LGMT 682 ASSIGNMENT

LGMT 682:

Post your answer to only one of the topics below. Begin your post with the question you are answering and then make your response.

1. Many firms consider procurement to be a more strategic function than in the past. Why?
2. There has been a lot of news lately about corporate social responsibility, safety, and procurement. Do you expect the trend toward socially responsible procurement to continue? Why or why not? Give one or more examples to support your position.
3. Using the internet, look up one export management company. What services and proposed benefits do they offer?

Reply to at least two of your classmates on different topics than your original post.

CLASSMATES POSTS:

TIMOTHY,

1. There has been a lot of news lately about corporate social responsibility, safety, and procurement. Do you expect the trend toward socially responsible procurement to continue? Why or why not? Give one or more examples to support your position.

Corporate social responsibility (CSR) promotes a vision of business accountability to a wide range of stakeholders, besides shareholders and investors. Key areas of concern are environmental protection and the wellbeing of employees, the community and civil society in general, both now and in the future.

The concept of CSR is underpinned by the idea that corporations can no longer act as isolated economic entities operating in detachment from broader society. Traditional views about competitiveness, survival and profitability are being swept away.

Some of the drivers pushing business towards CSR include:

1. The shrinking role of government
2. Demands for greater disclosure
3. Increased customer interest.
4. Growing investor pressure.
5. Competitive labor markets.
6. Supplier relations.

Some of the positive outcomes that can arise when businesses adopt a policy of social responsibility include:

1. Company benefits:

• Improved financial performance;
• Lower operating costs;
• Enhanced brand image and reputation;
• Increased sales and customer loyalty;
• Greater productivity and quality;
• More ability to attract and retain employees;
• Reduced regulatory oversight;
• Access to capital;
• Workforce diversity;
• Product safety and decreased liability.

1. Benefits to the community and the general public:

• Charitable contributions;
• Employee volunteer programs;
• Corporate involvement in community education, employment and homelessness programs;
• Product safety and quality.

1. Environmental benefits:

• Greater material recyclability;
• Better product durability and functionality;
• Greater use of renewable resources;
• Integration of environmental management tools into business plans, including life-cycle assessment and costing, environmental management standards, and eco-labelling.( Corporate social responsibility, 2015)

I expect the trend for corporate social responsibility to continue and increase. This is not to say there are organizations that will still falter and not do their part. Some of the examples of companies putting the good in their business are:

• Accessibility Partners works with private and public IT manufacturing companies, federal agencies and other organizations to test and review products that make information technology accessible to individuals with a variety of disabilities. More than 70 percent of the company's employees have disabilities themselves, so the company promotes disability advocacy in all of its operations
• Cole and Parker donates proceeds from every sock sale to a fund that is used to provide small loans for entrepreneurs in developing countries.
• Gift of Happiness has put its own spin on this approach, donating 5 percent of every purchase to the listed charity of the customer's choice
• Headbands of Hope, sells made-in-the-U.S. headbands and donates a dollar of each sale to childhood cancer research through the St. Baldrick's Foundation
• Mirage Spa and Recreation is able to encourage so many of its customers to take part in the company's philanthropic initiatives: Customers receive 15 percent off their purchase when they bring in food, pet supplies or personal care items for Mirage to donate to a local food pantry.( Fallon, N., 2015)

These are just a few examples of how corporations are involved in their social responsibilities. You have more recognizable programs like Make-a Wish and Habitat for Humanity.

I just wanted to mention there are also examples of companies using CSR’s as a way to gain public trust and present themselves in a way that the public views as acceptable. Corporations can use CSR as a:

• Public Relations scheme to gain public trust and gain favorable opinions.
• Way to circumvent governmental regulations
• Ways to lobby against regulations
• Self-interest of company and self

In conclusion, whatever your view is, people tend to help the unfortunate and are willing to help that in need. Companies know this and know the downfalls if they are perceived as having a bad record. Yes, CSR can help boost the perception the public has of their organization. For example, look at how the NFL promotes its self and players supporting the united way or attaches itself to programs like domestic violence after the issues of the abuse of several players last year, to overcome the perception of abuse by players. No business wants bad publicity and wants to present itself in the most favorable way to the public. Some CSRs are voluntary and others are dictated by circumstances.

