Ben and Jerry’s take social responsibility very seriously. The Brazil nuts used in their rainforest crunch are responsibly harvested. Ben & Jerry's Ben & Jerry's wants to end white supremacy, among other progressive goals. Ben and Jerry’s supports a large portion of the bakery’s revenue and shares their philosophy (Taibi, 2013). Ben & Jerry’s Foundation The goal of the foundation is to provide funds for projects that gave back to communities. As a business we strive to create a world where everyone gets a 'fair slice of the pie', and use the voice and programmes at the heart of our aspiring social justice company to make this happen. We were becoming businessmen (writing memos, hiring and firing people). Ben and Jerry’s has grown and flourished, embracing their ethical and responsible beginnings while always adding to it. In the company’s mission statement, it is clear that Ben & Jerry’s has a mission focused on public awareness, responsibility and improving the quality … Ultimately, a companys CSR is established to increase overall engagement. Ben & Jerry’s redefined their bottom line to include both the profit made and the improvements made for lives in the community. These two men aimed to create a generational transformation that would produce socially responsible entrepreneurs (Edmondson, 2014). Their business What most ice cream lovers may not realize is that Ben and Jerry’s is one of the first companies to put a strong emphasis on the importance of being ethical and socially responsible. They determined that each part was no more important than the other, stating that it was equal and interrelated (Edmondson, 2014). It was not our idea of a good time as children of the ’60s,” Greenfield said. A thorough search on Ben and Jerry’s reveals that the company has not been involved in any incidents where the moral, ethical, and social responsibility of the company was in question. The two asked, why weren’t all businesses working to improve the quality of life for everyone? From Cherry Garcia to Chunky Monkey, Ben and Jerry’s is an American favorite. For decades Ben & Jerry’s has been creating innovative flavors and exceptional experiences. They felt that because their community supported their growth from the beginning, they should be the first to benefit from the success of the business, prior to public offering (Edmondson, 2014). Ben & Jerry’s joins in a cooperative campaign with the national non profit, Children’s Defense Fund; the campaign goal is to bring children’s basic needs to the top of the national agenda. Ben & Jerry's social mission seeks to eliminate injustices in our communities by integrating these concerns into our day-to-day business activities. One way in which I thought Ben and Jerry’s most displays corporate social responsibility to the world around its company was their dedication to fair trade. Ben & Jerry’s has often participated in awareness and fundraising efforts for political and social issues by collaborating with non-profits such as Children’s Defense Fund (for children’s basic needs), Human Rights Campaign (for LGBT rights), and Common Cause (a government watchdog group), among others; and naming ice cream flavors in recognition of important and even controversial topics (such as renaming the Chubby Hubby… Ben & Jerry’s is a company that values social justice as much as its profitability and is unabashedly progressive in its politics. With the growing public awareness and demand about the CSR activities we at Ben & Jerry’s have taken this towards its employees and the society at large. Back in the early ’80s when CSR (corporate social responsibility) was still on the rise, Ben Cohen dubbed the phrase, “Caring Capitalism.” Both Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield remain local Vermont and global heroes for their outstanding community activism. “Business has become the most powerful force in our society,” supplanting religion and government. Corporate Social Responsibility, or CSR for short, is the idea that a company should be socially involved with the environment around itself. Post was not sent - check your email addresses! The company is know to have a progressive, nonpartisan social mission that seeks to meet human needs and eliminate injustices in local, national and international communities by integrating these concerns into its day-to-day business activities. Aside from their goal of making delicious and wholesome ice cream, Ben and Jerry wanted to set a course of change. The company responded not only by replacing that product, but by inviting the customer to tour the ice cream factory for free (Taibi, 2013). ( Log Out /  During the Occupy Wall Street protests, Ben and Jerry’s provided protestors free ice cream and invested in fueling the protest (Taibi, 2014). Managing Social Responsibility and Growth at Ben & Jerry’s INTRODUCTION Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield opened their first ice cream shop on May 5, 1978, in a converted