Marks & Spencer Natural Environment

1.0 Executive SummaryMarketing environs is very important for any precondition governing as it relates to the macro surround, the micro surroundings as well as the infixed environment. The above sub types of environment ar very important in the performance of any given organization. attach and Spencer is affected by the terzetto sub types of environment. The microenvironment at label and Spencer involves suppliers, consumers as well as customers, who stool directly with the shaping and impact on the performance of the organisation.The microenvironment will be discussed in length in this report with an aim of demonstrating how the inhering environment operates. The macro environment as it relates to Marks and Spencer refers to the factors that influence the lodges performance but ar out of control of the conjunction. This touches on the court-ordered aspects much(prenominal) as laws on environmental issues that impact on the trading operations of Marks and Spencer. Fi nally, the report incorporates internal environment issues, which basically involve men, money, machinery, materials as well as markets. The above atomic number 18 discussed with an aim of demonstrating how they interrelate to hit positive swop in Marks and Spencer.2.0 Overview of the inseparable environment (Marks & Spencer)In a offer up to address possible threats and challenges in regard to the immanent environment of the organisation, Marks and Spencer has several plans in consecrate as part of its strategic repositioning for time to come business scenarios. Plan A program at Marks and Spencer constitutes of a five-year, 100-point plan to tackle some of the biggest challenges facing the organisation in relation to the political, economic, social, and technological environment.The plan is designed to facilitate a smooth working relationship between the customers and the suppliers to combat climate change, through initiation of programs, which embrace safe environmental pr actices bearing in sagacity that the company gets its raw materials from the environment and it has a corporate duty and tariff to conserve the environment. This calls for the company to embrace modern business practices, which are environment friendly such as the enforce of fuels, which cause little or no pollution to the environment.3) Identify TWO areas of the natural environment capableness to impact on Marks and Spencer in the medium termMarks and Spencer has embarked on initiatives to scale down wastage by realigning its fruition roles with emerging technologies, which ensure that there is little or no wastage of raw materials considering the fact that the rate of harvesting of raw materials from the natural environment is far much higher compared to the rate at which the natural environment is rejuvenating. By embracing wastage control methods such as recycling, Marks and Spencer is promoting a symbiotic relationship between the organisation and the local communities, who are affected by the actions of the company on the environment.The company is committed to safeguarding natural resources by putting in place several initiatives such as community-based environmental programs, which are aimed at enlightening the local community on the importance of preserving nature. In addition, the initiatives geared towards safeguarding nature rich person targeted all stakeholders including the employees because it is viewed that if both stakeholder understands and appreciates the individual role in safeguarding the environment, this would be beneficial not besides for the sustainability of the organisation but also for the benefit of all.Trading ethically constitutes an important involvement in Marks and Spencer. This is important due to the fact that ethical practices are aimed at protecting the given organisation from harming any of its stakeholders. Marks and Spencer has a code of conduct as well as corporate indebtedness policies, which guide the or ganisation in relation to its duties to the stakeholders.Marks and Spencer is committed to building a healthier nation by ensuring that it fulfils its social, political, legal, and environmental obligations to its stakeholders. As a retailer, they use a abundant range of raw materials to produce our goods. Because of this, it is critical that the organisation manages the use of these materials sensitively and pays proper regard to how they affect natural habitats and bio-diversity.But reservation a difference here is not as simple as they would like. Change process in an organisation is a demanding and challenging process. It requires modernistic types of standards to be set and adhered to across the world. As some materials such as cotton and palm oil are traded globally, the ability to affect change may at times be modest. There is a subscribe to for the organisation to work closely with suppliers, government bodies, environmental groups and local communities to get on sust ainability.4.1 Description of the marketing system the organisation currently employs to accommodate the cardinal features of the natural environment.The Marketing strategy would become the parameter for a company to be a successful company.Although environmental issues influence all humankind activities, few academic disciplines bear interconnected thou issues into their literature. This is peculiarly unfeigned of marketing. As lodge becomes more concerned with the natural environment, businesses have begun to modify their behaviour in an attempt to address societys new concerns. Marks and Spencer have been quick to accept concepts like environmental management systems and waste minimization, and have integrated environmental issues into all organizational activities. Some evidence of this is the knowledge of journals such as Business Strategy and the Environment