Strategic CSR - Walmart

Here are a few charts from the article in the url below about Walmart's turnaround that I find encouraging. Collectively, I believe (hope?) that the charts tell a story of an emerging stakeholder perspective and, in particular, the value of an organization treating its employees as its primary stakeholder. First is Walmart's decision, made back in 2009 and in response to extensive external pressure, to raise the hourly pay of its employees – a decision that played out gradually, over time:

Second is the growth in Walmart's annual sales, with a more motivated workforce, covering roughly the same period:

 

Finally, lagging behind, is the company's share price. Initially, the stock market responded negatively to Walmart's announcement of its intention to increase employee pay. This changed when the value of the company treating its employees well became apparent:

 

Much of the data in the article is taken from an upcoming HBS case that focuses on the decision by Walmart to improve the working conditions of its employees as driving its subsequent success. Perhaps even HBS has now come around to the benefits of a stakeholder perspective (and the value of an organization treating its employees as its primary stakeholder), after so many damaging decades of promoting shareholder primacy.

Take care

David

David Chandler

Strategic Corporate Social Responsibility: Sustainable Value Creation (6e)

© Sage Publications, 2023

Instructor Teaching and Student Study Site: https://study.sagepub.com/chandler6e  

Strategic CSR Simulation: http://www.strategiccsrsim.com/

The library of CSR Newsletters are archived at: https://strategiccsr-sage.blogspot.com/

A Decade-Old Flop Is Now Held Up As Walmart's Shining Success

By Sarah Nassauer

October 18-19, 2025

The Wall Street Journal

Late Edition – Final

B1, B11

https://www.wsj.com/business/retail/walmart-employee-treatment-success-f96761f4

Strategic CSR - Paper straws

The trouble with plastic is that it is really useful and really cheap, which means it is very difficult to replace:

"Most plastic alternatives have an element 'that doesn't work very well, or isn't biodegradable, or it could just be way too expensive,' said Dillon Baxter, chief executive of PlantSwitch, which uses rice husks—the sheath that protects a rice kernel—for its plastic replacement. 'If you're a company that wants to do the right thing, it's pretty hard' to find a workable option, he said."

The work of PlantSwitch, which is featured in the article in the url below, makes clear that replacements are challenging. This is true along multiple dimensions, but cost is preeminent:

"The issue is that effective sustainable plastic replacements are still few and far between, and cost a lot more than their counterparts derived from fossil fuels. … Dallas-based PlantSwitch, for example, makes substitutes for plastic straws, containers, cutlery, plates and bowls. It does so by blending the husks with a bio-based polymer synthesized by microorganisms to create a resin that can be molded into the final product. An ordinary plastic straw costs around 0.7 cents, while the PlantSwitch version is 1.4 cents, the company said."

Fortunately, the legal context is shifting, which should incentivize companies to come up with an effective solution more quickly than they otherwise might:

"Meanwhile, businesses are bracing to meet new requirements including a packaging waste directive in the European Union. The rule will require all packaging to be recyclable, among other things. In the U.S., some states are adopting laws intended to make manufacturers financially responsible for where plastic ends up, but overall the country has taken a lighter touch."

Customers provide an even bigger incentive, which I would argue is the more important driver of lasting change:

"… some companies are opting for alternative materials to meet the demand of consumers seeking nonplastic options. A July survey from sustainability consulting firm Aura found that more shoppers in the U.S., Canada and Europe are eschewing certain products if the packaging doesn't seem sustainable. … Aside from concerns about pollution, consumers are increasingly unnerved by the impact plastic and tiny microplastic particles have on human health."

But, in order for customers to shift, efficacy is essential:

"The right packaging depends on what product it is supposed to be protecting. 'Cucumber wrapped in plastic extends the shelf life, so why wouldn't you do that?' said Ken Bowles, chief financial officer at Dublin-based sustainable packaging company Smurfit Westrock. 'But if you're using [corrugated board] for strawberries or raspberries, there's no impact on shelf life.'"

In essence:

 

"A nonplastic product has to be just as functional as plastic to catch on. Plastic producers say the material is essential for modern life, and other options can pale in comparison."

Given the challenges (which includes the overall economic context), companies are walking back some of their public sustainability commitments:

"Gartner said in a late July report that 75% of organizations with sustainable-packaging targets will roll them back, and look instead to comply with coming legislative guidelines. Coca-Cola faced criticism in December when it walked back a commitment to make 25% of its products with reusable packaging by 2030. The company also said it may be more reliant on plastic following tariffs on aluminum."

Take care

David

David Chandler

Strategic Corporate Social Responsibility: Sustainable Value Creation (6e)

© Sage Publications, 2023

Instructor Teaching and Student Study Site: https://study.sagepub.com/chandler6e  

Strategic CSR Simulation: http://www.strategiccsrsim.com/

The library of CSR Newsletters are archived at: https://strategiccsr-sage.blogspot.com/

Alternative Materials to Plastic Struggle to Get Off the Ground

By Clara Hudson

August 12, 2025

The Wall Street Journal

Late Edition – Final

B2

https://www.wsj.com/articles/plastic-waste-is-piling-up-but-alternative-materials-struggle-to-get-off-the-ground-f53bc6e3

 

Strategic CSR - Climate change

The eye-catching article in the url below is titled "The chart climate denialists can't ignore," while the chart itself is titled "Share of global land with record maximum temperature per decade":

I'm not so sure this is what it takes "to cut through the noise," which is what the article claims, but it is an interesting and highly concerning chart.

