GE Organizational Structure Analysis

GE Organizational Structure Analysis 1. Introduction This essay identifies GE on the life-cycle chart during the transition from Jack Welch to Jeff Immelt as CEO. It also addresses the changes he made to its organizational structures, thereby achieving his goals. Furthermore, highlighting the risks and trade-offs accompanied with those changes. Finally, this essay also gives recommendations to the transportation department of GE for the new Hybrid project. 2. Life-cycle Source: Adapted from Robert E. Quinn and Kim Cameron, Organizational lifecycle and Shifting Criteria of effectiveness: Some Preliminary Evidence, Management Science 29 (1983), 33-51: and Larry E. Greiner, Evolution and Revolution as Organizations Grow, Harvard Business Review 50 (July-August 1972), 37-46 (Cited in Organizational Theory and Design Daft et al, 2010) In terms of structure, GE was focused on having close relationship with all members of staff, with small company type thinking where everybody was on first name calling basis. In a speech by Jack Welch in his final management meeting he stressed the following, Fight like hell to keep the small company spirit, involve everyone, reward broadly celebrate! Celebrate! Celebrate! Hate bureaucracy, hate it every day and dont be afraid to use the word hate, laugh at bureaucrats and get rid of Layers make fun of layers, joke about layers. They slow, they insulate, and they are what cheap people do in lieu of pay raises for people. (Jack Welch, 2000) As for products and services, Jack  Welch shifted GE business from purely manufacturing to financial services through numerous acquisitions. A list of GE products include Aviation, lighting, electric distribution, media and entertainment, energy, oil and gas, finance- consumer, finance- business, rail, water, healthcare. Reward and control systems in GE where extensive, tailored to product and department. The reward system was greatly differentiated by Jack Welch and he did so mainly based on performance and those who failed where fired from the company. Jack Welch differentiated employees by implementing pay for performance matrices applied to all GE staff where he grade staff from outstanding to unacceptable and bonuses were based on these ratings. Any who fell below par were eliminated from the company. (Jim Pinto, 2007) The main focus and goal of the company is to maintain their reputation as well as complete organization. The stress on reputation was also paramount in GE a quote from Jack Welch the retiring GEO attests to that fact. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Just someone doing something stupid from a legal point and bringing tarnish to the company and destroying themselves and their families in the process (Jack Welch, 2000). Top management style means team approach, attack bureaucracy. As earlier quoted we see the emphasis on attack of bureaucracy and the team approach encouraged by the then CEO Jack Welch. Organization reached stage maturity and may encounter periods of temporary decline. Figure 2 (Taken from investorguide.com) acts as evidence showing the company stocks at a decline from 2001 when Jeff Immelt took over as CEO from Jack Welch. This was as a result of external factors such as the post internet bubble stock market drop and the downturn in the economy which resulted in the drop of confidence of investors in big organizations especially after the post Enron scam. Figure 2 GE Stock Chart (Taken from investorguide.com) Need for revitalization-The decline of stocks and profits in GE indicated a need for revitalization in the company. The Company shares was trading at $23 compared to its $60 in August 2000 ,and the modest increase in profits on revenues by 7% compared to the double digits delivered by the former CEO. There was a need therefore to improve company performance and this could not be accomplished by replicating the same strategy of his predecessor. He therefore embarked on a change in strategy focusing on organic growth through technological leadership, commercial excellence and global expansion. 3. Immelts goals It is apparent that in the year 2000 after Jack Welch retired from GE, Jeff Immelt who was elected by the board members of the company became the new CEO. However, at the same time, the global economy was experiencing a significant downturn, which exerted some detrimental influences on GE. As a result, Immelt did not have an easy situation and besides, he tried to combat the economic problems. Most importantly, he could not copy the business strategy used by Jack Welch his predecessor since the economic environment had changed significantly in the last several years. Generally speaking, Immelt wanted to make a big revolution to the company and besides, Brady (2005) found that Immelt had decided to make GE become an innovative and creative company rather than a process-oriented one. Besides, GE had to shift its attention from cost-cutting to develop new products, improve services and open up new markets. In order to achieve this goal, GE should make a host of changes, particularly in four areas. Specifically, in terms of the organic growth, the most famous action was the imagination breakthrough (IB) which can generate 100milllion dollars in new business during some years and took GE into a new line of business or markets (Prokesch, 2008). After that time, GE developed some famous and successful IBs, such as EVO and GML. Furthermore, Immelt wanted the company to be innovative