Deck 13: Strategic Considerations for the Triple Bottom Line in High-Tech Companies

Question 1

Which of the following answers best captures the idea of social accounting?

A)It is a way to measure a company's greenwashing efforts.
B)It assesses customer loyalty that arises from CSR initiatives.
C)It measures strategy,governance,stakeholder involvement,and follow-through in a company's CSR strategies.
D)It develops a set of reporting guidelines and standards to assess a company's impact on social and environmental concerns.
E)All of the above

Answer 1

D

Question 2

According to your text,what are the key trends supporting a company's focus on the triple bottom line?

A)Primarily sociocultural and natural resources
B)Climate change and economics
C)Poverty and the decline of government support
D)Gen Y/Millenials and technology
E)Progressive business and global warming

Answer 2

A

Question 3

Companies' choices of corporate philanthropy initiatives are influenced by stakeholders in which order:

A)Suppliers,creditors,customers,employees
B)Customers,creditors,suppliers,employees
C)Employees,local communities,customers,board of directors
D)Board of directors,local communities,customers,employees
E)Executive staff,customers,employees,suppliers

Answer 3

C

Question 4

Which of the following is NOT one of the criticisms leveled against CSR?

A)Socially-responsible business practices distract it from the true mission of serving stockholders and increasing profits.
B)CSR is simply PR,designed to polish a corporate image but without doing any real good for society.
C)Companies that address social problems may earn lower returns,but this allows it to pay lower taxes.
D)CSR is merely a "cover-up" for new ways to make profit,while calling it social responsibility.
E)All of the above are criticisms against CSR

Question 5

Believers with which of the following arguments:

A)"CSR is the new trend; in order to keep up in business,we must implement a CSR plan."
B)"We can use CSR to build a stronger relationship with our customers."
C)"It is simply the right thing to do."
D)"CSR initiatives,for example reducing the company's environmental footprint,is shown to reduce costs and add to the bottom line."
E)"We should generate an ad campaign that shows that our company thinks 'green.'"

Question 6

This approach to CSR is driven by creating positive business results.Companies following this approach are often responding to other external drivers,such as the threat of regulation.

A)The shareholder model
B)The business case model
C)The social values model
D)The syncretic stewardship model
E)Both the social values and the business models

Question 7

Which of the following captures the four domains that facilitate the likelihood that a business will benefit strategically from its investments in CSR?

A)Core competencies,industry cluster,employee training,government lobbying
B)Supply,demand,competitive context,supporting infrastructure
C)Education,capital,business culture,and taxes
D)Supply,demand,clusters,intellectual property rights
E)Government infrastructure,distribution infrastructure,technology infrastructure,and social capital

Question 8

Which of the following methods to developing a CSR agenda would most likely have a successful outcome?

A)A company's marketing team invents a creative slogan to emphasize the company's interest in and general support of "green" initiatives.
B)The board of directors decides to offer 1% of after tax profits to an orphanage in Africa.
C)The company's primary supplier reduces packaging by 10% and tells customers by printing this fact on the labels.
D)The employees hold a company-wide meeting and brainstorming session,devise an internal and external waste reduction plan and a program to measure their results.
E)The company executives hire a "green consultant" to come and evaluate the company's impact and suggest a plan for improvement.

Question 9

Which of the following accurately captures differences between the social values led model and the syncretic stewardship model of CSR?

A)The social values led model is focused primarily on solving societal problems,while the syncretic stewardship model balances economic and noneconomic interests.
B)The social values led model approaches CSR initiatives with "evangelical zeal," while syncretic stewardship models recognize inherent complexities and trade-offs in meeting a variety of stakeholders' needs.
C)Employees of companies following the social values model are attracted to the company because of the societal issue it focuses on,while employees of companies following the syncretic stewardship model are typically more removed from the CSR issues.
D)Social values led model companies welcome competitive firms' adopting their models,but syncretic stewardship model companies like to maintain their approach to CSR as a point of differentiation.
E)A and B are both true

Question 10

Which of the following best captures)the concept of CSR as a corporate strategy?

