Enríquez García, H. C.

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Vol. 9, núm. 25 / enero abril del 2024

Nahornyi, Tiurina, Ruban, Khletytska & Litvinov (2022) conducted a study on the current practice of social responsibility among transnational corporations. Their results show that these corporations have internal documents that clearly define the list of stakeholders and their areas of responsibility, greatly simplifying cooperation and accountability processes. As a result, corporations create their own internal institutional environment where ethical norms help prevent opportunistic behavior by personnel, conflicts of interest, bribery, corruption, and fraud.

This paper will review the Mexican company “Bimbo, ” which appears to fully institutionalize CSR as an innovation in all its structural processes. According to its website (2017), Bimbo has been recognized as a Socially Responsible Company (ESR) for seventeen consecutive years. However, this research case can be further analyzed by comparing the facts with theoretical arguments beyond the company ’s vision and discourse.

The paper is structured as follows: the second part contains the literature review and concepts that supports this research, then the methodology aspects, so that an analysis and discussion of CSR and CVC of this Mexican firm is defined. Finally, the conclusions and reflections of the research are presented.

1. Prior studies

It is crucial to examine each company ’s situation to avoid being misled. This section presents two important articles that informed the research approach, published by Porter & Kramer (2011), where they discuss the criteria, a company must meet to be considered socially responsible, as shown in Image 1.

Based on the criteria in Image 1, a literature search was conducted to support each point of Porter ’s & Kramer ’s proposal. The literature review will then be compared with Grupo Bimbo ’s “corporate

responsibility ” practices (as revealed through interviews) to determine how socially responsible the company is and how much value it generates for society. Alternatively, it may be determined that this Mexican company does not engage in CSR and CVC practices.

Likewise, this particular research is related to other cases that have been carried out on multinational companies, such as the case of Olup (2012) that analyzes socio-environmental aspects in 4 important American companies (Walmart, Coca-Cola, Apple and Canon). Another similar investigation is that of Singh, Bawa, & Sharma (2016) who found that companies such as Nestle, Tata and ITC have used this concept as a marketing campaign to increase only the profits of the company and to make their brand more prestigious.

Article 1 by Porter and Kramer (2011). Creating Shared Value, How to Reinvent Capitalism

This article addresses society ’s needs, which extend beyond conventional economic or financial concerns to include a consumer interest in preserving global resources such as climate, water, and biodiversity, as well as the dignity and health of workers.

Shared value can be defined as operational innovative policies and practices that enhance a company ’s competitiveness while improving economic and social conditions in the communities where it operates. Companies can create economic value by creating social value. Porter & Kramer (2011) identify three ways to achieve this innovative strategy: 1) reconfiguring products and markets, 2) redefining productivity in the value chain, and 3) creating industrial support clusters at the company ’s locations.

Addressing societal concerns can provide significant productivity benefits to a company. Society can benefit in many ways, such as when employees and their families become healthier, reducing employee absences