att social responsibility and corporate citizenship

At&t is America's largest telecommunications company and through heavy investing in new technology and services At&t is currently the numer one company in: customers, revenues, corporate customers and broadband services.
According to At&t's social responsibility report "AT&T’s philosophy toward corporate social responsibility reinforces a commitment to serving our customers, stockholders, employees, suppliers and communities with attention to quality, care and value." and it seems that at&t has done quite a reputable job in keeping up with its proposed mission towards good corporate citizenship.
Human Rights Campaign has described At&t as "the best place to work"
Women's Business Enterprise National Council described the company as "America's Top Corporation for Women's business enterprises"
The Hispanic Business Magazine described At&t as the "Top 10 Company for Philanthropic Giving"
Moreovern, in 2009 At&t invested more than $6.9 billion in minority, women, veteran and disabled owned businesses.

It is not shocking that Fortune Magazine in 2006 ranked At&t as "America's most admired Telecommunications Company"

Information obtained from: www.att.com/Common/files/pdf/330938_ATTcsr_0623.pdf
www.att.com/gen/corporate-citizenship?pid=7770

Verizon: Thinking About People

Verizon is a leader in corporate social responsibility. Verizon pursues corporate social responsibility, in part, through the Verizon Foundation. Established in 2000, the Verizon Foundation centers its attention on education and literacy along with safety and health. Some examples of the good that Verizon is doing include a $15,000 grant to Operation Homefront Georgia. This grant will help provide aid to families who have servicemen and servicewomen protecting the United States overseas. Another example of Verizon showing corporate social responsibility is its $50,000 dollar grant to the Brave Kids organization. This grant will further Brave Kids cause of helping kids who have special needs.

Verizon has a fascinating mission statement. What caught my attention was their commitment to make sure the customer is number one. Now, many companies will say such a thing, but will really focus on their shareholders. While I do not deny that Verizon makes their customers their top priority or assert that Verizon puts the good of the shareholders up front, I do believe that Verizon strikes an appropriate balance between the two, where both parties are content with their position. The following statement reassures me of their dedication to the customer: “By focusing on our customers and being a responsible member of our communities, we will produce a solid return for our shareowners….” Verizon’s dedication to their customers and their actions to improve communities shows that they represent a corporation, employees, and shareholders who have a mindset not just to make a profit, but to look after the country that enabled their success.

Information obtained from:

http://www22.verizon.com/jobs/who+we+are/mission/mission.htm

http://foundation.verizon.com/about/press/newstory_brave_kids.shtml

Comcast and Corporate Social Responsibility

Comcast is one of the premier cable, internet, and telephone companies today. Comcast is a model for other telecommunication companies out there today by demonstrating hard work and commitment to both their product and customers. In fact the company credo can be found on the website stating, “Comcast will deliver a superior experience to our customers every day. Our products will be the best and we will offer the most customer-friendly and reliable service in the market.” (http://www.comcast.com/Corporate/About/CorporateInfo/Credo.html)

With a company as big as Comcast is and with the close interaction it has with the customers, Comcast is naturally expected to play a role in the lives of the people. Other companies in the telecommunication industry are expected to do the same since the companies can be seen to be inherently a part of the community. And from another standpoint, telecommunication companies, like Comcast, are offered to everyone from the rich to poor. Fortunately for the customers, Comcast makes a point to be active and work favorably for the customers.

Comcast Touchstones

Our touchstones are our values. They define us as a company. They help us achieve consistent financial results. They lay the foundation for our future success. They are:

• Ethics
  We will always act with the highest standards of honesty, fairness, and integrity.
• Respect
  We will show respect for our customers and for each other.
• Quality
  We will offer the finest and most reliable products available.
• Flexibility
  We will always be open to new thinking and approaches, as this helps us adapt to an ever-changing marketplace.
• Diversity
  We will respect and reflect the customers, communities, and cultures we serve.
• Employee Focus
  We will invest in our people because our company can only be as strong as the people who work here.
Enthusiasm
We will work with an unbridled passion for our customers and for our business.

(http://www.comcast.com/Corporate/About/CorporateInfo/Credo.html)

Of course a company with the impact and importance similar to Comcast will want to provide customers with the best experience; this is because the company needs a strong community. A thriving community means a thriving Comcast or company X.