and creative. Consequently, in 2002, GE began to engaging in new fields, such as oil and gas technology, water technology as well as paying much attention to the research and development. The research group found that some certain areas with the potentials to bring huge profits to GE should be taken into consideration by GE, such as biotechnology. Despite the organic growth, Immelt also hoped GE enter into a stable growth trajectory. As a result, the concept of Ecomagination materialized, since it is a huge business opportunity and most importantly, it is an immerging trend in the economy which can bring GE sustainable and long-term growth rather than only a few months. Immelt announced in 2005 that GE had prepared to focus its future to the eco-friendly technology, such as clean water and clean energy. Makower (2005) also found that almost every year, GE dedicates a vast amount of money in cleaner technologies, thereby developing some eco-friendly products. Moreover, GE tried its best to reduce the greenhouse emission by 1% as well as make some alternative energy, such as hybrid-dual-fuel, which can bring huge profits to GE and improve its reputation in the global market. The third area which Immelt wanted to focus on is the development of infrastructures. After setting his goal, Immelt invested a large amount of money in upgrading the RD facilities and set up some research centers in other countries, including Shanghai and Munich. Furthermore, GE expanded its emerging market in China, India, and Africa. GE also gave priority to the marketing. Brady (2005) made a definition to the marketing; a companys marketing group should pay attention to understanding the market needs and meet customers demands rather than just create slogans for the products. 4. Changes in Organizational Structure GE underwent a change in the basic structure of the organization in several aspects. Specifically, The Global Research Center agenda became more long term oriented rather than focus on short-term product development as it had in the past; the GRCs agenda became more oriented towards the long-term. (Bartlett et al, 2008). Besides, the organization had a more commercially oriented perspective to its decisions; Immelt wanted the organization to turn its attention to the marketplace and to bring in a more commercially oriented perspective to its decisions. (Bartlett et al, 2008). Furthermore, Increase in Human Resources by the reinstatement of chief marketing officer role formally abolished. In one of Immelts first appointment, Beth Comstock was named GEs chief marketing officer, a position Welch had abolished decades earlier. (Bartlett et al, 2008). Moreover, The external recruitment of human resources a formally uncommon practice in GE. Because of the shortage of internal talent, many of these marketing leaders had to be recruited from the outside, an uncommon practice at GE. (Bartlett et al, 2008). The formation of commercial council and experienced commercial leadership program are to monitor and drive change and the slowdown of job rotations, so that the mangers can develop more in depth market and technological knowledge. Immelt also encouraged an innovative nature in his employees and to take more risks and possibly fail, which was contrary to the immaculate completion of objectives formerly encouraged in Jack Welchs era. 5. Trade-offs In order to implement the shift in strategic focus from the interior to marketing, Immelt realigned the human resource by recruiting marketing leaders from outside to compensate the lack of internal talent and forming the Experienced Commercial Leadership Program to integrate newcomers into GEs culture and system. In terms of global expansion, which is also one of the Immelts strategies, Comte increased the Transportation marketing staff by 18 people. These implementations led to extra investment in terms of increasing personnel and training newcomers. On the other hand, instead of operating efficiency and cost-cutting, Immelt focused on technology leadership by upgrading RD facility, upping RD budget 14% and authorizing two Global Research Centers in Shanghai and Munich. The change caused higher costs and more resources required in terms of RD. Rather than focusing on short-term RD as it had before, GE concentrated mainly on the long term. Furthermore, as one of Immelts management styles, spending longer on developing products is prior to acquiring companies for technology, compared to previously consistent growth primarily through acquisitions. Therefore, the result required longer time to reflect on profit. Immelt slowed the job rotation in order to develop growth leaders with deeper understanding in expertise such as market and technological knowledge. Moreover, the evaluation and reward processes which had focused on flawless and short-term execution were adjusted in order to encourage employees to take risks. As a result, although improving professional skills and innovation, these changes led to lower operating efficiency. 