ASOB Woolworths Corporate Responsibility Strategy Questions

Read the case and answer the questions that follow.

1. What challenges do you think a company like Woolworths Group is facing when developing and implementing a companywide corporate social responsibility strategy that takes into account the more than 200,000 employees, diverse interests, and stakeholders?

2. The focus on People is about encouraging diversity. The idea is to increase the number of Indigenous employees in line with the company’s stated commitments under the Australian Federal Government’s Employment Parity Initiative. Does such a diversity approach enhance, or not, the company’s sustainability strategy. How?

3. Woolworths Group is trying to reduce its carbon emissions or footprint by 10 percent. Based on where we are as a world, is 10 percent enough of a reduction? Perhaps global warming is not real, albeit the vast majority of scientists clearly suggest it is; what do you think?

4. Woolworths’ targets are to achieve a top quartile ranking in how the business engages fairly and equitably with its suppliers. How do supplier relationships and the fairness in dealing with suppliers relate to sustainability and “doing good” for society (and the company)?