Emerging Business Themes Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Emerging Business Themes - Essay Example However, the brand has taken on some decay with evidence of human rights violations being committed in the factories that are supplying the product There is some evidence that these violations have occurred without Nike having created any attempts towards improvements on their own in order to increase their profits. While Nike promotes its goods under the brand mythology of good health, environmental awareness, and a sense of a social conscious, there has been a significant number of reports of human rights violations that violate these representations. The Nike corporate website has a great amount of detailed information regarding codes of operation and codes of ethics that create an image of corporate and social responsibility. The following code of ethics is on the website, creating a specific structure in which social responsibility is promoted. Our code of ethics for employees is called Inside the Lines; it defines the standards of conduct we expect of all our employees. Every y ear, employees are required to verify that they have read and understand Inside the Lines. We operate a global toll-free Alertline for employees to report in confidence any suspected violations of the law or our code of ethics. Any reported concerns around accounting, auditing or internal control are communicated to the Audit Committee of the Board. We expect our suppliers to share our standards and to operate in a legal and ethical manner. While Inside the Lines covers the behavior of Nike employees, our Nike Code of Conduct covers contractors who manufacture Nike-branded products. It directs them to respect the rights of their employees, and to provide them with a safe and healthy work environment.2 The framework that is provided by this code allows for a revelation about the intentions of the company to emerge, which is then countered by the actions that the company has made. As the company has taken advantage of the global marketing opportunities, it has also taken advantage of the lesser regulatory practices in labour, thus putting the company into a paradox against its own branding. While there have been a great many advances in Nike towards behaviours that are more socially responsible, the company still has the shadow of irresponsibility on a global level, thus creating a taint on the brand. Sustainability There are a great many ways in which the word sustainability can be used towards creating socially responsible organizations. Environmental sustainability is one of the most ways in which sustainability can be defined. As well, social responsibility in the way in which employees are treated, the issues of human rights made a priority within an organization, is another way in which sustainability is achieved. According to Bitsch, â€Å"Social sustainability is typically broadly defined to include human rights and social injustice, corporate governance, and labour rights and treatment†.3 Furthermore, a business is responsible to keep up on the l atest interpretations of human rights and to adhere to keeping safe and secure those workers who are under their management.4 Nike has had serious issues regarding violations of human rights issues and more so concerning violating the spirit of correcting those issues. In Bulgarian factories, when serious human rights