Queen Essays

Overview

This course contains two peer review assignments that take place within the discussion forums. The purpose of the peer reviews in this course is to help your classmates improve their work while strengthening your own editing and critical-thinking abilities by providing constructive, criteria-based reviews of others’ work. As you review your peers’ work, it is extremely important that you review and refer to the rubric for the assignment you are reviewing. Your instructor will use this rubric to grade the assignment when it is submitted.

Take time to read the paper thoroughly. You may want to read it in its entirety and write down your first impressions. Refer to the assignment rubric to confirm whether your classmate has addressed the requirements of the assignment. Clearly evaluate the piece’s strengths and weaknesses in approaching the assignment guidelines highlighted in the assignment rubric. Weaknesses should be discussed as opportunities for improvement. Make concrete suggestions for areas that need to be improved with appropriate focus and tone. Your feedback must be constructive and prescriptive as you provide specific details. You are evaluating the work, not the person. Be kind.

Directions

Post a draft of the assignment for peer review as your initial post. Then evaluate the work of at least two of your peers. Your grade for this assignment will be based on your peer reviews. But you cannot participate in the peer review and will not earn credit for this assignment if you do not post your assignment draft as your initial post.

Specifically, you must address the following rubric criteria:

Evaluation of Strengths: Evaluate the strengths of submissions, using the assignment rubric to justify your response.

Opportunities for Improvement: Identify areas in the submissions that are opportunities for improvement, using information from the assignment rubric to justify your response.

Concrete Suggestions: Provide company-specific, concrete suggestions for the identified opportunities to improve with appropriate focus and tone.

Writing Mechanics: Write your evaluations of your peers’ work so they are easily understood, clear, concise, and use proper citation methods where applicable.

What to Submit

Please use a minimum of 3 scholarly sources, citations in APA format. Times Roman, size 12 font.

In your responses to peers (2):

Select drafts that have not been reviewed. If they have all been reviewed, select drafts with the fewest reviews.

The comments and feedback you provide should be in the form of a constructive peer review. Your feedback should discuss the strengths of the submissions as well as areas that can be improved.

Review and refer to the assignment guidelines and rubric specified in the online discussion instructions when evaluating your peers’ submissions.

Keep the tone of your comments positive and constructive. You are reviewing the paper, not the person.

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In this discussion, you will review a classmate's draft of the first section of the Milestone Three: Change Management paper.

To participate in the peer review discussion, do the following steps:

Initial Discussion Post

Peer Review

Select two classmates' drafts to review. Select students who do not already have two feedback posts. Having peer reviews from your classmates is not guaranteed.

Review the Milestone Three Guidelines and Rubric so you understand what is expected and required for the first two rubric criteria in the paper (CSR and ESG policy and desired culture). (attached)

Your comments and feedback should be in the form of a constructive peer review. Your comments should discuss the strengths of the submissions as well as areas that can be improved.

Keep the tone of your comments positive and constructive. You are reviewing the paper, not the person. Be kind.

Please use a minimum of 3 scholarly sources, citations in APA format. Times Roman, size 12 font.

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Posted by Veronica-

CSR and ESG Policy

FedEx has a committed approach to their Corporate Social Responsibility efforts. They have embraced their role within the communities they serve and have the sentiment of, “We believe a connected world is a prosperous and sustainable world. And we aim to deliver that forward.” FedEx has implemented their CSR efforts globally with as much work being put in across their international locations as their domestic United States headquarters. The company won a sustainability and CSR engagement award in Malaysia for 2023. They have also been honored in Dubai for their CSR efforts over the years.

The FedEx Global Citizen Strategy operates with five pillars:

1. Sustainable Logistics: Implement sustainable transportation methods to work towards achieving goal of carbon neutral operations by 2040.

2. Delivering for Good: Utilize company team members and company vehicles and planes to assist for humanitarian relief efforts.

3. Global Entrepreneurship: Assist small businesses with creating jobs and building capital.

4. Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion: Provide education, workforce development and cultural awareness to build a more inclusive workforce and community.

5. Community Grants & Service: Embody the company values by bringing team members to local events that support local communities.

FedEx’s largest CSR effort is their FedEx Cares program. The goal of FedEx Cares is, “To help make the world a better place through in-kind shipping, volunteering our time and expertise, and charitable giving.” The organization releases an annual report with a listing of the highlights of the ways the company was able to make charitable contributions, provide volunteer work and bring attention to important causes.