In 2005, Comcast was selected as the Vendor of the Year by CompUSA. An article illustrates this accomplishing explaining the grading system which took place to select Comcast as the Vendor of the Year. “Comcast excelled in all of the five qualifying categories for this award, which included Quality of Product, Customer Satisfaction, Promotional Support, Merchandising and Corporate Support.” (http://www.comcast.com/About/PressRelease/PressReleaseDetail.ashx?PRID=142)

Comcast is showing leadership by launching “a promotional campaign to persuade cable companies to use electronic ad delivery instead of videotapes. Comcast Media Center's ad distribution network includes companies such as Scripps' networks DIY and HGTV, National Geographic channel, and The Weather Channel. The main focus of the campaign is to get these networks to fully support energy and natural resource conservation by using electronic content distribution technology to download ads and other video assets.” (http://www.ecologicalpromos.com/2009/06/comcast-launches-sustainable-campaign.html)

Comcast held events like Comcast Cares Day are ways to show the customers and communities. The event is a symbol for the thoughts the company holds for communities and by motivating Comcast employees to be active it shows a company care from the top to bottom. “Every year on Comcast Cares Day, we bring together tens of thousands of Comcast employees, their families and friends to make a positive impact in neighborhoods across the country. And last year was no exception. On April 24, 2010, spanning 39 states and Washington, D.C., Comcast Cares Day projects included rehabilitating public parks, planting sustainable food gardens, cleaning up schools and more.” (http://www.comcast.com/corporate/about/inthecommunity/volunteer/comcastcaresday.html)

What we can see from Comcast is that the company is not selling products for themselves in a greedy manner or fashion. What is seen is that Comcast really cares about their product and who it affects. CompUSA benefited greatly from their excellent service, products, and community care which is a reflection of the understanding how Comcast plays a large role in our communities. From the environment, to community interactions, to affordable products, Comcast is an example of a responsible company. Many people benefit from the company’s hard work and most importantly the customers’ are benefiting the most.

Building strong bond with society; CSR

   This is the CSR principle of SK Telecom, which is the most powerful mobile communication and IT company in the South Korea.  They mainly present mobile connection and IT services for public. Also, They are industry leader in telecommunication field, taking 50% market share. 


   The reason why they have succeed in competitive telecommunication market is that not only they build well-connected telecommunication network based on qualified technology, but also take part in social movement actively , pursuing 'Maximizing Happiness', whcih is what they ultimately seek, a goal which goes beyond economic gains. 


   We call this industry(telecommunication) as a fundamental industry of nation because they are taking essential parts of operating countries and its people. Thus, it shares a strong connection with a society; providing  qualified level of living such as stable communication among people. Thus, they should consider a social responsibility as a top priority with making a profit. In this point of view, their CSR principle is well reflected by notion of social responsibility. It is not a one event donation for earing reputation, but build a intimate relationship with a society for a lasting partnership. Above all, They already know when they follow their CSR principles, the fact that they can secure future customers in the long run.


- This is from http://www.sktelecom.com/

SK Telecom is now following the “Maximizing Happiness” philosophy. This reflects a shift in the social contribution program paradigm from merely donating money or holding one-time events to the concept of “social investment” by searching for fundamental solutions to social problems, which are then realized and implemented. SK Telecom’s Community involvement programs focus on six major areas: Social Welfare, Mobile/IT, Education/Scholarship, Volunteer Services, Global Social Contribution, Environment/Culture/Arts.

SK Telecom, as a major power in the global telecom industry, is reinforcing its service and technology leadership by securing innovative technology ideas from promising venture companies. To this end, we make concerted efforts to find high-tech venture companies and make strategic investments in their equity shares.

Our venture investments are aimed at securing key technologies for new growth drivers that enhance our business competitiveness. This will also contribute to the sound development of the venture industry.

We are focused on IT and mobile communications technology as well as future-generation technologies such as human interface and intelligent robots. Our venture investments are made in joint efforts with national and international venture capital firms. We fully assist our partner venture companies in securing and growing their competitive edge. In doing so, wee furnish the necessary funds for the development of new technologies in a timely manner. Strong efforts are also made to support them in pioneering overseas markets through our business networks around the world.

Comcast merger with NBC Universal a threat to indpendent content?

The folks over at Comcast are celebrating, but should we? The federal government just recently gave the green light for the merger of NBC Universal and Comcast. With NBC Universal now coming under the wing of Comcast, should the American public be concerned about the risk of losing diverse and varied internet content?

Mark Leccese, in his article “Comcast/NBC merger: Trouble or trivia?”, mentions various opinions on the topic, including that of Federal Communications Commission commissioner, Michael Copps. Michael Copps, a Democrat, believes that the merger is not in the best interest of American consumers. One of his points that I found to be interesting is his concern that the merger may act as “a stake in the heart of independent content production.” Mr. Copps is worried that the merger of NBC Universal and Comcast will lead Comcast to provide consumers with an internet that features characteristic traits borrowed from cable television, one of which is relatively non-diverse content.

I believe that Mr. Copps’ belief has some strength to it. On cable, only the shows that attract large, profitable audiences survive. This eliminates shows that serve small niche audiences, leaving them only to watch the shows that the majority of people favor. Also, only a limited number of large companies with deep pockets can afford to advertise on cable television. This means that audiences are receiving only a fraction of options for goods and services that exist.

