Corporate Responsibility activities at McDonalds

Each week, you’ll be participating in a threaded discussion relative to chapter topics. They involve the whole class and deal with questions that come up in your chapter readings. You are required to post twice weekly in each unit discussion. In many cases, I will have multiple topics within each chapter discussion. You are not required to post on each topic to receive credit; you are required to respond and/or comment to one or more of the topics twice. Remember, it is a discussion so you should be responding to each other unless, of course, you begin the discussion on a specific topic. Short responses such as “I agree with John” will not count; nor will short one or two sentence responses. Also, if your response/comment is not original in thinking, you will not receive full credit. In other words, be sure to read other comments before you make your own or you could duplicate someone else’s response therefore reducing the point value for your thread. Those who wait until late Sunday may have a more difficult time with this.

Topic 1: Explore the corporate responsibility (CR) reports and websites for companies with strong programs such as McDonald’s, Nike, Dell, Timberland and Green Mountain Coffee Roasters. Look for your own stories of personal engagement with these brands in a way that relates to corporate responsibility. Have you tried Green Mountain’s fair trade coffee? Have you run a Nike race that raises money for charity? Do you notice the recyclable packaging at McDonald’s? These are just a few examples and you are encouraged to use your own especially if you’re not familiar with the CR of these brands. Choose a brand that you do have some knowledge of the CR and describe the CR and your personal interaction with the brand.

Topic 2: This is really an extension on Topic 1. What do you view as believable and genuine and what do you view as “marketing speak” as you read companies’ reports on the corporate responsibility efforts. What else should companies be considering as it relates to CR?