Gap Goes Public on Social Responsibility
1. Should Gap publicly report its social responsibility results in detail, even if every objective hasn’t been completely achieved? I believe Gap should publicly report its social responsibility results in detail because this provides important information to the stakeholders, such as what they want to change and when they are going to change. The when is crucial because Gap must be able to set realistic goals that works towards the social responsibilities. I would suggest Gap for reporting it publicly because no one else in the industry is committing to changing their communities, and this is good PR for Gap. Even if all the goals are not achieved, people are still able to see that things have improved from the past.
2. Do you think Gap’s conversion of social responsibility policies into action is in phase 1, phase 2, or phase 3? Explain.
I believe Gap is in Phase 3 because the executives have outlined what they want to do with the corporate social responsibilities, and the staff has identified the technical aspect of changing the landscape of healthy workforce in foreign countries. The article states that in 2003 alone, Gap stopped buying from 136 overseas factories that repeatedly violated its rules. This drastic change has helped Gap’s image of using “sweatshops and children” and on top of this change Gap has worked towards bettering the community by donating $60 million to nonprofit groups, recycling 20,000 tons of cardboard and paper, and give employees the opportunity to volunteer.
3. Is Gap’s approach to social responsibility based on obligation, responsibility, or responsiveness? Support your answer. I believe that the initial approach for Gap was responsiveness because the company was getting a lot of heat from the media and critics for using sweatshops that employed children and treated their worker unfairly. It is tough to say that without this voice of concern Gap would change their culture, however, it has certainly sped up the process.
2. Do you think Gap’s conversion of social responsibility policies into action is in phase 1, phase 2, or phase 3? Explain.
I believe Gap is in Phase 3 because the executives have outlined what they want to do with the corporate social responsibilities, and the staff has identified the technical aspect of changing the landscape of healthy workforce in foreign countries. The article states that in 2003 alone, Gap stopped buying from 136 overseas factories that repeatedly violated its rules. This drastic change has helped Gap’s image of using “sweatshops and children” and on top of this change Gap has worked towards bettering the community by donating $60 million to nonprofit groups, recycling 20,000 tons of cardboard and paper, and give employees the opportunity to volunteer.
3. Is Gap’s approach to social responsibility based on obligation, responsibility, or responsiveness? Support your answer. I believe that the initial approach for Gap was responsiveness because the company was getting a lot of heat from the media and critics for using sweatshops that employed children and treated their worker unfairly. It is tough to say that without this voice of concern Gap would change their culture, however, it has certainly sped up the process.