Meaningfulness of Work and CSR

Whether you are working within a large corporation or a small home town business, there is always a desire to have meaning behind your work, and know that you are working towards a noble cause.  Too often employees find themselves working their daily nine to five jobs with little to no purpose which directly effects their effectiveness at work and the company’s utilization of their assets. 

One of the ways a successful CSR influences their employees and their stakeholders is providing them with a meaningfulness to their work.  One company who has done this very well is Target.  Throughout the past decade our nation and the world as a whole has made a movement to become a healthier, greener, and more environmentally aware society.  Target has brought meaning to their employees work by ensuring it has taken, and will continue to take steps and make improvements towards a safer and healthier environment.  They also continue to honor their commitment to designing tomorrow’s Target through their value chain, building community and creating a great workplace.

The first way Target plans on doing this is by reducing greenhouse gas emission.  Their goal is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 20 percent per every million dollars of retail sales by the end of 2015.  Target has also planned to reduce water use by 10 percent per square foot within this year and improve the efficiency of general merchandise transportation.  They plan to improve this transportation by 15 percent and support the implementation of cleaner and more fuel-efficient vehicles as well.  All of these changes both encourage and motivate employees and let them know that the company they work for is not only caring for their own well-being but for the world and future generations.  By providing a meaningfulness of work, and a hope for the future Target has been able to not only encourage their employees but provide a positive corporate social responsibility and face for the company.