6. Risks In terms of earning per share, the average growth per annum from 1981 to 2000 as Welch was the CEO remained 23%, while only 7% from 2001 to 2009 when Immelt changed the strategic focus. Furthermore, focusing on long-term, more modernized and more limited RD projects led to larger uncertainty of the business, which might be risky due to its innovation and unknown market acceptability. Therefore, although these changes represent a new era of GE, shareholders might lose their faith of the company. On the other hand, one of the GEs major divisions is GE capital services. From late 1980s, GE Capital Services increased largely and by 2000 it accounted for almost half of the total sales of GE Consolidated. However, Immelt put more emphasis back on GE Industrial, and the operating profit fell overwhelmingly from US$6,593 in 2004 to US$2344 in 2009. (GE Annual Report, 2009) There was a symbiotic relation between GE Industrial and GE Capital Service. As Jack Welch was CEO, the main strategy of growing industrial division was acquisition because remaining profit of GE industrial enabled GE to be ranked as industrial company so that GE Capital Services could borrow at cheap rates and lend at higher rates, the fact how GECS increased its revenue. Immelt, nevertheless, abandoned the strategy of acquisition and upgraded the RD budget in order to enhance GE industrial because he wanted to make GE as a research-based and innovative enterprise. This move led to a collapse of the balance betw een GE Industrial and GECS and might cause potential risk in GE because GECS accounted for more than 40% sales revenue of total. (Froud, 2005) 7. Transportation recommendation Besides the EVO, GE also prepared to focus its attention to the hybrid project since it is the perfect candidate to fit into the Ecomagination project which GE just announced and committed to save the environment. Hybrid was a project which aimed to reduce the emission and captures the energy generated during braking and stores it with the batteries. Consequently, by using the hybrid, it could reduce fuel consumption by almost 15% compared with other locomotives, which was helpful to the customers, environment and GE. However, the costs for developing the batteries and hybrid technology were extremely high and GEs limited finances and engineering resources required GE to weigh the opportunity cost of embarking on this project. These factors required the transportation division of GE to come up with three possible scenarios; The first option would be to explain that while the project as currently defined appeared to have very limited to short- to medium-term commercial viability, the business would commit to it as an IB and continue to explore alternative ways to make it successful; The second approach would be to acknowledge the hybrids long-term potential, but suggest that it be placed on hold as in IB, perhaps by transferring primary responsibility to the Global Research Center to work on the battery technology in collaboration with various GE businesses including Transportation-that had an interest in its development; The final alternative would be to recommend that the company acknowledge the fact that after three years of hard work on Hybrid, neither the technology development nor the market acceptance of the concept had indicated that it could be a viable commercial proposition in the foreseeable future, and therefore that it be dropped as an IB. After considering all the elements, GE should opt for the second option by the following reasons. First, to hold hybrid as an IB and meanwhile to develop the present technology may help GE to not only remain the leading position among the present market but move forward to the future by researching in future trend. Furthermore, it would be relatively less risky than the first option due to the separation of the investment. The increased emphasis on gas emissions ensure that the hybrid engine will definitely become a necessity for the rail transport industry, this is also in line with Immelts goals for GE to be the 1st in innovative technology and embarking on trends that cannot be easily imitated. The battery technology when completed can be used for alternative businesses in GE there by helping the company to be green and promote the environment. Due to the environmental importance of the project GE can solicit help from the government to aid with the cost for the development of this new technology as highlighted by Bartlett et al (2008), Compte explained that his marketing organization had located some potential government funding for hybrid project. 8. Conclusion In conclusion GE is a company with strong strength of organizational cultures and uses task type of organizational culture. It was identified in the case study to be at the elaboration stage of the lifecycle chart at the time Immelt was made the new CEO of the company. The company was at the revival stage of organizational development, he accomplished this by changing the company from a result oriented closed system to a process oriented open system. Moreover it is an organic organization which uses learning to improve its organizational and managerial capabilities. As a result it has diversified quality production and can be prospective in its environment, strategies and technology. Word Count: 2492

Focus on the Murder of Simon in ‘Lord of the Flies’ Essay

