eco-friendly products such as soy protein
to its lineup. Today, this is a company that
young professionals want to work for, and
the transformation could not have happened without a commitment from the top.
The Center for Corporate Citizenship at
Boston College has identified four principles for values-based governance:
“IF A COMPANY IS TRULY
DEDICATED TO INCLUDING PEOPLE
FROM UNDERREPRESENTED
BACKGROUNDS ON THEIR
BOARDS, THERE’S NO SHORTAGE
SIDEBAR HEADER-
GILL SANS 14PT
OF TALENT.”
SideBar copy-Gill Sans- 8pt
—CARLOS F. ORTA,
HISPANIC ASSOCIATION ON
CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY
1. Minimize Harm—Limit the negative
consequences of business activities and decisions on stakeholders. That includes operating
ethically, supporting efforts to stop corrup-
Reputation & the War for Talent
Which of the following are very important to B-school students?
The company:
79% Treats employees well
68% Reduces its environmental impact
57% Supports good causes
53% Improves energy efficiency
53% Supports local communities
51% Plays a useful role in society
46% Charges fair prices/treats customers fairly
44% Is fair to shareholders with good corporate governance
43% Treats suppliers well
0% 20% 40% 60% 80%
Source: Hill & Knowlton, based on a survey of 500 students
tion, championing human rights and enforcing good cSoUndBuHcEtAfrDo-mGIsLuLpSpAlieNrSs.1E0xPaTmple:
A leading aMpapin arBealrccoompyp-aGnilyl Smanosve1d0pbteyond
merely monitoring the working conditions
in its overseas factories and fining offenders.
Now, when a violation is found, the company
works with factory managers to determine
KRAFT FOODS
FEEDS THE HUNGRY
In January, Kraft Foods’ CEO Irene Rosenfeld
was one of 1,500 employees who spent the
workday doling out hot meals, reading to children and cheering up senior citizens as part
of Kraft Cares Day, a companywide annual
initiative to give community service (shown).
These Kraft employees volunteered more than
10,000 paid hours across the country that day.
Launched in 1996 to honor Dr. Martin Luther
King, Jr.’s birthday and legacy, the event demonstrates the commitment of Kraft Foods, its
leaders and employees to the needs of those
less fortunate.
“Kraft has a tradition of giving that dates
back to the 1930s, when founder J.L. Kraft
made our first grant,” says Amina Dickerson,
senior director of corporate community involvement. “As the largest food company in the
United States, our employees expect us to be
responsive to the needs of the community.”
Over the past 20 years, Kraft has donated
more than $700 million worth of food products
to combat hunger. Last year alone, Kraft employees volunteered more than 65,000 hours.
“We truly believe that applying the talent
and expertise of our employees to create better access to food for those in need is one of
the best things we can do,” says Dickerson.
Kraft was also one of the founding contributors to America’s Second Harvest, the na-
tion’s largest food bank now known as Feeding
America. Over the past 10 years, Kraft made
more than 650 grants totaling $26 million to
the Kraft Community Nutrition program, a
collaborative effort with local food banks to
distribute fresh produce to the needy. For instance, Kraft partnered with local food banks
to provide kosher foods to Jewish communities
in New York and to serve the needs of Latinos
in Maryland.
“Our approach to service and philanthropic giving is to identify the critical needs in the
community where we can bring innovation to
advance a long-term solution and build sustainable programs,” Dickerson explains.
