Strategic CSR - Ads

This is the last CSR Newsletter of the Spring semester. Have a great summer and I will see you in the Fall!

The article in the url below allows me to finish the year's newsletters on a reasonably optimistic note:

 

“Amsterdam is famously a place where anything goes. Prostitution is legal. Coffee shops sell marijuana and hashish. Truffles laced with the psychoactive compounds found in hallucinogenic mushrooms are available at ‘smart shops.’ But what is no longer allowed in the freewheeling city’s public spaces are advertisements for products that some city councilors consider to be true vices: Big Macs. Exotic vacations. Gas-powered cars.”

 

And, rather than some distant commitment to vague action (like most sustainability-related 'solutions'), this ban is substantive and relevant today:

 

“On May 1, Amsterdam became the world’s first capital city to ban ads for fossil fuel products and meat. It’s part of the city’s efforts to discourage consumption of goods linked with high carbon emissions. Ads for airlines, cruises, and faraway destinations are no longer allowed because they implicitly promote the burning of fossil fuels. Ads for beef, chicken, pork and fish are also banned because of the environmental harms caused by animal agriculture.”

The article includes photos of the kind of billboard ads that, starting this past weekend, will no longer be allowed in Amsterdam:

 

     

Have a great summer. 

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 is archived at: https://strategiccsr-sage.blogspot.com/

In Permissive Amsterdam, Ads for Fossil Fuels or Meat Are Now Verboden

By Cara Buckley

May 1, 2026

The New York Times

https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/01/climate/in-permissive-amsterdam-ads-for-fossil-fuels-or-meat-are-now-verboden.html

Strategic CSR - 40-hour workweek

The article in the url below charts the development of the 40-hour workweek in the U.S. As the author argues, while the story of its evolution is interesting, it is more interesting that something we take for granted today is a relatively recent innovation. In spite of some industry-specific legislation, along with experiments by companies such as Ford, the norm for workers in the early 20th Century remained long hours and a six-day week -- a situation that only really changed with The Great Depression:

"Amid mass unemployment, a bipartisan consensus developed in Washington around work sharing: more people working shorter hours. In 1938, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the Fair Labor Standards Act into law. It set a minimum wage of 25 cents an hour and a standard workweek of 44 hours initially, reduced to 40 hours by 1940, with anybody who worked longer hours being entitled to time-and-a-half overtime pay."

This idea spread after the end of WWII:

"In postwar America, the 40-hour week became the norm for millions of workers, with overtime pay acting as a disincentive for employers to require longer hours."

Having won this progress, the author argues that the U.S. worker is now voluntarily surrendering it. Starting in the 1970s, the average workweek has increased in length, and all in the name of individual freedom:

"In the new millennium, the U.S. workweek varies widely for different kinds of workers. Email and the internet, laptops and smartphones, and tools like Zoom and Slack have liberated many office workers from the physical office, but at the cost of an increasingly porous boundary between work and home life."

In other words, you can work whenever you like, as long as it is most of the time:

"A 2025 Gallup poll found that 40% of full-time employees work 40 hours in a typical week, while 38% work from 41 to 59 and 15% work more than 60 hours a week. Only 8% work less than 40 hours."

But, as some begin to question whether the level of productivity is correlated positively with the quantity of hours worked, a few companies are experimenting with a 4-day week (see Strategic CSR — 4-day workweek and Strategic CSR — Microsoft). The research on this so far suggests there are real benefits for organizations:

"Employers participating in the trial saw improvements in employee retention, with resignations falling from 1.8 a month before implementing the four-day week to 1.4 a month afterward. Sick and personal days declined from one day per employee a month to 0.8."

There are also benefits for workers:

"For employees, meanwhile, the main benefits were in well-being and work-life balance. … For example, 69% of participants experienced reduced burnout, nearly 40% were less stressed and anxious, 42% reported better mental health, and 37% percent saw improvements in physical health."

 

The latest twist in the story is the evolution of A.I, of course, which promises to reduce the amount of total work needed. But, it is unclear to the author if that promise will ever be realized, and whether whatever the new norm becomes will be beneficial for workers:

“… it’s not a foregone conclusion that the productivity gains from AI will usher in the age of 15-hour workweeks and abundant leisure time predicted somewhat prematurely by John Maynard Keynes back in 1930."

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/

 

How Did We Get A 40-hour Workweek?