gas station in Burlington, Vermont, investing $12,000 in secondhand equipment. Abstract. Recent Even though the company makes significant profits, to Ben and Jerry, that wasn’t the vision that started them off. This brand boasts delicious concoctions of toppings and ice creams that possess creative and entertaining flavor names. While your family is buying ice cream, … A few years later, they set up a foundation to receive 7.5% of Ben & Jerry’s pre-tax profits with the idea of funding social causes. According to a recent report from Aflac on corporate social responsibility (CSR) report from Aflac, consumers, workers, and investors are putting increasing pressure on American corporations to make meaningful contributions to the greater social good.. Ben & Jerry’s. This case study utilizes the story of Ben & Jerry’s struggles with corporate social responsibility to assist students in applying legal and ethical concepts to practical business situations in an international context. Analyse the methods used by Ben & Jerry’s to achieve this strategy. “We felt like our business was becoming a cog in the economic machine. This is just one of the many ways Ben & Jerry’s practices social entrepreneurship and corporate responsibility. They buy coffee directly from a coffee co-op in Mexico and wild blueberries harvested by a Maine tribe. Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window), Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window), Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window). This exploration includes a description of the concept of corporate social responsibility, and an investigation of some specific actions by Ben & Jerry’s to ascertain whether or not these actions are indeed socially responsible in nature. This not only assists the farms, but  reduces the environmental liabilities of both Ben and Jerry’s and the dairy farms. Ben & Jerry’s also campaigns against the use of rBGH, or recombinant bovine growth hormone. This can range from engaging in nonprofit causes, to bettering the community, or creating stronger connections between employees. Ben & Jerry’s was a small company whose impact was huge. In recent years, the Vermont-based ice cream company has used social media to scoop up customer delight far and wide. Switching into revival-preacher mode, Cohen and Greenfield asked the audience to raise their hands in support of getting corporations and their donations out of politics via a constitutional amendment. In 1991 Ben and Jerry made this ethical choice because it was, to them, the right thing to do. For decades Ben & Jerry’s has been creating innovative flavors and exceptional experiences. Ben & Jerry’s is currently organized as an autonomous subsidiary of Unilever, which has dozens of subsidiaries worldwide. Along with ice cream, Ben and Jerry’s have also become known as one of the best companies who care about the corporate social responsibility. On June 2, while many other brands in the United States were posting a black square to their social media accounts and making carefully worded statements about racism in the wake of George Floyd’s death, Ben & Jerry’s had a much more direct message. With this type of power, social damage and public awareness can oftentimes be ignored. Ben and Jerry’s takes care of those who are unemployed. Its strong corporate culture towards corporate social responsibility is recognized world-wide to be an example for every business. They believe businesses act in their own, narrow self-interest instead of improving the overall quality of life. The company additionally places great importance on mental health and stress. The statement is as follows, “Make the world’s best ice cream, Pursue progressive social change, and Provide fair compensation to employees and shareholders alike” (Edmondson, 2014). The strongest tool of business is its voice, Cohen said, but he deplored that many large. Learn about Ben & Jerry's values, corporate social responsibility, company mission, and the commitment to linked prosperity & sustainability. Its strong corporate culture towards corporate social responsibility is recognized world-wide to be an example for every business. Businesses have an abundance of global power and influence. Jostein Solheim: At Ben & Jerry’s, we don’t really have a [corporate social responsibility (CSR) program]. this would effectively gain a better outcome from employees and make the company more reputable. Ben & Jerry’s Corporate Social Responsibility. — to find the CEOs had high ethical standards,  didn’t exploit their workers, their communities or the environment, and supported worthy nonprofits. To start, Ben and Jerry’s has a liveable wage policy that offers employees almost double what minimum wage is and increases with inflation in the economy (Ben & Jerry’s, 2016). The ice cream company famous for its commitment to social responsibility makes it official. ( Log Out /  This report will: 1. “We were looking for our neighbors to ‘get a scoop of the action,’” Cohen said, hoping to make them co-owners and prosper along with the business. Ben and Jerry’s is a household name when it comes to ice cream. Rob Michalak has worked for Ben & Jerry’s on and off for 26 years and is now director of social mission. The business regularly awards $1.8 million dollars in grants to eligible nonprofit organizations, nominated by consumers and approved by employees (Ben & Jerry’s, 2016). The business is partnered with Greystone Bakery in New York. The company created pint packaging that reduced negative impacts on the environment. What they do for their own suppliers supports their efforts to improve the environment as well. Counselors and life coaches are available to employees, free of charge (Ben & Jerry’s, 2016). To start, Ben and Jerry’s is a certified B corporation. Ice cream appeals to just about every demographic and the clever names and descriptions of each of these ingenious Ben & Jerry's crossovers ensures that both the young and old will dig them. The organization treats their customers well and supports their causes too. One way in which I thought Ben and Jerry’s most displays corporate social responsibility to the world around its company was their dedication to fair trade. Sure, we have an appetite for ice cream... but we also have a hunger for social justice! From their humble Vermont start, the goal has always been to be a sustainable, ethical, and responsible company. This unbiased audit contained not just the positive societal impacts, but also the negatives. With a few thousand dollars, a certificate from Penn State’s $5 correspondence course on ice cream making and a used, five-gallon motorized rock-salt ice cream maker, Ben & Jerry opened their business in Burlington, Vt., because no other ice cream parlors were there. But that balance isn't just one side versus the other. These local farms include some of their own suppliers, but is not solely based on their suppliers alone. Prior to the year 2000, Ben & Jerry’s had 1,200 employees. 3). With this, Ben & Jerry’s has another great social responsibility story to share with its customers worldwide. Companies will hook up with a politically correct charity for a while, but never take a stand on a real political issue. Ben & Jerry’s serves as a great example of how companies can demonstrate their commitment to diversity and inclusion. It doesn’t end there. The company has a three part mission statement. Ben and Jerry’s was founded in 1978 in Burlington, Vermont, where the headquarters resides today. Ben and Jerry’s Case Study: Organizational Development Intervention Analysis Introduction Warrick 2014, defines Organization Development (OD) as "the act or process of organizing, state or manner of being organized, which increases an organization’s effectiveness through planned interventions”. When the black lives matter movement began, the company named a flavor after the movement and donated proceeds to the cause (Ben & Jerry’s, 2016). Employees aren’t the only ones to be treated well by Ben and Jerry’s. Edmondson, B. He says that the company is having a bigger impact than before because of its increased size. Recap: Examples of Corporate Social Responsibility. The aim of this paper is to critically evaluate social responsibility of business in a global economy. But as unevolved children of the ‘60s, Ben and Jerry cling to the mantra that all businesses (other than theirs and an anointed few), big and small, are by nature evil or at least amoral. With this type of power, social damage and public awareness can oftentimes be ignored. This fact alone does not necessarily mean a company is being responsible for pure profit. Employee benefits include access to the wellness center. Ben & Jerry's is perhaps America's leading ice cream company, so it only makes sense that people would want to advertise with them. Ben and Jerry’s gives the foundation 7.5% of its annual pretax profits. They buy coffee directly from a coffee co-op in Mexico and wild blueberries harvested by a Maine tribe. These accommodations consist of shortened work days, change of hours, shortened work weeks, and leave days designed specifically around the child’s health and childcare (Ben & Jerry’s, 2016). They’re well known for customer service, but also for the support of customer causes. Ben and Jerry’s gives the foundation 7.5% of its annual pretax profits. Change ), You are commenting using your Google account. Create a free website or blog at WordPress.com. And 40 years on, many other companies are still trying to catch up — including Unilever, which began to take its own social responsibility more seriously after buying Ben & Jerry’s. In order to gain this stature, a company must pass rigorous standards consisting of social responsibility, environmental performance, accountability, and transparency (Carpenter &, McCambridge, 2015). This bakery produces the brownies used in several of their flavors (Taibi, 2013). Ben and