I feel a little disappointed to tell you the truth about what my coworkers responded. Granted, I will give them the benefit of the doubt; they are both new to the company and have worked for Hewlett Packard for less than a year. My coworkers are still learning the company, learning the business, and learning their roles. It could be a challenge for some to learn about what Hewlett Packard is doing for the environment when they’re so focused on work. I believe the culture in Panama is live for today and let others deal with the side effects tomorrow. I’ve been in Panama almost 4 years and slowly the paradigm is starting to shift. Panamanians are becoming more educated on environmental sustainability through their multinational employers. Hewlett Packard has invested time, money, and resources into creating eco-friendly awareness worldwide. Our Intranet has a plethora of information regarding environmental sustainability. Hewlett Packard offers virtual classes (web based trainings) on topics like Environmental Marketing, How to be a Good Green Advocate, Energy and Sustainability Management, and Competitive Landscape just to name a few. HP is a great example of how one company can make a huge difference and impact around the world. Hewlett Packard was ranked number two in the Green Rankings top 500 list. I feel proud to work for a company that I know is making a real effort to give back and be more ecologically sustainable. I wish we would have been ranked number one but that just makes me want to work that much harder in order to reach that goal.
Carrie, Why do you think HP is so motivated to be green? What do you think was behind the movement? The employees, high ranking management, need to meet new legal requirements or for the customers?
ReplyDeleteHow do you see Panama as compared to the US when it comes to being concerned about only today?
Patrice
I believe HP is motivated to be green because they're pursuing a vision of corporate success that goes beyond just creating value for shareholders but HP is helping to create a better world. HP believes social and environmental responsibility are essential to the business strategy and value proposition to customers. HP has teamed up with partners worldwide to find a solution. HP cultivates relationships with diverse stakeholders, such as industry peers, governments, and NGO's.
ReplyDeleteWhen I lived in the U.S. I saw individuals making an effort to instill global awareness in children at a very young age. For example, in elementary schools I saw how recycling was practiced on a daily basis and was covered as a topic in school. Panamanians believe there are much more important issues to address like poverty, hunger, drug abuse, murders, etc. before they can look at how Panama can be a more sustainable environment. We are very fortunate to have these great companies in Panama (DELL, HP, UN, etc.) that make a difference because many employees are rewarded for participating in volunteer work so not only do we help out by giving back to the community but we're compensated for it as well and it makes our companies look better because of the recognition received from the local news. All around it's a win-win situation.
Carrie, I thought your interviews were very insightful as to people's views. A common misconception is that it will negatively impact profits is a company is "green". Hopefully you will be able to enlighten others with your new knowledge from this course. Those on limited income can learn how being green can help them save money.
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