By Andrew Blackman

December 1, 2025

The Wall Street Journal Report: The Business of Work

Late Edition – Final

R17

https://www.wsj.com/lifestyle/workplace/labor-activism-40-hour-work-week-edcd8305

Strategic CSR - Politics + business

The article in the url below focuses on the role of politics in business -- in particular, right of center U.S. politics, advanced by what the article refers to as "the MAGA movement," and the relative success (or failure) of the businesses that model themselves on that ideology: 

 

"Founded in 2021, PublicSquare began life as an online platform selling sunglasses emblazoned with scripture and 'the only pro-life diaper brand.' It has not had an easy ride. Since its shares began trading in July 2023, they have lost more than 90% of their value. Last year the business announced it would pivot away from conservative e-commerce towards financial technology."

The article makes the argument that right-wing political advocacy has been more effective at destroying brand value (in companies and products deemed to be ideologically inconsistent) than it has at building successful companies:

Over the past few years MAGA types, aggrieved at the supposed hostility of mainstream businesses towards conservative values, have set about building a 'parallel economy.' ... Yet building right-wing brands into thriving businesses has proved difficult. Most remain tiny. Many are unprofitable, It seems conservative consumers would rather press mainstream brands to hew to their views than buy politically charged coffee beens or SIM cards."

The article argues that business basics are still the most salient predictor of stakeholder loyalties:

"The trouble for MAGA brands is that, altogether there are plenty of conservative consumers, 'a much smaller share want politics embedded in everyday purchases.' ... Price, quality and convenience still shape most buying decisions. And although political positioning may help attract attention, it can spook the suppliers and distributors on which businesses rely."

To support its argument around value destruction, the article presents the recent Cracker Barrel branding controversy, as well as the 2023 Bud Light "transgender influencer" incident, both of which are deemed to have inflicted significant financial harm on their respective organizations:

"Cracker Barrel, a Southern-themed restaurant chain, suffered a slump in traffic last summer after it removed a bucolic old man from its logo, drawing MAGA ire. It swiftly rolled back the change. ... Its share price is yet to recover. ... [For Bud Light] In the three months after the transgender influencer's post, 15% of regular buyers switched brands. A year later Bud Light's owner, AB InBev, said the controversy had cost it an estimated $1.4bn in sales. The beer ceded its spot as America's best-selling and has contributed to lose share over the past year."

The conclusion is that politics (and, therefore, values) are better left out of business:

"For most brands, then, the safest path may be to stay out of politics. ... 'The biggest consumer segment in the world is the one in the middle.'"

But, I wonder if that is the correct conclusion. For me, what I took away from the Cracker Barrel controversy was the company's attempt to impose 'modern' values on a customer base that is fundamentally resistant to change ('conservative' in the true sense of the word). And for Bud Light, the company's error seemed to be folding as soon as its 'values' were exposed, rather than carefully thinking through a campaign based around values the company and its stakeholders truly believed in (and then sticking to those values when criticized). The impression I got is that Bud Light tried to find a bandwagon to jump on, and then jumped off as quickly as it could when pressured -- revealing that it never truly believed in the values in the first place, and managing to annoy everyone in the process. Given this, perhaps the more confident conclusion could be that companies that stick to their values, and know those values are shared by key stakeholders, are the ones that become more successful. Of course, this conclusion would apply whatever the values in question -- the sort of approach to business that has been pursued so successfully by companies like Chick-fil-A (see Strategic CSR - Chick-fil-A and Strategic CSR - Chick-fil-A).

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 is archived at: https://strategiccsr-sage.blogspot.com/

Right off the money

February 21, 2026

The Economist

Late Edition – Final

65

https://www.economist.com/business/2026/02/15/why-maga-brands-have-been-a-flop

Strategic CSR - Earnings guidance

Well, this isn't exactly the rationale I was hoping for, but the article in the url below notes that more companies are refusing to issue quarterly earnings guidance -- a blow to the short-term thinking (and misguided focus on shareholder value) that dominates our economic system: 

"Et tu, Walmart. Analysts covering the world's largest retailer will have to sharpen their pencils now that it has joined several other companies in scrapping quarterly earnings guidance (it kept it for the full year)."