Take care

David

David Chandler

Strategic Corporate Social Responsibility: Sustainable Value Creation (6e)

© Sage Publications, 2023

Instructor Teaching and Student Study Site: https://study.sagepub.com/chandler6e

Strategic CSR Simulation: http://www.strategiccsrsim.com/

The library of CSR Newsletters are archived at: https://strategiccsr-sage.blogspot.com/

A Chart Climate Denialists Can't Ignore

By Mark Gongloff

October 8, 2025

Bloomberg

https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/articles/2025-10-08/a-chart-climate-denialists-can-t-ignore

 

Strategic CSR - Thinking + inequality

The article in the url below makes the argument that "thinking is becoming a luxury good" and that, specifically, social media and cellphones (the absence of thinking) are driving inequality:

"The idea that technology is altering our capacity not just to concentrate but also to read and to reason is catching on. The conversation no one is ready for, though, is how this may be creating yet another form of inequality."

The cause, the article argues, is related to the connection between reading and thinking:

"Long-form literacy is not innate but learned, sometimes laboriously. … It rewires our brains, increasing vocabulary, shifting brain activity toward the analytic left hemisphere and honing our capacity for concentration, linear reasoning and deep thought."

In contrast, social media and cellphones rewire our brains and thought patterns to discourage thinking:

"The habits of thought formed by digital reading are very different. … Social media platforms are designed to be addictive, and the sheer volume of material incentivizes intense cognitive 'bites' of discourse calibrated for maximum compulsiveness over nuance or thoughtful reasoning. The resulting patterns of content consumption form us neurologically for skimming, pattern recognition and distracted hopping from text to text."

Thus, the more time people spend with cellphones and social media, the more likely they are to affect their behavior:

"… literacy and poverty have long been correlated. Now poor kids spend more time on screens each day than rich ones — in one 2019 study, about two hours more per day for U.S. tweens and teenagers whose families made less than $35,000 per year, compared with peers whose household incomes exceeded $100,000. Research indicates that kids who are exposed to more than two hours a day of recreational screen time have worse working memory, processing speed, attention levels, language skills and executive function than kids who are not."

And the long-term implications could be serious for us all:

"What will happen if this becomes fully realized? An electorate that has lost the capacity for long-form thought will be more tribal, less rational, largely uninterested in facts or even matters of historical record, moved more by vibes than cogent argument and open to fantastical ideas and bizarre conspiracy theories. If that sounds familiar, it may be a sign of how far down this path the West has already traveled."

Take care

David

David Chandler

Strategic Corporate Social Responsibility: Sustainable Value Creation (6e)

© Sage Publications, 2023

Instructor Teaching and Student Study Site: https://study.sagepub.com/chandler6e  

Strategic CSR Simulation: http://www.strategiccsrsim.com/

The library of CSR Newsletters are archived at: https://strategiccsr-sage.blogspot.com/

Thinking Is Becoming a Luxury Good

By Mary Harrington

August 5, 2025

The New York Times

Late Edition – Final

SR10

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/07/28/opinion/smartphones-literacy-inequality-democracy.html

 

Strategic CSR - Meat

The article in the url below presents an interesting discussion around the environmental impact of our collective diet. In particular, it focuses on the impact of eating as much meat as we do:

"Food systems account for about a third of global greenhouse gas emissions, driven largely by animal farming, which is a major source of methane and a drain on land and water resources. Even if the world transitions away from fossil fuels, food alone could push temperatures past the 1.5°C threshold needed to limit warming. The onus falls disproportionately on the wealthy: The richest 30% of the world's population are responsible for more than 70% of food-related pressures."

And this says nothing of the negative health impacts to us, individually. But, it is challenging to see how this turns around any time soon, especially with this statistic about the number of cows in the world (see also Strategic CSR – Chickens):

"1.5 billion: The number of cows on the planet. Nearly 60% of agriculture's greenhouse gas emissions come from animal-based products, with cows among the biggest culprits."

Take care

David

David Chandler

Strategic Corporate Social Responsibility: Sustainable Value Creation (6e)

© Sage Publications, 2023

Instructor Teaching and Student Study Site: https://study.sagepub.com/chandler6e  

Strategic CSR Simulation: http://www.strategiccsrsim.com/

The library of CSR Newsletters are archived at: https://strategiccsr-sage.blogspot.com/

Dinner without a side of global warming

By Agnieszka de Sousa

October 2, 2025

Bloomberg

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-10-02/eat-less-meat-is-still-the-message-from-flagship-diet-report

 

Strategic CSR - Microsoft

So, what should Microsoft do when it provides a platform for its employees to communicate openly and then doesn't like what they talk about? Well, clearly, they should shut down the platform, as detailed in the article in the url below:

"The company has shut down an internal communication channel used by employees to question senior executives and discuss hot-button societal issues, according to an internal post reviewed by The Wall Street Journal. It has also restricted employees' ability to enter certain buildings on its Redmond, Wash., campus, according to people familiar with the matter."

While the company was reacting to behavior by employees, not only speech, it seems like curtailing speech was the company's response to curtailing the behavior it found objectionable. And, while they are at, how about back-tracking on promises made during Covid about working practices and company culture?

"On Tuesday, the company also told employees they will need to report to an office three days a week."

Sounds like a good week at the office.

Take care

David

David Chandler

Strategic Corporate Social Responsibility: Sustainable Value Creation (6e)

© Sage Publications, 2023

Instructor Teaching and Student Study Site: https://study.sagepub.com/chandler6e  

Strategic CSR Simulation: http://www.strategiccsrsim.com/

The library of CSR Newsletters are archived at: https://strategiccsr-sage.blogspot.com/

Microsoft Curbs Staff After Office Sit-In

By Sebastian Herrera

September 10, 2025

The Wall Street Journal

Late Edition – Final

B1, B4

https://www.wsj.com/tech/microsoft-cracks-down-on-work-speech-limits-remote-work-df9d469e