and Greener Management International, which are specifically designed to disseminate research relating to bus iness environmental behaviour.Marks and Spencer uses a green marketing strategy for purposes of promotion of products with environmental characteristics so as to win environmentally friendly behaviour amongst consumers. For Marks and Spencer the green marketing strategy applies to consumer goods in that the company promotes the concept of eco-tourism.The company has engaged in plans, which has seen product modification geared towards producing more environmentally friendly systems especially in the area of product packaging. Marks and Spencer has sit downed in yield facilities, which signifi brooktly trim down wastage as well as preserving energy. In the same manner, the company has commensurate ethical advertising policies, which aim at ensuring that every advertisement is tactful of environmental implications in cost of the decisions that consumers make. To this end, the company has participated in several forums and especially those organized by American Marketing Associati on (AMA) where is has shown support to consumer goods advocating for sustainable environment practices.4.2 Explanation as to why the above strategies are probable to be of the greatest future significance to the organisation.Social ResponsibilityHow a company is viewed by the public goes a long right smart in determining its future performance in relation to consumers. The strategies Marks and Spencer has adopted in a bid to promote natural environment can be seen as efforts geared towards good corporate social responsibility. Many firms are tooth root to realize that they are members of the wider community and therefore must behave in an environmentally responsible manner by putting in place corporate social responsibility policies.Hence the reason why Marks and Spencer allocates huge budgets for its natural environment conservation efforts. This results in environmental issues being integrated into the firms corporate culture. Firms in this situation can take two perspectives 1 ) they can use the fact that they are environmentally responsible as a marketing tool or 2) they can become responsible without promoting this fact. For the aspect of Marks and Spencer, the company has promoted the root perspective of promoting environmentally responsible practices.The strategies the company has adopted in as far as acting responsibly in relation to the environment have taken marketing link dimension. Despite pressure from the government through legislations aimed at protecting the consumers and the society at large, the impact has been felt at Marks and Spencer. Governmental regulations relating to environmental marketing and designed to protect consumers have in one way or the other contributed to Marks and Spencers decision to realign its production systems towards achieving less wastage, use of ethical advertisements, as well as sweet in raising the level of awareness on environmental issues is an reference that Marks and Spencer is reposition itself for fu ture implications of government policies on environment.Specifically, Marks and Spencer has fitting two concepts of food miles and field to fork in a bid to respond to emerging situations.Food miles is a relatively new idea in the debate about sustainability. Typically it is taken to mean the outdistance travelled to move food from the place it is produced to the store where its bought. But more and more the definition goes wider, to include issues like locality, freshness, use of preservatives, packaging, choice, support for UK farmers and quality. Many environmental groups attach particular importance to food being produced close to where it is sold.Field-to-forkIn 2003, Marks and Spencer launched a new over-arching set of standards to cover the management of the supply range of mountains for fruit, vegetables and salads. These were drawn up after consultation with suppliers, government bodies and other organisations and covers aspects of production from field-to-fork.The com pany has commissioned independent research to look at quasi(prenominal) systems around the world. As a result, they believe our Field-to-Fork scheme goes beyond the British and European assurance schemes used by other retailers, being the first to include such a wide range of requirements. Their standards cover traceability, minimising pesticide use, ethical trading, support for non-GM foods and food safety.5.0 Recommendations for changes to the internal operations of the organisation to best envision their potential impact.Although Marks and Spencer has done a recommendable job in terms of promoting the natural environment, there is still room for improvement. The organisation particularly of necessity to work on its internal environment by initiating more readying programs for its human resources geared towards environment related issues. Secondly, the organisation needs to attach its budget allocated to environment conservation efforts. In addition, the organisation needs to invest in modern production technologies to boost reduce wastage.There is also a need for the company to find lasting solutions to the management of materials especially in regard to conservation of its sources of raw materials. Finally, Marks and Spencer must look further from its traditional markets and diversify its brands to cover new markets as a potential source of increasing sales revenues, which will avail more money to be used in promoting the natural environment. The above can scarcely be achieved by the organisation utilizing modern business analytical tools such as SWOT analysis, PEST analysis as well as Michael Porters Fiver Forces analysis so as to arrive at conscious decisions, which are also sustainable.Referenceshttp//www.theage.com.au/ Accessed on 20/05/2007.