It seems that the uncertainty injected into the economy, in recent months, is the 'excuse' CEOs are drawing on to avoid the glare of quarterly expectations:

"'Uncertainty' is practically a dirty word on Wall Street. After competitors scrapped their public forecasts, United Airlines instead took the unusual step last month of publishing two scenarios—one for a recession and another for an expansion."

As the author notes, however, the better approach might have been to scrap earnings guidance (i.e., not earnings reports) altogether:

"Unfortunately, that is a luxury mainly available to elite CEOs who are extremely secure in their jobs: Apple's Tim Cook, JPMorgan Chase's Jamie Dimon and, of course, Warren Buffett, who recently announced his impending retirement after six decades running Berkshire Hathaway."

Such a narrow focus on shareholder value, of course, is a relatively recent phenomenon, driven by neoliberal economic theory in the twentieth century (which resulted in most CEOs today being paid using stock options). But there is a strong argument to say that, not only is shareholder value a theory (rather than a legal fact), but that a singular (or even primary) focus on delivering it can be counterproductive to the long-term interests of the organization:

"Henry Singleton might be the greatest example of an executive who delivered with minimum regard for what Wall Street thought. Teledyne, the conglomerate he founded and ran for almost three decades, was a hot stock in the 1960s. … He was 'the smartest businessman I ever knew,' said the late Charlie Munger, who was vice chairman of Berkshire Hathaway."

 

Broad stakeholder support for not issuing guidance, particularly from the board and other key stakeholders, is what is required for CEOs to have the confidence to make decisions for the medium to long term, which is how the optimal level of value is created. While somewhat regular earnings reports are essential to allow for adequate oversight and governance mechanisms, quarterly earnings guidance is an unnecessary legacy of a disproportionate focus on shareholder value, which can be unhealthy, as noted in the article in the second url below:

 

"What would not be painful: a voluntary reduction in 'quarterly guidance,' or forecasts, by executives about how they expect their companies to fare. Warren Buffett of Berkshire Hathaway and Jamie Dimon of JPMorgan Chase recommended this change in a Wall Street Journal essay in 2018. Companies routinely use these forecasts to manipulate the expectations of financial analysts so that when earnings reports ultimately arrive, they constitute 'positive surprises' that set off rallies in the companies' shares."

 

While the article in the third url below suggests this development is gaining momentum and possibly being extended to earnings reports:

"The Securities and Exchange Commission is preparing a proposal to eliminate the requirement to report earnings quarterly and instead give companies the option to share results twice a year, according to people familiar with the matter. The regulator could publish the proposal as soon as next month."

 

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/

 

Elite CEOs Don't Need Earnings Guidance

By Spencer Jakab

May 16, 2025

The Wall Street Journal

Late Edition – Final

B12

https://www.wsj.com/business/elite-ceos-dont-need-earnings-guidance-a0e5de93

 

Is The the Time to End Quarterly Earnings Reports?

By Jeff Sommer

October 5, 2025

The New York Times

Late Edition – Final

BU4

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/10/02/business/trump-earnings-reports-investing-stocks.html

 

SEC Prepares Proposal to Eliminate Quarterly Reporting Requirement

By Corrie Driebusch

March 16, 2025

The Wall Street Journal

https://www.wsj.com/finance/regulation/sec-prepares-proposal-to-eliminate-quarterly-reporting-requirement-1d700bbb

Strategic CSR - Shipping + oil

The article in the url below focuses on the "phantom fleet" of ships with dubious ownership that the U.S. reports are shipping "illicit oil" around the world. Due to sanctions on the trade of this oil, since early December the U.S. has seized ten of these ships, while India has seized three and France another one. Unfortunately, those 14 ships do not put much of a dent in the scale of this problem for the global oil industry:

"The phantom fleet of sanctioned vessels now numbers 1,300 ships, according to TankerTrackers.com, a ship-tracking website. ... Many are clustered on routes from Russia and Iran headed to buyers in Asia."

While more than a quarter of the ships have turned off their transponder beacons (to hide their locations), the majority can still be identified and tracked:

"Shadow fleet ships, usually old, sailing under false flags and sanctioned, accounted for 6% to 7% of the global crude oil flows in 2025, according to ship-data firm Kpler. Russia last year relied on the fleet to transport around 80% of its crude and oil products, analysts estimated."

