Assignment Task: CFS has been listed on the Toronto stock exchange last year and new realities of being a public listed corporation required its new investors (Alpha) to push for a more sustainable agenda in CFS. Alfa Investment and CFS's directors are concerned about their expansion plans in the coming years. They are planning to expand their chain stores all over Canada as well as some developing nations in South America. Moreover, the company is shaping its global supply chains by engaging with new suppliers from South East Asia and Africa to have a more reliable source for fresh beef, pork and lamb. The transition from a family-owned traditional company to modern listed corporation is highlighting some serious challenges to CFS. Below are only some issues that alpha investment is particularly concerned about:
1. CFS workforce is 80% male and 20% female. Also, when it comes to ethnicity, approximately 85% of CFS employees are white and the rest are Asian, Latino and Black. Of the company's management and leadership roles, 90% are held by whites. The company has shown a similar lack of gender diversity and leadership roles, where women hold less than 10% of positions.
2. Some suppliers in South East Asia are reported using children across the production lines in their factories.
3. CFS has no official corporate code of ethics.
4. Salaries and payments to employees were decided on a case by case basis and there is a huge gap in salaries. Moreover, on average, male employees receive 20% more on the same tasks and positions.
ASSIGNMENT:
For your first corporate meeting, your professional group is being asked by the alpha executive team to answer and explain the below point.
Question 1: Is CFS dealing with any risks regarding diversity and inclusion issues? Please explain why diversity and inclusion should be the primary concern for the CFS management team. (Use MLA (or APA) style referencing)