While Mr. Copps’ belief may have some strength, I still believe that his concern is not likely to come true. The internet is already such a varied and diverse place that one company could not possibly decrease or substantially hinder the amount of independent content available online. People will often go online for entertainment that they cannot find on television. If Comcast increased the difficulty to access this content, they would inevitably drive their customers elsewhere. Also, online sources that provide diverse and varied content are both popular and profitable. Examples include Youtube.com and Blogger.com. Comcast has no reason to limit or restrict access to these websites. The internet’s independent content both draws people online and is profitable, both of which Comcast undoubtedly recognize.

What are key ethical issues this industry faces?

   The wide spread of smartphone has brought about considerable changes in everday life. According to a study by ComScore, "over 45.5 million people in the United States owned smartphones in 2010 out of 234 million total subscribers."(Berit block, The growth of Smartphone market in 2007, www.comscore.com/press_Events) As the smartphone users are increased dramatically, they have been exposed to danger of crime. Also, according to the WSJ(January 4,2011) smartphone users are quicker to fall for the scam and three times more likely to submit their details. Phishing attacks occur when criminals send an email to a user falsely claiming to be a company in an attempt to scam the user into entering personal information. Typically the emails appear to come from banks or other financial institutions.

   Another problem is that almost of these kinds of crimes are related to invasion of   privacy.  Hackers plant virus when smartphone users download applications, and this virus sends private information to hackers whenever the applications are worked out. Through this process, leaked personal information is purchased by advertisement companies, insurance companies, and even adult sites.

  

   No one can deny modern technology gives both the positive and the negative aspects of it at the same time. The articles that I mentioned above mainly focused on its negative aspects. However, we also recognize amazing advantages from smartphones. Recently, New Jersey police department introduced Samsung’s smartphone to enhance swiftness of information, using SNS(social network service). With the advent of smartphone, they became to sending and receiving information directly when they check out criminals’ ID and lists. 

   Smartphone market will be increased not only in fields of phone but, smart pad, smart TV, and smart internet. They are accelerating mobile office, smart work, which cause state of the art. Thus, combing the advantage of smartphone with hacking security technology will be main issue in this area.  Not only that but, establishing telecommunication ethics is emphasized.


Berit block, The growth of Smartphone market in 2007, www.comscore.com/press_Events
www.wallstreetjounal.com
www.comscore.com/press_events

Advancing technology and telecommunications

            Technology is the foundation for many of the ethical obstacles the telecommunications industry faces today and has faced in the past. One of the major ethical issues is the implementation of advancing technology that requires the public to transition from one product or service to another. Companies naturally compete against one another to be the sole provider of said product and/or service which farms conflict competitors. Territory plays a large role in the direction of the industry and today, the public wants things to be faster and they want it now. With such high demand for services the government is almost required to serve as regulator in some means.

Telecommunications, as much as the industry creates convenience for customers, there is also much frustration over the inconvenience created.  An example being the recent cable switches over from analog cable to digital cable. This was supported and enforced by the government and has upset many Comcast customers, as they may or may not have approved a cable switch but are now being forced to abide to enjoy their cable provider’s service. Comcast has guaranteed a small number of free digital cable boxes for clients but this can leave customers paying for what is not provided even if they want nothing to do with their new cable switch.

To some Comcast could be the only potential cable provider. What a telecommunications company faces is the ethical dilemma of forcing a transition of cable from analog to digital on customers. Customers do not have much of a choice in this company move but the digital cable promises a better service for the future. If Comcast were to have listened to customer complaints then maybe both Comcast and the customers will miss out on a brighter future for cable. There is a dilemma for the cable customers in their desire for improvement but frustration for short term inconvenience and the ethical battle is within what is truly necessary for the betterment of the company. Will the company and customers benefit? Will this only bring money to the company at the expense of the customers? Is this all necessary? Will we hurt customer relations if we force a transition like this on our customers? Is the government involvement inappropriate?

  The questions I have listed above do not even begin to cover the many ethical conflicts this industry can face, and I have only focused on the television aspect of telecommunications. Assumingly, all other aspects will face similar conflicts at some point so long as technology continues to advance at the incredible rate it has thus far.

Telecommunication ethics (Mariano Hwang)

What are key ethical issues this industry is facing?

Telecommunication services face a variety of ethical issues and those concerning privacy are ceirtainly one of the most important. To start with the privacy of customers is at stake as many hackers target personal infromation such as personal contacts, credit card numbers, phone numbers, etc which can later be sold to advertising companies and for many other malicious purposes. Another issue concerning privacy and ethics is the protection of data location; the increasing use of smarphones and other GPS enabled cellular phones which allow tracking an individual's location have put at risk the territorial privacy of cellular phone users.

What is an example of ethic challenges in the industry?

Recently Verizon has sued the Federal Communications Commission in complain of the implementation of "network neutrality" rules which restrict telecommunications companies from discriminating against internet content and services. Because the implementation of "network neutrality" rules would force telecommunication service providers to be neutral with all internet content, providers would no longer be able to favour their own content and programs above those of their competitors. This ethical issue which concerns business competition ethics is also being discussed at congress

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