The New Belgium Brewing Company was founded in the year of 1991 by As Jeff Lebesch, an American electrical engineer. The company has since grown to mature and attain nationally recognition among its competitors. The New Belgium Brewing Company is well known for its environmental efficiency and concerns for social responsibility within the community which the brewer operates. The statements of the company highlight simplicity and aid better communication between the firm, the customers and other stakeholders (Ferrell, Fraedrich & Ferrell, 2013).
The environmental issues that the Company aims to address in its daily operations comprise of the environmental stewardship through minimizing resource consumption while maximizing the energy efficiency and recycling of waste. The business aims to promote a positive beer culture and the responsible enjoyment of beer within the community. Moreover, the company branding is expected to conform to the values of the company and its daily business practices. This includes the kindling of the social, cultural and environmental change as a commercial role model for the business.
It is important to note that the organizational success of the New Belgium Brewing Company is pegged in the strategic approaches that it has taken towards taking care of the social and environmental apprehensions of the community. These methodologies are relative on the working staff, their families and the environment in overall. One of these initiatives is where the company takes pride in ensuring waste reduction via recycling by means of both effective and creative reuse strategies. For instance, employees are advised to use alternative transportation to reduce air pollution. This is highlighted by the initiative that provides employees cruiser bikes so they can ride to work. Supplies are also salvaged comprising of cardboard boxes, office materials keg caps, and the amber glass used in beer bottling. They also provide farmers with animal feed for free.
Another strategic method the NBB Company has put into practice strives for both cost-efficient and energy-saving substitutes to directing its business and reducing any negative impact on the environment, that is, in the case where they were using other forms of energy in production, for example, coal which causes elevated environmental pollution. This is emphasized by the company’s stakeholders approach towards unanimously investing in a wind turbine. This has made it the first entirely wind-powered brewery in the United States since the company switched from coal power subsequently enabling the New Belgium Brewery to reduce its Carbon Dioxide (CO2) emissions by approximately 1,800 metric tons every year (Ferrell, Fraedrich & Ferrell, 2013).
The company’s choice to focus on the environmental issues is aimed at creating a living and learning community. The stewardship implements the three R’s- Reduce, Reuse, Recycle methodology in addressing the environmental issues. These are the main cornerstone pillars for promoting an environmentally efficient Company (McCorry, 2011).
The pegging question whether the social initiatives of the New Belgium Brewing Company are strategic philanthropy actions is answered by the activities performed by the company in the communities in which it operates, supplies and distributes its beer products. I strongly agree that the methods the company has used in instigating philanthropy have benefited the community through event sponsorship and promotion. The Company has established a culture of donating a dollar for each barrel of beer sold the previous year in each and every community they conduct business (Ferrell, Fraedrich & Ferrell, 2013).
The ethical attributes within the company are backed up by the numerous awards the brewery has bagged since its inception. The Company has a philanthropy committee which comprises of workers all over the brewery as well as the titleholders, area leaders employee owners, and production workers. Additionally, the New Belgium Brewery Company looks at the prospects of non-profit establishments that exhibit creativity, diversity or variety and an advanced method to their mission and organizational objectives. These are the administrations the company aims at funding to fuel their recognition, acceptance and maintenance within the community.
The segments of society that claim that the New Belgium Brewery Company does not pose positive social responsibility due its products and bi-products, are stuck in the past and do not look at the big picture of societal gain brought about by the company. Beer is a secondary luxury commodity need in the United States and has been rooted in the native culture for many years. Therefore, I believe that the Company initiatives and actions indicate a high level of ethical and corporate social responsibility (McCorry, 2011).
This is because as a brewery company, it provides the customers with high quality produced and world-class variety of beers. The company cultivates individual potential through learning, pursuit of opportunities and participative management for all workers within the company. The continuous efficiency and innovative quality improvements for environmental operations prove just how much this company is socially and ethically responsible towards the community. Furthermore, the funfair events held annually across western states in the United States confirm the New Belgium’s dedication towards showcasing a positive level of undertaking corporate responsibility (Andreas, 2011).
Conclusively, I strongly agree that the New Belgium Brewing Company has showcased and practiced a high level ethical and environmental responsibility that have presented great impact on the local communities and neighborhoods it conducts business. It has contributed resources, provided employment, and volunteer time aimed at achieving local causes for the community. This has eventually resulted in bringing up a strong interactive culture between the public and the business that raises a successful breed of role models.
References
Ferrell, O. C., Fraedrich, J., & Ferrell, L. (2013). Business ethics: Ethical decision making and cases. Mason, OH: South-Western/Cengage Learning.
McCorry, K. J. (2011). New Belgium Brewery. A Simple Path to Sustainability: Green Business Strategies for Small and Medium-sized Businesses: Green Business Strategies for Small and Medium-sized Businesses, 137.
Ferrell, O. C., Fraedrich, J., & Ferrell, L. (2004). Business ethics: Ethical decision making and cases. Princeton, N.J: Recording for the Blind & Dyslexic.
Andreas, F. (2011). A simple path to sustainability: Green business strategies for small and medium-sized businesses. Santa Barbara, Calif: Praeger.
