Instructions

For years companies have been aware of the corporate social responsibility (CSR) movement. Corporate social responsibility is defined as a companys environmental, social and economic performance and the impacts of the company on its internal and external stakeholders. In a recent high-profile case in Saint John, well-known corporation Irving Oil experienced three malfunctions at [its] refinery [that] caused a grey, gritty dust to layer parts of Saint John.6 An investigation was undertaken by the federal Department of Environment, but surprisingly to some residents of Saint John, no charges were laid against Irving Oil. Department of Environment spokesperson Jennifer Graham told the media that charges were not laid because the incident that occurred would be considered sort of an upset that the company couldnt control. A local environmental activist saw things differently, however. Gordon Dalzell claims that the case illustrates problems with the Department of Environments ability to enforce air quality rules, and that the department needs better tools to hold industrial polluters accountable. As part of its social responsibility initiatives, Irving Oil decided to distribute vouchers to affected residents of Saint John entitling them to free car and house washing. Career Application In a class discussion, consider these questions: Why are companies increasingly interested in social responsibility? Who is directly accountable when a companys social responsibility initiatives still leave the public unhappy? What are the advantages and disadvantages of detailed codes of social responsibility for companies? MEMO TASK You are an assistant corporate communications manager at Irving Oil. Your boss, the Director of Corporate Communications, asks you to research best practices in crisis communications, especially relating to environmental cases (e.g., pipeline spills, etc.). The Director asks you to draft a memo summary for her by next week. She also implies that if she likes what she sees, she may use your research at an upcoming high-level meeting. Using library databases and the Web, research crisis communications relating to businesses and the environment, and write an e-mail attaching a draft memo to your boss, Sherry Cardinal, as instructed. 2. what is your subject? Essentials of Business Communication