the company would have no diversity. The best companies are those who want to do more than just “keep up” with its competitors. They create their own innovations and come up with new ideas that will make consumers choose them. Staples has introduced in-store pickup windows, widened its office supplies product line and improved its copy and printing business. Staples is trying to improve business with these new market ideas and improvements of their products. In order to be successful, companies must be able to give the consumer exactly what they want and more.