Read from ‘Towards midnight†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ to the end of Chapter 9. Contrast this description of Simon’s beatification to the previous description of his murder. How is Simon’s role in the Novel captured by this extract? The description of Simon’s murder and the description of his final journey out to sea after his death are completely different to each other. In the first, the boys brutally murder Simon because they think he is the beast. In the second, Simon is beatified and martyred as his body is carried out to sea. When the boys murder Simon, Golding’s use of language helps to create the sense of crowd mentality that the boys are feeling as the storm around them grows. Language such as ‘unbearable noise,’ ‘explosion,’ and ‘abominable,’ give the impression that the storm is deafening the boys, and that the cacophony of sound is contributing to the sense of hysteria that is driving the boys to their actions. In comparison to this, the use of language in the description of Simon’s beatification is much softer, and gives the reader a sense of calm, in contrast to the feeling of agitation in the description of Simon’s murder. For example, there is a wide use of language suggesting light in the description, such as, ‘phosphorescence,’ moonbeams,’ and ‘brightness.’ This gives the reader the idea that Simon is being watched over by God, or a higher being, and therefore suggesting that God is accepting Simonâ₠¬â„¢s body as a martyr. Golding’s use of pathetic fallacy also contributes strongly to the contrast between the two descriptions. In the first description, ‘the clouds opened and let down he rain like a waterfall,’ and ‘the dark sky was shattered by a blue white scar.’ This description of the intensity of the storm emphasises the madness of the boys. In contrast, in the description of Simon’s beatification, ‘the rain ceased and the clouds drifted away,’ and ‘the air was cool, moist and clear.’ This calming of the storm allows Golding to prepare the reader for the sense of reverence they should feel at Simon’s death. The manner in which the boys are presented in the first description is also significant. Language such as ‘struck,’ ‘bit,’ ‘tore’ and ‘teeth and claws,’ portray the group of terrified boys as an animal; a beast. However, the group also believes that they are killing ‘the beast,’ who is in fact, Simon. This shows the boys’ complete descent into savagery, as they become the very thing that they are trying to destroy. In complete contrast to this, the dead body of Simon, the beast, is described using language such as ‘silver,’ ‘marble,’ and ‘pearls.’ This use of precious white minerals suggests Simon’s innocence and purity, the polar opposite of the group of boys who murdered him. This extract describing Simon’s beatification helps to capture Simon’s overall role in the novel. Throughout the novel, Simon is the only moral and spiritual boy on the island. He is first singled out by Ralph and described as ‘vivid.’ On the boys’ fist journey into the jungle, Simon is fascinated by the beauty of the candle bud plants. When the boys are supposed to be building huts on the beach, Simon is the only one who stays to help Ralph build. All this shows Simon’s sensitivity and moral integrity. After his death, Simon has a Christ-like quality that singles him out from the rest of the boys. This is because of the spiritual intelligence that he shows throughout the novel. This final description of Simon also captures his role as a kind of guardian angel to Ralph earlier in the novel. When Ralph is despairing that the boys were becoming savages and would never get rescued, Simon appears to comfort him. He says, ‘I think you’ll get back all right.’ This suggests that Simon has some kind of foresight, as he realises that Ralph will get home, but that he himself will not. This foresight also contributes to his other-worldly spirituality. Overall, Golding’s use of language in the description of Simon’s beatification helps to suggest Simon’s spiritual and moral role in ‘The Lord of the Flies.’

Top 10 Songs About Touring and Life on the Road

The Physics Of A Wave - 790 Words

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The Valuation Implications Of Enterprise Risk Management

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Inseparable Companion Free Essays

The main character of this book is a St. Bernard and Scotch Shepherd mix, named Buck. As I read the book, I found out that Buck can be very loyal and trustworthy to his master, if his master is loyal to him. We will write a custom essay sample on Inseparable Companion or any similar topic only for you Order Now Also, at times I found that Buck could turn into an enraged beast very easily. At home, which was a large house called Judge Miller†s Place, in the sun kissed Santa Clara Valley in California, Buck ruled over all of the dogs that were there. Buck was Judge Miller†s inseparable companion, until a man named Manuel, who was one the gardener†s helpers, committed a treacherous act. In order to cover his Chinese lottery gambling debts, he stole Buck from his sound sleep and brought him to a flag station called College Park. There, the exchanging of money took place. Buck was loaded onto an express car to Seattle. On his way to Seattle, he found that a man in a red sweater repeatedly beat him. From then on, I knew that Buck would never forget that experience. In that part of the book, I found out that Buck was now an enraged animal and could only be tamed by repeatedly being hit with a club or a whip. At this point of the book, I was thinking about Judge Miller. He would†ve sent out a message or an investigation in order to find Buck. Because Judge Miller had a big house to live in, the book implied that he was wealthy. The trip to Seattle must of taken days and by then, Judge Miller would†ve been worried sick about his inseparable companion. As the story goes on, Buck†s first experience of snow left him feeling pretty stupid. When the train got to the station in Seattle, two men named Perrault and Francois bought him. Then, they