Timberland Corporation is a manufacturer of outdoor clothing and accessories, including weatherproof jackets, shoes, and boots. Its motto is "make it better," and its management says it is committed to improving the environment.
On Earth Day (April 22), Timberland organizes projects to encourage schools around the United States to teach children about protecting the environment and to refurbish schools and children's camps. Timberland also sponsors an event called Servapolooza, in which many of its employees take part.
To encourage employees to participate, Timberland allows each employee some time off to engage in community service and measures its success by the number of awards it wins for community service. Timberland's website also provides a clearinghouse of volunteer activities for community service, ranging from food drives to marsh restoration. You can get more information about Timberland at https://www.timberland.com.
Questions
1. What kind of marketing benefits might Timberland obtain from its community service efforts?
2. Which stakeholders benefit from Timberland's efforts to be a good corporate citizen? Why might the customers of Timberland be supportive of the firm's efforts to help the environment?
3. How might Timberland's community service efforts help it to perform better? Should Timberland's stockholders be enthusiastic about the firm's expenditures for the environment and time off for workers?
4. How might Timberland's focus on childrencentered projects generate new customers for Timberland?
5. Should Timberland expect to get better performance from its employees by allowing them time off for community service? How?