A)A way for a company to position itself as environmentally friendly
B)A company's commitment to addressing social problems and environmental issues,while remaining economically viable
C)A way to grow additional revenue for a company
D)A company's explicit consideration of the impact of its activities on all stakeholders affected by business decisions
E)B and D only

Question 11

Tech companies:

A)Embed CSR in senior management and in organizational rewards
B)Measure the impactof CSR
C)Incorporate creative opportunities for giving that fall outside of the core competencies of the business
D)Link CSR to business strategy and innovation strategy
E)Balance competing shareholder interests.

Question 12

Responsible behaviors i.e.,those that benefit society or address social concerns)?

A)It can be a source of competitive advantage with customers.
B)It can facilitate employee loyalty and morale.
C)It can potentially be a source of additional revenue for a company.
D)It can cultivate a less hostile business environment.
E)All of the above

Question 13

Cradle)thinking?

A)Business practices that utilize the triple bottom line for valuation.
B)Business practices that meet the needs of the current generation without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs.
C)Business practices that conduct a life cycle assessment of products to determine their true environmental cost,from growth/harvesting of raw materials to manufacture,distribution,and eventual disposal.
D)Businesses practices that take responsibility for ultimate disposal of products that create waste problems.
E)C and D only

Question 14

The United Nation's Global Compact goals include:

A)Engaging companies in partnership projects and policy dialogue.
B)Assisting small,local businesses find markets in more affluent countries.
C)Streamlining supply chains that cross multiple borders.
D)Penalizing companies for breaking environmental laws in areas of foreign operation.
E)Calling attention to companies that do NOT commit to ethical business practices up and down their supply chain.

Question 15

Which of the following is NOT an example of corporate social responsibility?

A)Establishing a company's environmental footprint and taking measures to reduce it.
B)Establishing living wage payment for factory workers in the Mexico manufacturing plant.
C)Offering employees the opportunity to volunteer at local not for profit organizations for 1% of their work time.
D)Offering shareholders the potential for greater returns.
E)Offering products to base-of-pyramid markets that improve standard of living.

Question 16

Bottom line performance?

A)Revenue and cost metrics do not capture the impact of CSR on the social/ environmental causes to which the company gives.
B)A company's profitability and financial performance is only weakly correlated with investments in CSR
C)Some companies don't have a business case approach to their CSR initiatives,and so,assessing financial metrics seems spurious.
D)There is no standard approach to measuring a company social and environmental performance.
E)All of the above capture measurement complexities.

Question 17

What is meant by the phrase,the triple bottom line?

A)Profits,people and planet,which captures the way a company incorporates the two domains of corporate social responsibility social and environmental issues)into its business decisions.
B)Product,price,and promotion,which captures the profit impact from the major decision variables in the marketing mix.
C)Financial,managerial,and environmental accounting methods.
D)The use of marketing metrics to capture customer satisfaction,loyalty,and lifetime value.
E)Sustainability,social marketing,and societal impacts.

Question 18

The definition of sustainability developed by the UN's Brundtland Commission refers to:

A)Business practices that utilize the triple bottom line for valuation.
B)Business practices that meet the needs of the current generation without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs.
C)Business practices that support communities in the developing world.
D)Businesses practices that engage in corporate social responsibility regardless of whether they communicate this with their customers or add profit.
E)Business practices that institute a CSR plan.

Question 19

What is the syncretic stewardship model of CSR?

A)A belief in harmonizing all channel partners to focus on the CSR initiative.
B)A small,privately-held company focused on social entrepreneurship.
C)A combination of base-of-the-pyramid market and environmental CSR strategies.
D)CSR that is focused on stewardship of the environment and conservation initiatives.
E)An approach to CSR that recognizes interdependencies,contradictions,and paradoxes in a company's business decisions.

Question 20

Responsible business practices?

A)Socially-responsible business practices can detract from a company's efforts in developing break-through innovations.
B)Companies that are socially responsible can build a stronger connection with customers.
C)Companies that address social problems may earn lower returns,but this allows it to pay lower taxes.
D)Social responsibility focuses media attention on companies that can be controversial,but any publicity benefits long-term equity.
E)All of the above are arguments that demonstrate how socially-responsible business practices support the long-term viability of a company's core business.

Question 21

The book states that BOP strategies often fail.There are as many reasons for failure as there are reasons for success.The book explicitly states to "fail early and fail fast." Why is this advice important for social entrepreneurs?

