Shared Value – People/Planet/Profit: The shared value approach to analysis for business decision-makers has a conceptual focus through perspectives like the “Triple Bottom Line” – in which a manager reviews how a business model addresses issues of People, Planet and Profit. Based on what you see in the 55 second video on Thread International, how is Thread’s business model reflective of People, Planet and Profit:
Based on the video, Thread places a strong emphasis on helping people through their business model. Almost all of the video was devoted to the humanitarian impact they had. This was achieved by using materials such as recycled water bottles to aid the underprivileged in multiple ways. Their business model encourages and rewards the cleaning up of communities that lack sustainability programs. This in turn helps the planet by cleaning up parts of the world that don’t have the initiative or the ability to be environmentally friendly without help. The profit of Thread’s model comes from their purpose primarily. Their products are much more expensive to make than other substitutes in the market, but the portray their purpose of changing people’s lives while saving the planet. Because of this, they are able to draw an eco-conscious and/or humanitarian demographic, along with the prestige to partner with brands like Timberland.
Shared Value – Social/Economic/Environmental : The shared value perspective to analysis for business decision-makers through measurement approaches like documenting Social Sustainability, Economic Sustainability and Environmental Sustainability. Based on what you see in the 55 second video on Thread International (also on the website), how does Thread International demonstrate its impact in one (or more) of these areas:
The main themes of the video address the brand’s dedication to social and environmental sustainability. The copious images of underprivileged people and plastic waste aim to create an emotional appeal that will help sell the company. Thread has designed their business operations to collect plastic waste, showcasing their environmental sustainability, in a way that aids people in need. They combine the eco-friendly recycling concept with the process of using locals in underdeveloped communities to gather their supplies, benefitting those economies by cleaning them and providing jobs. They also provide a larger social sustainability concept by promoting these environmentally friendly practices in these regions that do not generally practice sustainability.
Other Examples Like This?: As a future manager facing complex environments, where do you see the utility of either of these approaches to shared value in your future work?
As the business world continues to globalize, I think their will continue to be more of an emphasis placed not only on economic sustainability and profit, but on the shared value of the environment and society. More and more consumers are becoming aware of what they buy with the wealth of information available, so having a triple bottom line as a company becomes more attractive. Companies like Thread were much less prevalent in the past, so I think they will continue to pop up, and other companies will continue to shift towards this model as the public increasingly demands it. Consequently, I think there is tremendous value in
working hard to efficiently seek a triple bottom line model in the future. They will become more and more demanded by the public, and therefore more and more profitable when marketed well.