Question

Review the course project scenario Top Shelf was found in 1990 by Tie Woodward. Within five years, Top Shelf had established a solid presence in the global shoe business with production facilities in Asia and sales throughout the world By 2000, Top Shelf had a share of 45 percent of the global market in shoe sales. In 2001, Top Shelf made the Fortune 500 list of privately held companies and Tie was awarded the coveted International Business Award. However, Tie claimed the real success of his firm could be seen in the stylish Top Shelf shoes being worn by everyone from villagers in Africa to rock stars in Hollywood In 2003, a major competitor of Top Shelf began a green marketing campaign to highlight its efforts to reduce its environmental footprint with its new "Green Shoe. A simultaneous, growing concern for environmental issues helped spur the sales of Top Shelfs competitor-it gained market share. As the competitor's sales increased, news stories began to question the implications of Top Shelf's business practices, especially as they related to low cost labor and environmental concerns. Within a fiscal quarter, Top Shelf sales were down by 10 percent. Tie responded by exclaiming on the Nightly Business Report that everyone had to wear shoes and Top Shelf made the best looking and most affordable foot fixtures on the planet. Sales fell another 5 percent the following quarter. Tie's management team attributed this to the competition's green efforts and the bad publicity received by Top Shelf Tie's firm hired a middle manager for environmental affairs and launched a green campaign that touted a Top Shelf shoe-recycling program with the slogan "We make them, you wear them, we'll recycle them It's good for your feet and good for the earth." Sales climbed back up 7 percent over the next quarter and the boss gave out bonuses to his management team While initial reaction to the marketing was positive, especially among longtime Top Shelf shoe wearers two reporters, Burnstone and Woodwoe, broke a story about the impact of air and water pollution at Top Shelfs shoe-recycling facility on the outskirts of a major city in Asia. Apparently, some of the sho recycled to produce energy. According to the report by Burnstone and Woodwoe, the shoes were being burned by low-wage workers without any precautions for the workers' health. An increasing number of children and elderly in the region began showing up at clinics and hospitals with breathing problems dizziness, and toxic blood poisoning. Then, a worker at the plant collapsed and died in front of the large kiln Global news organizations, bloggers, and YouTube broadcasters quickly picked up the story. The sales of Top Shelf began to plummet. By the end of the fiscal year, the company saw a 50 percent reduction in revenue as compared to the previous year. Growth was no longer the issue. Instead the company faced with the problem of how to stay afloat despite the significant losses and depleting capital. This time, Tie made no public pronouncements. He laid off the manager of the recycling plant, shut down the kiln at the plant, and, on the advice of long-time friend Gifford Pinchot lI, hired a reputable sustainable business consulting firm, Sustainable Growth Strategies, to advise Top Shelf on everything from public relations to substantive changes in the company's labor and environmental policies Assume you are leading the consulting team for Sustainable Growth Strategies. You are responsible for the analysis leading to a report with a set of recommendations to put Top Shelf on the path to sustainability. Your first task is to prepare a brief paper for Top Shelf that explains the meaning and use of sustainability within a business context. Your team reports directly to Tie Woodward. He is a sharp hardworking, and open-minded leader with a sense of humor. Tie realizes that every day without a genuine sustainability plan is bad for business. Therefore, he wants to show as soon as possible that the company is committed to sustainability. He realizes that there may be advantages in positioning Top Shelf as a sustainability leader in the long run

Answer 1

Mr. Tie Woodward

Top Self Limited.

Regarding : Business sustainability and recommendations for Top Self Limited on the path to it.

Dear Sir,

In the past year your company had come across through many hitches in terms of competition in market and environmental compliance issues and the operation of the company was badly effected through drastically slashing the sales numbers. However we still believe, this is not the end of story and there are many opportunities open for the company’s future growth and sustainability. The same can be done with the concept of business sustainable growth strategy. In order to implement this, first we have to understand the concept as mentioned below.

Business sustainability

Business sustainability is the management and coordination of environmental, social and financial demands and concerns to ensure responsible, ethical and ongoing success. In a broader context, social, environmental and economic demands are considered the three pillars of sustainability. The concept evaluates all efforts in terms of their short-term effect on profits. The goal of sustainability requires a more extended timeline for return on investment but once initial investments are made, they can actually lead to increased profitability.

Recommendations to Top Self Limited on the path of Business sustainability.

1. Organizational goal - corporate strategies required to devlop and sustainability to be incorporated in organizational business goals and this should be prioritized in organizational operations.
2. Training and motivating to employees - Train employees on the importance of sustaining the environment and share what the organization is doing to help conserve resources. Solicit additional ideas from employees for resource conservation.  
3. Energy Conservation - Make culture of use of renewal energy environment with in the business environment and production line.
4. Pollution free – Make necessary steps to make the production pollution free and plantation of more tree to save the environment.
5. Chief Sustainability Officer – appoint a full time professional who can contribute valuable ideas to meet the goal of business sustainability.
6. Sustainable brand – Promote the brand as one of the most business sustainable brand.
7. Sustainability reports – Prepare and circulate reports periodically, on the measures taken by the organization on business sustainability.