Coca-Cola's Philanthropic Practices as a Successful Organizational Behavior
Coca-cola is an immensely successful corporation, and a large part of that success is owing to unbeatable brand recognition. No one asks for an "RC Cola," whereas everyone asks for a "Coke." Coke, a private brand, has become synonymous with that particular type of beverage -- something against which PepsiCola has had to struggle during its entire existence, especially in the United States.
But fortunate posturing in brand recognition does not go entirely to organizational behavior. Rather, Coke benefits from a corporate culture in which philanthropy is encouraged and indeed lived. Coke informs its employees constantly of its philanthropic moves and commitments, and really instills the feeling that employees are working not only for higher dividends but for humanity as well.
This practice has been so successful for Coke that it has turned into an organizational behavior for them -- it is almost as responsible for the company's profits as is the brand recognition.
This organizational behavior is evident in a recent interview of Ingrid Saunders Jones, head of the Coca-Cola Foundation.
Jones comments, "We are only as good a company as the people who work for our company. We're looking for the most qualified people that we can find. We must have a diverse workforce. And we cannot be about the business of training people to think and to act. We need that diversity to be in the education populace, to be the student body in all of the schools. So that's...
We charge colleges and universities with not being islands unto themselves, but understanding that they have a responsibility to have a relationship with the feeder systems that provide their students." (Black Issues in Higher Education, 1997)
Coca-cola, as part of its organizational behavior, understands the responsibility it has as a corporate citizen, and draws that responsibility from its people. It instills and trains its entire workforce to focus not only on corporate profits and dividends or their everyday tasks and chores, but on the concept of helping humanity from the success of its beverage manufacturing industries.
Coca-cola, as an advancement of their organizational behavior, also understands that it must trot its beliefs on philanthropy throughout society, as it must draw new employees to its ranks who share the same vision. As a result, Saunders comments at length upon the importance of plumbing colleges and universities for the next generation of philanthropic key and low-level Coca-Cola employees.
Saunders continues that Coca-Cola's philanthropic efforts will continue full-steam even if profits at the corporation are down -- this is a clear indication that philanthropy is not just a profit device but an organizational behavior. Coca-Cola truly believes that its corporation cannot succeed without a philanthropic background and a philanthropic motive throughout its ranks and organization.
As Saunders discussed before, the Coca-Cola Corporation focuses on higher education…