Jerry’s sets up a deconstruction program for their dairy farm suppliers, in which the organization sends their dairy waste from the Vermont plants back to farms (Carpenter &, McCambridge, 2015). Start the New Year off with Charming Picnics! It is clear that many of these activities do not benefit their profits directly. Ice Cream Social: The Struggle for the Soul of Ben & Jerry’s. This project supports the safeguarding of water quality from dairy farm by-product (Ben & Jerry’s, 2016). Ben & Jerry’s has set up a charitable foundation to help support a variety of projects based in the markets in which it operates. Speaking in Edinburg at the UTRGV Distinguished Speakers series on the “Entrepreneurial Spirit, Social Responsibility and Radical Business Philosophy” the duo riffed on their book Double Dip: How to Run a Values-Led Business and Make Money, Too. This unbiased audit contained not just the positive societal impacts, but also the negatives. Ben and jerry’s take on corporate social responsibilities or in more simple manner of CSR is taking action to achieve more desired goals to expand their business growth and also maintaining open line communication with employees to gain a better outcome. Ben and Jerry's certified as a socially responsible business. Ben & Jerry’s is a company that behaves in a socially responsible manner. In 1978, they took a $5.00 correspondence course from Penn State for ice cream making, used their $12,000 investment ($4,000 of which was borrowed), and opened their first ice cream shop in Burlington, Vermont, USA (Ben & Jerry’s, n.d., para. Ben & Jerry’s rags-to-riches story, as told by Greenfield, is spell-binding. It’s an integral part of our … Ben & Jerry’s is a company that values social justice as much as its profitability and is unabashedly progressive in its politics. 3. In the winter, they had to diversify and began delivering their ice cream to restaurants and small groceries, soon expanding into neighboring states and fighting off national brands. Ben & Jerry's Corporate Social Responsibility Ben and jerry’s use CSR to achieve more desired goals to increase the growth of their business and also help them maintain open line communication with employees. Ben & Jerry's is more than just an ice cream company. Caught by the evangelical spirit, many did raise their hands before reaching out those hands for free ice cream. Money can be the root of all opportunity.”. The ice cream bar boxes are made of 100% post-consumer recycled paperboard and are compost friendly (Ben & Jerry’s, 2016). Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield are well known both as the founders of the super-premium ice cream company with an array of tempting and humorously named flavors and as the founding fathers of “caring capitalism.” This case analyzes the company Ben & Jerry's through the lens of the corporate social responsibility (CSR) movement. info@valleybusinessreport.com, Copyright © 2021,  Powered by Amplify media + marketing. Ben and Jerry’s take social responsibility very seriously. This is a prime example of pioneering an ethical culture within a company, as 1991 was not a time of great acceptance. In its 1999 annual report, social auditor James Heard wrote: “Ben & Jerry’s most impressive achievement regarding its social mission is the way in which it has institutionalized the company’s values into decision-making. Mike Hayes, Integrated Marketing Specialist at Ben & Jerry’s, was kind enough to share a few of their brand-driven insights on how they use social media. There is also a code of conduct the company requires all suppliers to operate within (Ben & Jerry’s, 2016). Ben & Jerry’s is founded on and dedicated to a sustainable corporate concept of linked prosperity. Ben & Jerry’s is a company that behaves in a socially responsible manner. The corporate culture of “Doing Good by Doing Good” and “Peace, Love and Ice cream” establish the guideposts for how employees behave in the business. Ben & Jerry’s operates franchised ice cream shops, but franchisee fees are waived for those shops run by nonprofit social service agencies, like those running at-risk youth job training programs. Deciding to grow the business in way consistent with their values of supporting their employees and the community, they held the first ever public stock option in Vermont. It's like sliding a dimmer switch as opposed to an on-off switch. Ben & Jerry’s co-founders, Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield, have long been vocal about social justice causes, both through their ice cream flavors and their own activism. In today’s world, many companies accept that being socially responsible and ethical is important to business. It differentiates our products, motivates employees and creates a unique selling point,” Greenfield  said. Ben and Jerry’s offers a number of accommodations for parents up until their child reaches elementary school age. 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