A)It offers an "escape route" for risky ventures.
B)It suggests that BOP strategies are destined for failure and therefore a success is a real "win."
C)It suggests that a lot can be learned from failures,lessons that sow the seed of success for the next venture.
D)It means the faster you fail,the more the investors will get back out of the venture.
E)It suggests that if you think you might fail,get out early and recover your losses.

Question 22

In order to address climate change effectively,analysts and consultants recommend thinking of climate changes as a:

A)CSR/ philanthropy level issue.
B)Supply chain issue.
C)Customer spending issue.
D)Business strategy issue.
E)Climate change is not affecting the way most companies do business.

Question 23

A box of crackers claiming to be made of 100% natural ingredients that actually contains artificial color and preservatives is committing which of the following "greenwashing" sins:

A)Sin of the Hidden Trade Off
B)Sin of Vaugeness
C)Sin of Irrelevance
D)Sin of Fibbing
E)Sin of Lesser of Two Evils

Question 24

The cap and trade approach to climate change has validity because:

A)Polluters pay.
B)The market decides the outcome.
C)Companies tend to take seriously everything identifiable that effects the bottom-line.
D)It avoids a system of taxation.
E)All of the above make a strong case for cap-and-trade systems

Question 25

What is the Kyoto Protocol?

A)A four-step model to implement a best-practices environmental strategy
B)A way to incorporate natural capitalism into a company's business thinking
C)A way to bring environmental thinking to BOP markets
D)A method to measure sustainability of high-tech products
E)An international treaty that places limits on greenhouse gas emissions.

Question 26

The term "digital divide" refers to:

A)the transition in the entertainment industry from analog content/formats to digital content/formats.
B)differences with respect to government policy with respect to phone lines,electricity grids,interstate highways,and access to computer technology.
C)the use of technology to build necessary firewalls or security barriers)between different companies' computer systems.
D)the disparity in access to technology between different groups of people in society.
E)the negative impacts of some types of technology i.e.,spam)arising from technological developments email technologies).

Question 27

Natural capitalism includes all of the following strategies,except:

A)Changing manufacturing practices to reduce energy consumption by 30%.
B)Creating a new material based on the strength-to-weight ratio of a spider web.
C)Reorganizing a supply chain based on the principles of ecology.
D)Preserving an acre of pristine wetlands for every acre a business occupies.
E)All of the above are examples of strategy inspired by natural capitalism.

Question 28

Which of the following is not identified by the text as a possible consideration in bridging the digital divide?

A)Technological developments
B)Government policies to facilitate access
C)Companies' efforts towards corporate philanthropy to facilitate access
D)Efforts to enhance vulnerable population's willingness and ability to embrace technology in their lives
E)All of the above are identified by the text as possible considerations in bridging the digital divide.

Question 29

Which of the following is not a step in the framework for addressing ethical dilemmas?

A)Identify all stakeholders who are affected by the decision.
B)Identify each stakeholder's needs and concerns from both sides of the ethical dilemma.
C)Prioritize the stakeholder groups and perspectives.
D)Stimulate a thorough debate over people versus profits.
E)Make and implement/communicate the decision.

Question 30

A social entrepreneur is:

A)Someone who is always aware of and plays by the "rules."
B)Someone who takes risks by seeking to solve seemingly intractable problems by applying business principles.
C)Someone who carefully plots and plans before making a move.
D)Someone who looks first at credentials and then considers an applicant's future capacity to deliver.
E)Someone who travels a lot,is a "do gooder," and wants to solve entrenched environmental problems.

Question 31

Profit model when:

A)"the air is too thin to think of business ventures"
B)The non-profit is expected to do good work.
C)The ability to attract people who already believe in serving public and environmental needs exists.
D)All of the above
E)None of the above: Social entrepreneurship does not follow a non-profit business model.

Question 32

Companies who measure their carbon footprint as a baseline for an internal environmental plan are often given accolades for taking the first step,but then they do nothing more about it.What would be the best second step for a company after completing the carbon footprint?

A)Work with suppliers to reduce energy output.
B)Meet with employees and have them draft a plan for reducing the company's footprint.
C)Buy carbon offsets for all company-related travel.
D)Assess risks and opportunities that arise from environmental issues.
E)Set a date to re-take the carbon footprint test in order to measure results.

