BM_IMD_REPORT-How-Authentic-is-your-Corporate-Purpose

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changes at a level they have never experienced before, and they are given the trust and resources to figure out what the changes should be. To be successful with their initiatives, Googlers need to develop an ability to articulate how the opportunity resonates with the corporate purpose, thereby attracting the talent to work on these projects. This in turn has an impact on commitment within the firm; when employees work on projects they are passionate about, they are energized by them. Leaders are given significant latitude to maximize opportunities within the overall scope of their program or budget; in this way, they can allocate resources to partners or projects where they can have a broader long-term impact. Externally, the fact that Google has built a reputation for using the opportunities that it has to make a broader contribution, by being knowledgeable and thoughtful, as well as inclusive in its approach, means that it is perceived as a valuable contributor to discussions by its external stakeholders. One such example is Google’s ambitions when it comes to the sustainability and quality of food that it feeds its employees – free of charge - for breakfast, lunch and dinner, as well as snacks throughout the day. Google’s Food Program Google’s 500,000-square-foot headquarters in Mountain View, California (known as the North Bayshore campus) has gardens, free restaurants, a basketball court, yoga classes, massage services, napping pods and dry-cleaning services. It also has 25 cafés as well as “micro-kitchens” throughout the workspace. Google has one global program chef as well as restaurant chefs for each of its cafés. They focus on providing “delicious, nutritious and healthy” food. The company maintains that it is essential to nourish the body (and mind) with healthy food. Google also tries to encourage portion control. The many micro-kitchens are stocked with healthy snacks. Each café has its own distinctive menu, with items in line with its concept. Most serve breakfast, lunch and dinner, and some are open on weekends. The supply chain includes community-sponsored agriculture organizations (CSAs) and community-supported fisheries (CSFs). In addition to being healthy, the food offering aspires to be appealing, with flavor and variety as key considerations. The food team at Google is responsible for providing nutritious, food-filled experiences to those who are at Google, including Googlers, temporary staff, vendor partners and contractors. On a daily basis, Google serves over 60,000 people around the world. Traditionally corporate (and other) organizations have tried to serve food in the most economically efficient way, focusing on reducing the overall spend. Google, however, is concerned with the impact of food on the health and wellbeing of its employees. It examines the holistic intersection of food, health, fitness and well-being. The result is a food program that looks at the impact on Googlers, as well as the extended impact on the families of Googlers. Google sees the impact that it could have with its food program is beyond just its employees, their families and even its partners present on its campus. A senior Googler explains: We believe that we have the power as of today to bring a wide variety of partners both internally and externally together to think through how food can help people to be at their best in the short as well as long-term. Because it fits in the broader Google goal, we have the freedom to spend a significant amount of our time and our capacity on building our relationships and partnerships with organizations outside Google, and to develop knowledge and insight, and ultimately make this available to the broader world as well. So whatever we have learnt and continued to learn about how people can make better food choices … that ultimately becomes 32
knowledge for the broader good. That is what makes us different. It is about using the opportunity that you have to contribute to a broader good. The result is a platform called the Google Innovation Lab for Food Experiences, which meets twice a year. It brings people together from a diverse group of global companies and NGOs, who share the core belief that together they can do more to make a contribution to affect positive change in the overall food system, to feed the 8 or 9 billion people in the years to come in a way that considers the intersection of health and environment. “The fact that we have the ability and the freedom to do this within our organization is a part of our authentic corporate purpose,” explains a senior Googler. Case Story: Toyota Toyota Motor Corp. is a Japanese automotive manufacturer headquartered in Toyota, Japan. Kiichiro Toyoda founded the company in 1937, starting the automotive business from scratch. Since at that time, there was no automotive expertise in Japan, the company executives of the time were sent to the US to actually learn how cars were produced. The company nearly collapsed during the 1950 recession and became heavily dependent on banks. The result was a focus on reducing risk as well as a commitment to organic growth, in order to reduce reliance on external finance. In 2013 Toyota’s net revenues were $222 billion; it had 333,498 employees worldwide and was the largest automobile manufacturer by production. Toyota’s stated purpose is; “Toyota will lead the way to the future of mobility, enriching lives around the world with the safest and most responsible ways of moving people.” It sees its purpose as being to serve society: to understand fully the impact that the company has on the environment, but also how it helps people gain access to where they need to go and improve their mobility. Internally, it seeks to make this as consistent as possible throughout the organization, making sure that all entities globally are aligned. Toyota’s ability to be consistent in reliably delivering on its purpose means that its external stakeholders respect it as a credible partner. On a number of occasions, policymakers or stakeholders have sought the company’s advice on different issues. Therefore, it places great importance on consistency, making sure employees fully understand what the company purpose and mission is, through training and communication. The founder’s vision continues to exert a strong influence on the company. Climate change was always high on the agenda and therefore it has attended all the Climate Change conferences to date. The corporate purpose is institutionalized and deeply embedded in the culture. Taking a long-term view – an inherently Japanese cultural approach - is institutionalized at Toyota through an interestingly differentiated approach. Some roles are clearly operational (encompassing a short-term view) while others are deemed experts with also a thought leadership mandate (and are tasked with taking a long-term perspective). The fact that the chairman of the board, for example, is tasked with actively taking a long-term perspective on any strategic decision helps to ensure the company retains its focus on long-run goals, understands the interdependence of current and future benefits and preserves a long-term relationship with its stakeholders for future success. Toyota, like many other companies, has experienced difficulty during the ongoing economic crisis which started in 2008, and has faced strong pressure to shift its focus to shorter-term results. During such periods of uncertainty, while parts of the organization needed to have a short-term view to 33
Page 1 and 2: How Authentic is your Corporate Pur
Page 3 and 4: Contents Executive summary ........
Page 5 and 6: Executive summary Introduction Over
Page 7 and 8: although awareness is critical to a
Page 9 and 10: Research by Burson-Marsteller and I
Page 11 and 12: To validate the dimensional structu
Page 13 and 14: Leading Image: In contrast, researc
Page 15 and 16: 4. Survey Results and Key Findings
Page 17 and 18: Figure 4: Top Five Companies with a
Page 19 and 20: We then asked more specifically for
Page 21 and 22: 6. Leadership and Authentic Corpora
Page 23 and 24: 7. Qualitative Research Findings In
Page 25 and 26: One executive described the “doub
Page 27 and 28: companies as members. Other such fo
Page 29 and 30: - Is the organization aware of the
Page 31: 1) Seeking feedback from stakeholde
Page 35 and 36: - Does the organization openly shar
Page 37 and 38: • Strategy has to illustrate purp
Page 39 and 40: making process. If managers are not
Page 41 and 42: De Hoogh, A. H., Den Hartog, D. N.,
Page 43 and 44: Leading 13. Appendices Appendix I:
Page 45 and 46: Appendix II: Qualitative Interview
Page 47 and 48: Appendix III: Qualitative Interview
Page 49 and 50: Appendix V: Characteristics of Surv
Page 51 and 52: Appendix VII: Industry Demographics
Page 53 and 54: Appendix IX: Companies Identified a
Page 55 and 56: Appendix XI: Ranking of Full List o
Page 57 and 58: Appendix XIII: Status of Authentic
Page 59 and 60: Appendix XV: Standardized item fact
Page 61: Appendix XVII: Confirmatory Factor

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