Contributions to non-profits like St. Jude Hospital are not the only focus of FedEx Cares. Much of the work is done by providing opportunities to people in underserved communities. Education and career growth grants and scholarships are one of the efforts that are applied across the board regardless of location. Students with an interest in business degree programs can apply for scholarships or to have an opportunity to have an internship with FedEx to get hands on experience learning how the daily logistics work for transportation companies.

When it comes to Environmental, Social and Governance strategies, FedEx embodies their Purple Promise to “Make Every FedEx Experience Outstanding.” Working with FedEx as a customer, vendor or investor should be a positive experience. Customers want their products and services to be provided for a fair price while knowing the company is paying fair wages to their workers. Vendors and business partners want to be provided with the best resources to get the job done in support of FedEx’s business processes. And they want to be paid competitively for their contributions to FedEx operations. Investors want the company to have long-term growth goals and a way to balance the increased cost of doing business. All these demands are part of the ESG mission.

To have long term success as a transportation company, FedEx must explore alternative fuel options to power their vehicles and find ways to reduce carbon emissions. FedEx relies on air transportation, long haul freightliners and many different sizes of delivery vehicles to transport goods. Environmental sustainability efforts are inevitably a benefit to the long term operations goals of FedEx.

Desired Culture

FedEx operates with a progressive and empowered workplace culture. Leaders are supported by the Quality Driven Management program that allows them to make quick decisions that support the business and goals without too much clerical red tape. The latitude given speaks to the trust in management and their judgement when it comes to control of management of labor resources.

FedEx utilizes their business relationships and the work done by their political team to contribute their input on legislation that is being reviewed that might change the regulations they must follow for flights and interstate commerce. Being involved in the drafting of laws provides the lawmakers with direct input from the people who are on the frontlines. This real-life input makes the issues personal and can direct positive changes for workers and business partners alike.

Communication Strategies

To align workers with the CSR and ESG policies in place at FedEx, they make the decisions personalized. Founder Fred Smith and CEO Raj Subramaniam both have a wealth of experiences and professional situations that they pull from to display the reason that certain policies are supported by the board. If there is a focus on military members or veterans, the company communicates the ways that they have been involved with the Wounded Warrier Project or Humanitarian aid delivery to war zones that our military has been on the frontline of.

Instead of just soliciting requests for volunteer hours and donations from workers for organizations like United Way and St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital, FedEx incorporates the real-life stories and experiences of workers that have been personally affected by childhood illnesses or had a need to utilize United Way services due to natural disasters.  

Scenario Planning for Change Management

When preparing for change within any organization, scenario planning is important for ensuring that there are plans in place for success under various circumstances. Implementing new operational methods, use of new equipment and creation of new positions all begin as a test and learn. To properly integrate these changes with the least resistance from the workforce, it is easier to show that consideration of all possible outcomes has been reviewed and prepared for.

Long Term sustainability efforts related to the environment are plans made with the intent of flexibility. The knowledge and science of alternative fuels rapidly changes. If more cost-effective options are available by the time certain environmental goals are to be met then a back up plan should be in place to pivot resources and work towards the option that is still environmentally beneficial and financially sound.

*Citations have not been included as draft is still a work in progress.

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Posted by Michelle B—

Note – There are sections that are incomplete and content may need to be restructured.

More content will be added under the headings:

Desired Culture

Relationship between Desired culture and CSR and ESG policies

Communication Strategies to create buy in

Strengths / Weaknesses

Scenario Planning

How has Comcast used this practice and why is it so important

Outline ways the Comcast might want to use this practice to manage change

Why is scenario planning a key practice for change management

Conclusion

Draft

An Analysis of Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental, Social and Corporate Governance at Comcast Corporation

This paper aims to examine the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) strategies of Comcast Corporation. It will discuss the company's CSR and ESG approaches and their effects on different departments across the organization. Additionally, the paper will explore the culture Comcast seeks to cultivate, the communication strategies it has utilized, and the role of scenario planning in its change management practices. The analysis will offer a thorough understanding of how Comcast incorporates CSR and ESG into its operations and the subsequent impact on its organizational structure and culture.