put him on a ship called the Narwhal. At this point of the book, I was thinking about the cruelty of animals and how the humans treated them. It was cruel, but I guess they didn†t care. The Narwhal took Buck to the Yukon where he was trained to be a sled dog. There were other dogs that Buck had grown to know well during his training. In a matter of time, Buck became a great sled dog. Francois and Perrault took the huskies and mix breeds from Dyea Beach to the town of Dawson. There were many conflicts with Buck and Spitz, who was the leader of the dogs. From then on, Buck†s motivation was to survive the freezing cold weather of the arctic. Buck was very ambitious to be the leader. In some ways, I find that Buck can be satanic. To become the lead dog of the sled team, he would fight to the bloody death of the lead dog, and that was what he did later on in the book. When I was reading, I noticed something in the writing of Jack London. Francois and Perrault must of came from France or something. Their English was really bad. It took me a while before I could really understand what they were saying. An example of this was when Francois was talking about how there was no other dog like Buck. â€Å"Nevaire such a dog as dat Buck!† he cried. â€Å"No nevaire! Heem worth one t†ousan† dollair, by Gar! Eh? Wot you say, Perrault?† When Spitz was killed, Francois and Perrault didn†t even make Buck the leader of the pack. Buck became enraged and pushed himself harder than ever to achieve the roll of being the leader. As days past, Francois and Perrault made the trip to Dawson. By the time they got there, most of the dogs were severely wounded. Some of them had broken legs and some of them were severely sick. The dog that was in best condition was Buck, although he had many wounds and bruises. When Francois and Perrault got to Dawson, Buck was traded to a family who knew absolutely nothing about managing a sled team. This part of the plot didn†t seem right. There was a rich family who could†ve taken a train to their destination instead of risking their lives in the freezing cold; meanwhile, taking a crew of dogs and having to feed them and having to stop each night can kill the dogs if not treated right. The plot continues when the family packed too much on the sled. It was too much for the dogs to pull and it was mostly unnecessary baggage. The driver told the dogs to start. They pulled as hard as they could but the sled didn†t budge. Luckily, a local came along and told the family to throw away their tent. They started and finally got somewhere. As the sled made a sharp turn, some of the access baggage tipped over and the trip was barely completed because of the harsh weather, inadequate supplies, and poop management skills of the dog handlers. This was a beginning of a bad start of Buck and the family. Perhaps the only sane one in the group was John Thortnon. When the family started to repeatedly beat on Buck, Thornton became enraged and threatened to kill the man. Shortly after, Thornton unhooked Buck from the sled, nonetheless the rest of the family left John Thornton. As the sled took off, it slid on a lake and then began to sink. This situation left me to think about what it would feel like to be a dog in those days. It leaves a horrible scene in my mind because seeing a whole crew of sled dogs sink in freezing cold water is very hard to imagine. This situation left John and Buck to fend for themselves. As time pasted, John and Buck became the best of friends. The rest of the book concludes all of the good times that John and Buck have together. In this book, Jack London makes Buck look like a human being instead of a dog. It is not that realistic because Jack London makes the dog feel human emotions. An example of this is at the end of the book when Buck discovers that John Thornton is dead because of the Indians. It said in the book that Buck felt and remembered all of the times that they have spent together. I think that Jack London uses a writing style that everyone can understand. Overall, I think that The Call of the Wild is an exhilarating and an exciting novel. It is packed with drama and adventure. Throughout the chapters, this book takes you through many stages of a dog†s life. I would recommend this book to anybody who is interested in reading about dogs and the arctic. I think that this book has to do with the love from a dog to a man than anything else in the book. Overall, I think that this is a great book and I recommend that you read it. How to cite Inseparable Companion, Essay examples

Woolworths Australia CSR Factors Sample Guideline

Question: Explain Woolworths Australia CSR Factors. Answer: The Woolworths chains of stores in Australia have been committed to retail business since establishment. The organization generates the profits based on the good and services they offer to their customers. The profit created by the company depends on the sales recorded over the specified period in the accounting strategies. It is essential to note that the economic responsibility of the organizations in the corporate sector begins with the process of accumulating profit (Corporate Social Responsibility, 2016; Hopkins, 2006). The Woolworths retail stores in Australia have established their market coverage mechanisms through customer satisfaction measures and promotion of their activities. Corporate enterprises are required to determine their profitability before engaging in the Corporate Social Responsibility activities. The Woolworths