References:

Corporate Social Responsibility., (2015), International Institute for Sustainable Development. Retrieved from https://www.iisd.org/business/issues/sr.aspx (Links to an external site.)

JOSHUA,

3. Using the internet, look up one export management company. What services and proposed benefits do they offer?

Amex Inc. is a twenty-five year leader in the field of international sales management, providing leading High Tech manufacturers with a full-service alternative to staffing and managing their own international department. We sell to customers and partners in over 100 countries. The firm's mission is to create and build World Wide, World Class international marketing and distribution channels for innovative technology based companies and their products.

Amex has over twenty years as an experienced export management company (EMC)

Create Markets and Optimize your international sales and Increase revenues with NO investment.

Amex's multi-lingual sales and marketing professionals create and build markets at the firm's headquarters in Minneapolis, MN, on the road, at trade shows or at regional offices in Amsterdam, Paris and London. Amex uses the latest in network and communication technologies to remain in constant touch with partners and customers.

Amex professionals are assigned to one of the firm's independent product groups: Networking, Telecommunications, and Diagnostic Medical Devices.

Our Partners who retain Amex benefit in the following ways:

• Product introductions are lead by experienced professionals who have completed multiple market and channel introductions of technology based products.
• Amex's experienced, professional sales force and established distribution network provide Partners with an immediate market presence that otherwise would take years to build.
• Amex's knowledge and experience streamlines and speeds export licensing and regulatory approvals
• Amex takes title and assumes the foreign credit risk, eliminating the high cost of managing complex international credit and collections.
• The firm bears all fixed costs associated with an export operation, including inside and outside staff, international travel and communications.

Reference

http://www.amexinc.com/about.html (Links to an external site.)

PS: YOUR RESPONSE TO CLASSMATES POSTS CAN BE NEGATIVE OR POSITIVE. PLEASE RESPOND TO THEM AS YOU WAS TALKING TO THEM DIRECTLY.

II)

Submit your responses to the questions below (taken from the textbook's questions for discussion and review).

Chapter 6:

1. Question 2 - Contrast procurement's historical focus to its more strategic orientation today.
2. Question 3 - Discuss the benefits and potential challenges of using electronic procurement cards.
3. Question 11 - Define supplier development, and explain why it is becoming more prominent in some organizations.
4. Question 12 - What are the components of the global sourcing development model presented in this chapter?
5. Question 14 - Pick, and discuss, two components of the global sourcing development model presented in this chapter.
6. Question 17 - Name, and give an example of, the five dimensions of socially responsible purchasing.
7. Question 18 - Discuss some of the ethical issues that are associated with procurement.

Chapter 14:

1. Question 2 - How might a particular country's government be involved in international trade?
2. Question 3 - Discuss how a nation's market size might impact international trade and, in turn, international logistics.
3. Question 6 - What is a certificate of origin, a commercial invoice, and a shipper's export declaration?
4. Question 10 - What is an NVOCC?
5. Question 13 - Explain the load center concept. How might load centers affect the dynamics of international transportation?
6. Question 20 - What is the Logistics Performance Index? How can it be used?

III) RESEARCH PAPER SUBMISSION: THE UPLOADED RESEARCH PAPER THAT IS UPLOADED WAS WRITTEN CLASS SINCE THIS PROFESSOR ALLOWED ME TO UTILIZE THE SAME TOPIC SO I CHOSE TO USE THE SAME RESEARCH PAPER THAT I WROTE FOR MY PREVIOUS CLASS. WHAT I NEED YOU TO DO IS TO CHANGE THE ENTIRE DOCUMENT AND THE REFERENCES AS WELL SINCE THE DOCUMENT WAS SUBMITTED TO TURNITIN, WHICH MEANS SUBMITTING THE SAME THING WILL BE PLAGIARIZING AND I WILL HAVE A ZERO....BUT I DO BELIEVE IT SSHOULDNT BE TO HARD TO CHANGE IT SINCE THE PAPER WAS ALREADY WRITTEN...SO AS A RECAP PLEASE CHANGE THE ENTIRE DOCUMENT WITH THE REFERENCES AS WELL AND KEEP THE SAME TOPIC AND FORMAT. RESEARCH PAPER ATTACHED !!!