CSR and ESG Policies at Comcast

Organizations are increasingly integrating sustainable and ethical practices into their core business strategies. Over the past twenty years, addressing societal concerns has become essential to business strategy due to changing expectations from consumers, investors, employees, and communities. Comcast’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) policies and initiatives that aim to meet shareholder needs—encompassing consumers, employees, suppliers, communities, and investors—while striving to build “…a more equitable, inclusive, and sustainable world” (Comcast Corporation, 2024 Impact Report, pg. 1, para 1). Furthermore, Comcast’s stance on Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) policies and voluntary reporting and disclosure stress the importance of transparency in these areas for the company.

Transparency

Comcast Corporation is recognized for its dedication to transparent and ethical business practices in both CSR and ESG. They align with industry standards by providing in-depth reports on diversity data and environmental impact. As per Sustainalytics (2024), the company holds a “strong” rating for managing material risk (Company ESG Ratings, para. 3 & 4), indicating effective governance practices.

Their investor website hosts an easily accessible collection of reports and policies that corroborate their stance and outline their CSR and ESG efforts. The website prominently highlights Comcast's (2024) commitment to fostering “…a more equitable, inclusive and sustainable world” (2024 Impact Report, pg. 1, para 1). Additionally, Comcast has a longstanding history of disclosing their social and environmental practices, with an archive of articles and reports dating back more than 10 years (Comcast Corporation, 2024b). The shareholder site, CMSCA.org, offers detailed ESG reporting, providing a comprehensive overview of their environmental, social, and governance reporting, along with disclosures of associated risks and sustainability accounting standards board (SASB) reporting (Comcast Corporation, 2024)

Shareholder Engagement

Comcast's investments in initiatives such as Project UP (Comcast Corporation, 2024) showcase their commitment to diversity, inclusion, environmental sustainability, and employee development (2024 Impact Report, p.3, para. 1). These programs align with Comcast's core values of community engagement, social responsibility, and empowerment. By enhancing digital connectivity, supporting skill-building, fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace, and addressing environmental challenges, Comcast ensures it upholds ethical standards and positively impacts both employees and the broader community. (Comcast Corporation, 2024). These efforts emphasize the company's dedication to creating a beneficial societal impact.

Ethical Business Practices

Code of Conduct, Open Door Policy, etc.

Impact on Various Departments

The CSR and ESG practices impact various departments in different ways

Operations: These teams are responsible for implementing sustainability practices like reducing idle time in technician’s fleet vehicles to reduce environmental impact and waste.

Finance: Budgets to fund CSR initiatives must be planned for and considered a priority when determining the allocation of funds.

Marketing / Communications: Both internal and external messaging efforts are needed to support key initiatives and promote full engagement.

Human Resources: Being in the business of people, it is imperative that Human Resources teams are well trained in how to best support and train the operational leaders to be successful in hosting team and individual conversations about important social issues that are take place inside or outside of work.

Desired Culture

Comcast's desired culture is one that values purpose, diversity, equity, and inclusion. They aim to create a workplace where employees feel motivated, engaged, and connected to the company's mission of making a positive impact on society through Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives (Satell Institute, 2023).

Leaders at Comcast support building this culture by actively engaging in and promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives. They communicate the importance of CSR and social impact to employees, provide resources and opportunities for involvement, and lead by example in fostering a culture that values purpose and social responsibility. (Satell Institute, 2023 & Comcast Corporation, 2024). They also facilitate discussions on important topics like systemic racism and social issues to ensure that employees feel empowered to contribute to a more inclusive and equitable workplace. (Comcast Corporation, 2024)

Key Elements

Leadership practices in support of

Guiding Principles

Code of Ethics

How has Comcast Fostered that Desired Culture

List of tactics used

Relationship between Desired culture and CSR and ESG policies

Communication Strategies to create buy in

Strengths

Weaknesses

Scenario Planning

How has Comcast used this practice and why is it so important

Outline ways the Comcast might want to use this practice to manage change

Why is scenario planning a key practice for change management

Conclusion

​​References​

Comcast Corporation. (2024, June 6). 2024 Impact Report . corporate.comcast.com . https://corporate.comcast.com/impact/report/2024

Satell Institute. (2023, April 19). How comcast does CSR. The Satell Institute. https://www.satellinstitute.org/how-comcast-does-csr/

Sustainaltics. (2024, April). Company ESG risk rating – sustainalytics. sustainalytics.com. https://www.sustainalytics.com/esg-rating/comcast-corp/1008051587