administration has ensured that the process of buying and selling does not exploit the vulnerability of the customers and suppliers (Woolworths Limited , 2012). The profit generated by the organization is focused on investment, expenditure, and community support. The company has established its financial capacity as a measure of supporting their economic responsibility. Ethical Factor Business organizations are obligated to carry out their practices based on the moral standards and the ethical measures. The activities of the enterprises are supposed to be aligned according to the goodwill and the requirements of the community, the business, and the government (Lindgreen, Kotler, and Maon, 2010). The Woolworths management has ensured that the activities carried out by their stores are ethical and acceptable by the internal and external stakeholders. The organization deals with the retail activities, which is subjected to more interactions based on the variety of products the company is selling. The company has ensured that the goods are sold at reasonable prices that do not exploit the customers or paralyze the competitors in the industry. The organization has created strategies that ensure the employees are paid well based on the wages regulation standards. Woolworths management has provided a high level of compliance to the Consumer Laws and Regulations in Austra lia (Woolworths Limited, 2012). The retail activities have been based on the need to create profit and the build the capacity of the parties the business is interacting with such as the customers, the suppliers, the employees, and the government. Discretionary Factor The Woolworths chains of stores are guided by several philanthropic responsibilities within their locality across Australia. Corporate organizations participate necessary activities that are meant to add value to the surrounding community not because it an obligation but they feel the need to improve the society by sharing the generated profits (Nejatti and Ghasemi, 2012). The Woolworths management has been formulating strategies for supporting the community through campaigns, sensitization, and funding processes. The action by the organization has benefited to the members of the public and the respective systems receiving the support. The principle that the company has embraced involves the establishment of the financial capacity, adherence to legal requirements, and carrying activities based on ethical standards before engaging in community support. Several cases have emerged in the corporate sector where firms participate in support community events but fail to adhere to internal and external quality and regulatory measures (Idowu and Louche, 2011). Woolworths management has set actions that protect the reputation of the business by adhering to the Australian corporate regulation mechanisms. The participation in the community-based development activities has enabled the company to be part of the structural changes in the society. The companies should add value to the community that forms part of their market niche by sharing part of the profit through social interventions (Jones et al., 2009; Trong, 2012: Rigoberto, 2009). Overview of the Plan The Woolworths Sustainability program is a long-term commitment that the company developed to achieve primary objectives over a period of several years related to water usage, carbon emission, packaging, and waste recycling. The strategy is being executed under the Greening Retail plan, which targeted the contribution of retail outlets globally to assist in building a sustainable green environment (Woolworths Limited, 2012). The Greening Retail Plan is an international measure that requires the retail stores to ensure that their operations, market transformation, and the supply chain adhere to creating a sustainable environment irrespective of their capital of exploitation and location (Wendy, 2009). The operational focus ensures that the stores design measures according to their structure that will lead to energy being saved. The approach was mainly designed for the grocery chains as well as the food outlets. The consumer transformation requirement called for the setting up of avenu es that will incorporate the customers when creating the market new approaches. Such measures need research and development activities, which is aimed at developing products that are safe for the market and sustainable for the sector (Piacentini et al., 2000; Preston and Bailey, 2003). The supply chain mechanisms called the retail outlets to consider their transportation activities are aligned to environmental conservation measures. Objectives and Aims The Woolworths Greening Retail was created according to the internal and external structures of the Australian corporate sector. The plan was based on four key areas including the climate change, water, packaging, and waste. The program was started to generate effective change within the community by developing a sustainable environment (Woolworths Limited, 2012). The objectives of the company were scaled down to six major undertakings as outlined below. To reduce the carbon emissions by 40% by 2016 a level that will be similar to the recorded percentage in the year 2006 To ensure that the carbon emission levels are reduced through the transport mechanisms that will ensure that each carton carried by Woolworths trucks contributes to 25% carbon emission reductions by 2012 To ensure that the company fleet contributes to 30% carbon emissions