Of particular interest, the article contains a map showing where all these ships are located, as of February 10. I find this interesting because the red dots clearly delineate the major shipping routes across the globe, highlight how daunting it is for the U.S. to try and police this illegal trade, as well as how fossil fuels remain the driver of such massive amounts of human activity:

 

 

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 is archived at: https://strategiccsr-sage.blogspot.com/

 

The U.S. Is Hunting the Shadow Fleet. This Is What It's Up Against.

By Daniel Kiss, Ming Li and Rebecca Feng

February 21, 2026

The Wall Street Journal

https://www.wsj.com/business/energy-oil/the-u-s-is-hunting-the-shadow-fleet-this-is-what-its-up-against-0feba9bb

Strategic CSR - Share buybacks

There is a good chance the motivation is distorted but, among all the noise and activity emanating from Washington DC, the announcement included in the article in the url below caught my attention: 

"President Trump lashed out at U.S. weapons manufacturers Wednesday, announcing new restrictions on executive pay and stock buybacks while also threatening to cancel contracts with one of the country's largest defense contractors."

I like it because it discourages an emphasis on shareholder value, while also addressing the mildly corrupt nature of government contracting in the defense sector:

 

"An executive order posted Wednesday evening said companies 'are not permitted in any way, shape, or form to pay dividends or buy back stock, until such time as they are able to produce a superior product, on time and on budget.'"

And the intention behind the executive order is specific:

"Earlier Wednesday, Trump said in a Truth Social post that he would limit executive pay to $5 million, but the dollar figure wasn't included in the executive order. … Trump also singled out contractor RTX in a separate social-media post, saying that the company 'has been the least responsive' to the Pentagon's needs and 'the slowest in increasing their volume, and the most aggressive spending on their Shareholders rather than the needs and demands' of the U.S. military."

While enforcement will be a challenge (and limiting pay will not amount to much unless stock options are also capped), the intention responds to a real issue: 

"Saying that he was addressing defense contractors and the defense industry, Trump wrote, that '…Defense Contractors are currently issuing massive Dividends to their Shareholders and massive Stock Buybacks, at the expense and detriment of investing in Plants and Equipment. This situation will no longer be allowed or tolerated!'"

Again, I am not confident that the issue is fully understood or that the order will be systematically implemented, but the story was still encouraging to see.

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/

Trump Lashes Out at Defense Firms, Buybacks

By Marcus Weisgerber and Drew FitzGerald

January 8, 2026

The Wall Street Journal

Late Edition – Final

A4

https://www.wsj.com/business/trump-defense-industry-executive-order-9cc2c42e

Strategic CSR - Tariffs

The article in the url below frames the current U.S. administration's economic policy of raising tariffs on imports as an attempt to revive the habit of purchasing more expensive, higher-quality (and domestic) products that last longer, by forcing the U.S. consumer away from the mass purchase of cheaper, lower-quality imports that are often discarded after a few uses:

"Much of the clothing, homeware, tools and toys that Americans now buy is so inexpensive that it can be purchased almost without thinking. That has fueled an addiction to cheap stuff. No matter how quick the shipping time, the rush we get from our personalized phone cases and matching pajama sets is shorter: We throw many of these items out after only a few uses and start the cycle all over again. With the approach of Black Friday, the most visible display of America's shopping compulsion is just around the corner."

Whether the author is suggesting this was the primary motivation for the tariffs is unclear, but they are certainly making a strong connection between the two:

"President Trump's tariffs and his vision of restoring America as a manufacturing powerhouse are challenging this "buy now, worry later" mindset. According to the Tax Foundation, Trump has raised the average effective tariff on all imported goods from 2.5% in 2022 to 13% today—the highest level since 1941."

The gap in the argument, of course, is that, in order for the tariffs to have a net positive sustainability effect, the government would need to invest the money raised in sustainability-linked efforts. If that condition does not hold, the tariffs are essentially a tax that is merely redirected from one unsustainable effort (e.g., purchasing from Shein; see Strategic CSR - Shein + Boohoo) to another (e.g., subsidies for oil and gas R&D; see Strategic CSR - Fossil fuel subsidies).

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/

Will Trump's Trade War Break America's Addiction to Cheap Stuff?

By Rachel Wolfe

November 15-16, 2025

The Wall Street Journal

Late Edition – Final

C1-2

https://www.wsj.com/economy/consumers/will-trumps-trade-war-break-americas-addiction-to-cheap-stuff-ff21df9e

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