British American Tobacco Poland – How to build a strategy based on social dialogue

30 grudnia 2010

SITUATION/PROBLEM:
The company wants to communicate to his stakeholders that all the business actions aiming at achieving business goals will be conducted in accordance with reasonable social expectations of the tobacco company.

SITUATION/PROBLEM:
The company wants to communicate to his stakeholders that all the business actions aiming at achieving business goals will be conducted in accordance with reasonable social expectations of the tobacco company.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION/SOLUTION:
Realisation of the project included several stages:

Preparation and planning

  • Choosing the project manager and a steering team;
  • Preparing a list of social partners and analysis of potential topics which could come up in discussions;
  • Choosing the auditor of the process, the moderator and a facilitator;

Listening stage

  • 9 discussion sessions were carried out during which social partners presented their expectations towards BAT Polska.

Replying stage

  • BAT Management Board prepared the company’s position and answers for all the questions asked by social partners on thebasis of the compilation prepared by a facilitator;
  • The format and calendar of the second round of meetings was determined together with the moderator and facilitator. 95 institutions, organizations and social groups were invited (after publishing the report it was decided that media representativeswill be hosted at a separate meeting, this is the reasons there is a difference in the number of guests invited forthe first and the second round);
  • During 6 discussion sessions, the board of BAT Polska presented the company’s position on the issues discussed previously. Plans of proposed actions and suggestions for possible partners.

Implementation stage

  • Actions resulting from all undertaken commitments were written in the plans for the next year;
  • Social Report 2003 was published – its content was verified by Bureau Veritas.

Fulfilling commitments

In January this year, BAT Polska published a brochure which talks about realisation stage of undertaken commitments accordingto the previously assumed measurements; the brochure was sent to all the social partners of the company and it was placed onthe web site of the company.

BENEFITS:

  • Building the image of a socially responsible company;
  • Communicating to the outside BAT corporate awareness;
  • Making direct contacts with stakeholders that the company maintains business relationshipswith;
  • Positive reception of the process in the eyes of stakeholders;
  • Systematic presentation of campaigns which the company performed within CSR;
  • Distinguished among other tobacco companies;
  • Reinforcing relationships with the local community and authorities of Augustów;
  • The only company in Poland which conducted social dialogue following AA 1000standard – expert in the field.

CHALLENGES:

  • Hindered dialogue (especially with ministries) due to a very controversial sector;
  • Coordination and unifying the process of dialogue in various countries.

WORTH REMEMBERING

  • In order for the process to bring the intendedresult, the active involvement ofthe board is needed;
  • It is important to ensure an external,independent support (audit, facilitatoror moderator) to increase the credibilityof the process;
  • It is important to include people fromother departments in the structure of theprogram, they monitor the program andalso communicate it internally to otherdepartments;
  • It is worth getting the sales team involvedand present them with long-termeffects of the program; as a rule the salesdepartment can be quite critical tosuch project.