Article link: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/ford-adds-1000-jobs-at-retooled-oakville-plant/article20869421/

Ford MC is an American multinational manufacturer of automobiles, founded in 1903 by Henry Ford with a headquarters located in Dearborn, Michigan. Ford is also a pioneer in the large-scale production of cars, introducing processes such as assembly line production to the auto motor industry. The article discusses Ford’s recent decision to create 1,000 jobs at their Oakville, Ontario plant to help prepare for the launch of their new model of the Ford Edge. 

Not long before the announcement, the employment level in vehicle assembly was facing an all time low, with a decline of 23% from 64,700 in 2013 to 49,000 in June 2014. One main reason for this drop is automation of the production process, which is the shift from using labor workers to operating equipment and machines in the manufacturing of a product. With new technology developments over time, more and more businesses have shifted to this new system of production. Automation is also more common in the auto motor industry, as the production process involves the moving and manipulation of heavy materials not easily handled by a person. Automation can help speed up the product process and eliminate all human error. However, the risk of machine breakdown exists, employees need to be trained to monitor these machines, and maintenance costs are still incurred. 

Automation has reduced the need for employees in the production process, which has led to a large decrease in employment levels. Therefore, it can be seen that it is rare case for a motor company such as Ford to suddenly create a large number of employment opportunities. 

Article link: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/industry-news/energy-and-resources/canada-risks-being-left-behind-as-green-energy-takes-off/article20714118/

This article talks about the new rising industry that is green energy. Over time, more and more countries such as China and the United States are investing heavily into the industry of sustainable energy. This also includes large multinational corporations such as Google, Wal-Mart Stores, Apple, and Ikea. The benefits resulted from this shift go beyond economical improvement, as it also reduces the pollution and waste generated by these companies, and increases the awareness of the use of sustainable energy. However, Canada did not respond as enthusiastically to this shift to renewable energy. 

In 2014, as more countries go through the process of industrialisation, environmental issues have become more significant than ever, which also means that pressure groups have become more intolerant with corporations who do not put effort into establishing sustainable values. This has forced businesses to look for alternatives to the use of fossil fuels in the production process. As more large-scale corporations invest into the new trend that is green energy, others may become influenced to do the same. This is beneficial especially for countries such as China, where large amounts of pollution are produced due to the numerous factories and manufacturing plants located there. As mentioned in the article, China’s new renewable energy plants have now surpassed its investments in the generation of coal. If the countries that are currently hesitant to invest in the green energy market such as Canada become willing to do so, these will be the first steps that would lead to a more sustainable global market, which will not only create economic gains, but also improve the natural environment. 

Article link:

http://www.csrwire.com/press_releases/35509-Walmart-Highlights-Sustainability-Progress-in-its-2013-Global-Responsibility-Report

Apart from the generation of profit, one of the key points mentioned by R. Edward Freeman in the “What is Stakeholder Theory?” video on preventing a business from entering the stage of decline, is the business’s fulfilment of its corporate social responsibility. One of these responsibilities include establishing sustainable business practices. In today’s society, businesses are often criticised by pressure groups for issues such as high levels of air pollution and the depletion of natural resources. This is most evident during the production process, especially for multinational corporations such as Walmart and Target which utilises large numbers of factories producing insurmountable amounts of waste. 

One business that has focused on becoming more sustainable is Walmart. Walmart is an American multinational retail corporation that owns chains of department and warehouse stores across the world. The article, published in April of 2013, highlights Walmart’s extensive efforts on fulfilling its environmental responsibilities. For example, it focused on using more renewable energy sources, selling more sustainable products, and reducing plastic shopping waste etc. Evidently, Walmart is fulling committed to R. Edward Freeman’s theory of the importance of being socially and environmentally responsible in order to maintain a successful business. Andrea Thomas, Walmart’s senior vice president of sustainability, stated that “the accomplishments we are sharing today represent Walmart’s focus on our customers, our business and our communities.” However, referring to the reading excerpt “The Social Responsibility of Business is to Increase Profits”, one may question whether or not it is optimal for Walmart to be spending its money and resources on these efforts, and whether or not these efforts are purely actions of window-dressing or attempts to deceive its customers.

Bibliography:

CSR Press Release. (2013, April 22). RSS. Retrieved September 11, 2014, from http://www.csrwire.com/press_releases/35509-Walmart-Highlights-Sustainability-Progress-in-its-2013-Global-Responsibility-Report