reductions by 2010 To reduce the water the level of water usage by around 200 million liters each year To contribute to the elimination of food waste to landfill by 2016 To carry out the retail sourcing activities based on ethical and sustainable measures Strategies and Methods of Implementation The company used several methods to ensure that the activities are aligned to achieve the Greening Retail objectives under their Sustainable Program. The organizations restructured the internal factors to ensure total compliance to regulation and authority (Wendy, 2009). Whenever agencies comply to set measures, then a safe internal environment for executing other mechanisms is created. The Woolworths administration ensured that the suppliers were appraised based on their production methods and culture. The organization changed the energy methods used within the shop units from carbon-based to more clean forms such as electricity and natural gas. The objective of the company was to ensure that the processes within the store no longer increase carbon emission. The company focused on the transportation patterns across the units. The trucks were to be loaded to ensure that they maximize on each trip. The packaging process shifted to biodegradable materials to reduce the level of carbon in the environment from the production activities. The retail shop encouraged recycling operations whenever non-biodegradable packaging was involved. The standard of water usage was based on the strict management that encouraged safety and efficiency (Woolworths Limited, 2012). The organization has sensitized farmers to use water management measures during production to reduce the level of consumption. The innovated stores have been fitted with air conditioning features and refrigeration mechanisms. Evaluation and Sustainability The organization has managed to bring a difference since the start of the implementation of the Sustainability Greening Retail Strategy. The Woolworths administration has been able to control the supply of the products from the manufacturer base on their commitment to the sustainable environment in Australia. The collaboration with farmers has seen a change in the methods of production. Farmers have resorted to techniques that preserve water to produce the sound, which is sold at the Woolworths grocery unit. The controlled transport schedule has seen the business collaborating with companies that offer delivery services to reduce the engagement of trucks. Moreover, the organizations have reduced the number of the fleet for the staff through sharing that has encouraged lower levels of the anticipated carbon emission (Woolworths Limited, 2012). The quality and assurance departments for the chain stores have been committed to ensuring that the company activities are based on the corpora te regulations of the government of Australia. The selling of safe and quality products to the customer has created trust for market sustainability. The company has engaged the community in programs that encourage safety. The employees satisfaction and motivation has improved over the years. The commitment to developing the expertise of the workers has developed the ethical standards as well as the level of the customer experience (Schrag, 2011; Reilly and Peter, 2000). Challenges and Possible Improvements The implementation of the sustainability program has been subjected to several shortcomings. The business cost and expenditure has increased over the years. The process of community engagement involves the provision of essential training and sensitization some of which are expensive to offer especially to farmers. The participation of the organization in the carbon emission reduction processes has affected the efficiency of the organization regarding timely deliveries. The time factor is an essential aspect of the retailing business and it determines the customer experiences and store management ability. The numerous activities that are incorporated into the strategy are a potential source of incompetence for the business since they are to focus on several objectives (Wendy, 2009). However, the Woolworths management can form a separate department that will assist in the administration of the Corporate Social Responsibility affairs. Setting a fixed percentage of the profit generated f or CSR projects will help in producing a constant amount to fund the intervention without paralyzing the operations of the shops. The management should consider implementing one strategy at a time to avoid straining their budget and concentrate on quality and sustainability of the programs. PART 3: Integration and Sustainability of the Woolworths Australia CSR Strategy The essential part of a CSR strategy in an organization is the sustainability and integration of the program to the plans of the firm. The community may be in need of a special support, but the company may find it difficult to align the intervention to the structure of the organization (Filho, 2009). For example, it is hard for an alcohol manufacturing company to assist the community affected by youthful indulgence in excessive drinking. The Greening Retailing Strategy that is being implemented as a CSR approach for the Woolworths chains of stores is directly linked to the objectives of the organization. Most of the activities being carried out regarding the retailing business contribute to the prevalence of the shortcomings the strategy is geared to solve. The project is essential for the organization both for the