Nike Social Responsibility Audit

NIKE, INC.

SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY AUDIT

BY:

NIKE’S MISSION STATEMENT

To bring inspiration and innovation to every athlete in the world.

NIKE’S CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY MISSION

We must help the company achieve profitable and sustainable growth.

We must protect and enhance the brand and company.

In the corporate world, companies have a responsibility to act in ways which go beyond the aspect of making money. The movement of Corporate Social Responsibility has grown in recent years from an activity of an activity of earnest companies to a priority of corporate America. Based upon a book by Howard R. Bowen, “Social Responsibilities of the Businessman,” he derived five basic arguments for social responsibilities: (1) Managers have an ethical duty to consider the broad social impacts of their decisions; (2) Businesses are reservoirs of skill and energy for improving civic life; (3) Corporations must use power in keeping with a broad social contract; (4) It is in the enlightened self-interest of business to improve society; and (5) Voluntary action may head off negative public attitudes and unwanted regulations.1 In light of these kinds of social responsibilities, Nike, Inc., (Nike) in the fiscal year of 2004 (FY04) released its first Corporate Social Responsibility Report in 3 years relying heavily upon the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) indicators. The GRI is a process and institution whose mission is to develop and publicize global responsibility and sustainability guidelines. These guidelines (indicators) are used voluntarily for reporting economic, environmental, and social aspects about a company’s activities, products, and services. Throughout the rest of our social responsibility audit of Nike we will also implement these indicators to determine whether the company has applied their goals and objectives based upon the mission statement of the company in relation to the areas of social responsibility.

In Nike’s FY04 social responsibility report, its brand presidents stated that the company as a whole has set out to achieve three strategic objectives. These objectives are: (1) To effect positive, systemic change in working conditions within the footwear, apparel, and equipment industries; (2) To create innovative and sustainable products; and (3) To use sport as a tool for positive change and campaign to turn sport and activity into a fundamental right for every young person. WHAT SHOULD WE SAY HERE TO LEAD INTO ECONOMICS?

ECONOMICS

(HOI)

PHILANTHROPY

Philanthropy could be defined broadly as