The Fair Labor Association (FLA) is a U.S.-based non-profit organization combining the efforts of industry, non-governmental organizations, along with colleges and universities to promote adherence to international labor standards and to improve working conditions worldwide. The FLA was established as an independent monitoring body that holds Participating Companies and Participating Suppliers accountable for the conditions under which their products are produced. To advance fair, decent, and humane working conditions, the FLA enforces the Workplace Code of Conduct (Links to an external site.)which is based on the core labor standards of the International Labor Organization.

The FLA’s Accredited Participating Companies and Suppliers have brought their supply chains into substantial compliance with the FLA Workplace Code of Conduct. This is accomplished through adopting and communicating workplace standards, providing proper training to assess and remediate all non-compliance issues, conducting internal assessments of all facilities and providing confidential channels for workers to report any issues or concerns. Once the Participating Company’s or Participating Supplier’s compliance program receives accreditation, it has proven its compliance program has sustainable systems and procedures in place required for successfully upholding fair labor standards throughout its supply chains.

The compliance programs that have received FLA accreditation can be found here: https://www.fairlabor.org/accreditation (Links to an external site.)

You will be required to select one of the companies listed from the Fair Labor Association’s Accreditation link to conduct your required Company Research Paper. You may select any company from the list except for Russell Brands and Patagonia (I worked for Russell and you have a case study scheduled in this course on Patagonia).

Please follow these basic guidelines when constructing your research paper:

• Responses must be organized with clear headings (i.e. Social Responsibility, Environmental Responsibility, etc.)
• Each response is to demonstrate comprehensive research of the subject matter
• The responses must clearly relate to each question and are to include supporting details with examples
• Answers should objectively reflect upon analysis of the CSR and Sustainability efforts from the Company’s website and other supporting sources
• Provide thoughtful perspective and position, when requested

Your research paper is to include the following:

Open your research paper by sharing a brief history of the company (to include information on the founding of the organization, current ownership, corporate headquarters location, product categories produced, the company’s mission statement and/or vision statement, etc.). Share your thoughtful perspective on how the company’s mission/vision provides a framework that complements its CSR and Sustainability efforts.

Provide specific details on what your chosen company publicly reports on its website in the following areas (also to include any findings from outside research relating to the company’s CSR initiatives and programs). Here are some examples to consider within these key responsibility initiatives categories (but not limited to these topics):

Social Responsibility

• Human rights policies/issues
• Labor relations (respect for unions)
• Ethical practices (corporate culture, honesty, transparency, etc.)
• Auditing and compliance practices/partnerships
• Interrelations with government and community
• Key stakeholder relations/engagement
• Volunteerism commitments

Environment Responsibility

• Environmental affairs/performance
• Reuse and recycle
• Zero waste to landfill
• Reduce carbon footprint
• Pollution prevention
• Alternative energy
• Renewable energy
• Biofuel/hydropower

Economic Responsibility

• Economic and financial performance
• Philanthropic commitments (charitable giving)
• Socially and environmentally conscious investments

Recognition and Partnerships

• CSR/Environmental certificates and awards
• Social and Environmental partnerships

The Future

• Goals identified for future social and environmental initiatives/performance
• Share your thoughtful perspective on the company’s future CSR and Sustainability efforts

Formatting requirements:

• The main body of the Company Research Paper must include a minimum of 4 full double-spaced pages, but no more than 6 full pages long.
• Written in a professional manner (e.g., free from grammatical errors and typos, no slang, etc.) Grammarly is recommended.
• Adherence to typical APA guidelines (e.g., double spaced throughout, Times New Roman 12-point font throughout, 1-inch margins, appropriate use of headings, etc.).
• Your research paper should include three major sections: Title Page, Main Body, and References (must cite a minimum of the Company’s website, along with at least three other credible sources – Note that Wikipedia is not considered a credible source).
• Cite all sources used in your research, preferably on a Citation page at the end of your paper.
• Please create new headings when moving from one topic area to the next.

Company Research Paper Rubric

Total Points – 100

Did the student create a formal research paper providing a brief overview and history of the company? 10 points

Did the student share their thoughtful perspective on how the mission and vision complement the Company’s CSR and Sustainability efforts? 10 points

Did the student clearly follow the basic guidelines identified for constructing the research paper? 40 points

Did the research paper follow the formatting requirements? 20 points

Did the student use the company website and identify at least three additional credible sources and properly identify all sources on the Citation page? 10 points

Did the student share their thoughtful perspective on the Company’s future CSR and Sustainability efforts? 10 points