The new challenges facing business today are related to the dialogue expected by a society that enjoys the privilege of commenting on company activities via Facebook or YouTube. Two-way communication allows, on the one hand, to learn about the expectations of stakeholders, and on the other, to present the actions that the company takes for the benefit of society.
The EU Eurobarometer indicates that stakeholders are interested in socially responsible activities conducted by businesses. In the USA, as many as 87% of the public expect such information, while in the EU and Poland, this indicator is 73%.
From October to November 2015, the Raben Group conducted a project of dialogue sessions, carried out under the AA1000SES standard. Stakeholders from three locations were invited to the discussions: Gądki near Poznań, Straszyn near Gdańsk, and Grodzisk Mazowiecki. Among them were Raben Group service providers, employees, and representatives of the local community and authorities. The goal of the “Common Path” project is to learn about the needs and expectations of, among others, representatives of local communities, service providers, and neighbors, as well as:
• informing interested stakeholder groups about the company’s goals and development directions,
• establishing an information exchange system as part of the consultation program, as well as informing interested target groups about the possibilities of active involvement in the decision-making process to a specified extent,
• collecting opinions from interested social groups – postulates, expectations, needs, and ideas regarding the company, its presence in the local community, possibilities for cooperation, etc.
– Awareness of both the positive and negative impact on the environment plays a key role in building transparent and ethical business behavior. The decision to initiate a dialogue with stakeholders was an important step on the path to responsible and transparent management of neighborhood relations. Referring to the recognized AA1000 standard allowed for defining priorities and adhering to important principles of responsibility. Furthermore, the involvement of key people from the organization emphasized the importance of the process and was reflected in its improvement – Łukasz Smolarek, Managing Director of White Leaf, who co-leads the project.
– As part of the dialogue sessions, we talked to nearly one hundred stakeholders who shared their observations with us about the Raben Group as a neighbor. We wrote down many needs of local communities. We heard a lot of interesting ideas regarding cooperation. I am convinced that the dialogue will allow us to conduct business in a more sustainable way and will also contribute to operational improvements within the company – comments Marta Szymborska, PR and CSR Manager at the Raben Group.