short-term and long-term targets in the corporate sector (Wendy, 2009). The program is not limited to Woolworths, but it is global agenda to be embraced by all retail orga nizations. The decision to incorporate the CSR interventions in the objectives of the business was essential for the competitive advantage in the Australian market. The process of integrating the project into the activities of the firm was consultative and involved the contribution of the stakeholders. The implementation of the carbon emission standards was based on the Carbon Blueprints. The measures called for a critical analysis of the functions of the business. The hiring of the external consultants assisted in establishing the renovations and changes that the company has to take. The interventions to be carried out depended on the comparison between the owned assets and the indirect assets since they define the supply chain of the retail outlets. The evaluation led to an establishment of the effects from the refrigeration activities. The organization, therefore, found it necessary to alter the cooling activities, transport routine, lighting systems, and air conditioning techniques (Wendy, 2009). The level of water usage through controlled production of the farm outputs was based on the rate of billing costs. The firm also focused on production and selling of good that are safe for consumption as well as environmentally friendly. The focus of the analysis was to set a baseline that will define the process of the achievement of the objectives of the master strategy. The comparison of the annual levels and data assisted in setting the yearly targets for carbon emissions, water preservation, and market and supply sustainability mechanisms. The viability of the projects was guaranteed by establishing policies that will guide the business culture in the subsequent years. The government of Australia also contributed to the setting of a culture favorable for the implementation of the objectives through the business and competition regulations such as the commercial laws. The interventions were spread over several years to ensure that the goals are attained entirely. Through the websites, publications, workshops, and community events the organizations defined the mechanisms of sensitization. The sustainability of supply and purchasing footprints was created through training and contracts that represent the environmentally friendly production according to the regulations in Australia. Retailers are responsible for the choices they make regarding the products that are sold in their stores (Wendy, 2009). Therefore, the organization ensured that the suppliers adhere to the consumer standards and quality requirements before enga ging in supply contracts. The nature of the interventions that were set forth concerned the ingredients of the products, pollution effects during production, and sourcing factors. The funding of each intervention relied on the profit generated in the business since it was necessary to consider the strain on the budget and costs. References Corporate social responsibility, 2016. International Journal of Science and Research (IJSR), 5(1), pp. 18291831. doi: 10.21275/v5i1.nov153197 Filho, L., 2009. Professionals perspectives of corporate social responsibility. Edited by Samuel Idowu and Walter Leal Filho. Germany: Springer-Verlag Berlin and Heidelberg GmbH Co. K Hopkins, M., 2006. Corporate social responsibility and international development: Are corporations the solution? 2nd edn. London: Earthscan Publications Idowu, S. O. and Louche, C. (eds.), 2011. Theory and practice of corporate social responsibility. Berlin, Heidelberg: Springer-Verlag Berlin and Heidelberg GmbH Co. K Jones, B., Bowd, R. and Tench, R., 2009. Corporate irresponsibility and corporate social responsibility: Competing realities, Social Responsibility Journal, 5(3), pp. 300310. doi: 10.1108/17471110910977249 Lindgreen, A., Kotler, P. and Maon, F., 2010. A stakeholder approach to corporate social responsibility: Pressures, conflicts, and reconciliation. United Kingdom: Ashgate Publishing Nejati, M. and Ghasemi, S., 2012. Corporate social responsibility in Iran from the perspective of employees, Social Responsibility Journal, 8(4), pp. 578588. doi: 10.1108/17471111211272552 Piacentini, M., MacFadyen, L. and Eadie, D., 2000. Corporate social responsibility in food retailing, International Journal of Retail Distribution Management, 28(11), pp. 459469. doi: 10.1108/09590550010356822 Preston, M. and Bailey, A., 2003. The potential for high-performance design adoption in retail property portfolios, Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, 10(3), pp. 165174. doi: 10.1002/csr.42 Reilly, P. A. and Peter, K., 2000. Flexibility at work: Balancing the interests of employer and employee. United Kingdom: Gower Publishing Company Rigoberto Parada Daza, J., 2009. A valuation model for corporate social responsibility, Social Responsibility Journal, 5(3), pp. 284299. doi: 10.1108/17471110910977230 Schrag, B., 2001. The moral significance of employee loyalty, Business Ethics Quarterly, 11(1), p. 41. doi: 10.2307/3857868 Trong Tuan, L., 2012. Corporate social responsibility, ethics, and corporate governance, Social Responsibility Journal, 8(4), pp. 547560. doi: 10.1108/17471111211272110 Wendy, E., 2009. Greening Retail: Best environmental practices of leading retailers from around the world, Canada: Conservation for the Living City. Woolworths Limited, 2012. Corporate Social Responsibility