Question 33

Enlightened CSR/ social entrepreneurship BoP 2.0)refers to:

A)Ranking in the top 10% of corporations that institute CSR.
B)The transition from merely 'giving' to capacity building and empowerment.
C)Supporting aid programs that have a wide global reach.
D)Creating programs that directly aid humanity's most basic needs: food,shelter and safety
E)Faith-based CSR agendas.

Question 34

The use of cellular phones and wireless technology aids rural,poor populations in many ways.The growth of cell phone use among this population is most attributed to:

A)Literacy not required.
B)Expensive legacy infrastructure not required.
C)Inexpensive phones made available through multinational companies and more recently local providers.
D)The market advantages reaped by cell phone users.
E)All of the above illustrate reasons for the growth of cell phone use in rural,poor populations.

Question 35

The BOP represents huge market opportunity because:

A)It is 4 billion strong.
B)It is easily reachable with inside connections.
C)It is relatively easy to make a high volume of sales.
D)It has relatively high purchasing power parity.
E)The primary distribution channels are already in place.

Question 36

Which of the following best describes the "disruptive" nature of social entrepreneurship?

A)An employee from the mailroom who comes up with a brilliant idea,shares it with the CEO,and is promoted to a VP position.
B)A group of entrepreneurs who raise $1 million dollars to continue funding AIDS research in Africa.
C)A group of entrepreneurs who design a product that will be powered by solar energy,require a 4th grade education to fix,will cost $10 and will provide safe drinking water to villages all across Asia.
D)A group of scientists who create a cure for malaria in a lab and decide to hold on to the idea until the time is right for them to release it independent of their current employers.
E)A group of young business people spend $100,000 of borrowed capital to develop a fuel-efficient car,and then donate the car and the design plans to the Smithsonian.

Question 37

When a business is considering how to implement a CSR plan,why is it important to make a distinction between addressing problems that are precipitated by a crisis and problems that are chronic?

A)Properly addressing chronic problems involves high-level strategy in capacity building.
B)A business must collect and store goods to donate to chronic problems.
C)The best way to address crisis problems is volunteering time.
D)It is difficult for a business to build a strategic plan around addressing problems that are chronic.
E)Both chronic and crisis problems are best addressed by a similar strategy of volunteering and donations.

Question 38

By working with local groups to identify the ways in which technology can be used to solve problems,HP has worked to bring the benefits of technology to the world's poor in developing countries such as:
-India - assist the rural poor with access to government records,schools,health information,crop prices and the like;
-Costa Rica and the Dominican Republic - establish telecenters in remove villages to allow villagers to surf the Internet,email relatives overseas,and watch health and agricultural training videos
-Senegal - Train people to use the Internet to help them develop future businesses that leverage the Net.
Which of the four domains in evaluating corporate philanthropy are HP's efforts primarily focused on?

A)Investments to develop supply/inputs
B)Investments to develop demand/customer conditions
C)Investments to facilitate a fair competitive context
D)Investments to build supporting infrastructure
E)All of the above

Question 39

Which of the following is not an example of the digital divide?

A)The higher adoption rates of Internet usage by Caucasians relative to Hispanics.
B)Large companies' greater ability relative to smaller companies)to implement more sophisticated technologies to overcome negative consequences,such as spam,hackers,and monitoring of on-line behaviors of their employees.
C)The limited availability of broadband access in more rural areas compared to more urban areas.
D)The relative lack of technology in less developed countries of the world,compared to more developed countries.
E)The lower penetration rates of Internet technology in poorer urban inner cities compared to wealthier suburbs.

Question 40

In terms of evaluating investments in corporate philanthropy,which of the following would be considered a Demand Condition?

A)Presence of sophisticated and demanding local customers
B)Presence of resources used in production,such as infrastructure or human resources
C)Presence of clusters instead of isolated industries
D)Presence of educational facilities and related nonprofits
E)Presence of regulations supporting a competitive marketplace

Question 41

Which of the following is not one of the benefits of the framework for addressing ethical dilemmas?

A)It makes explicit the issues underlying the ethical dilemma.
B)It highlights the various stakeholders' perspectives.
C)It aids in communicating the decision to others.
D)It avoids the classic Catch-22 that companies can find themselves caught in when resolving ethical dilemmas "damned if you do and damned if you don't").
E)It allows a company to justify its decision regarding people versus profits.