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The Green Bay Packers: A Sustainable and Socially Responsible Organization

The Green Bay Packers: A Sustainable and Socially Responsible Organization

Edward Jansen
Delta College, University Center, MI

MGT-153W Introduction to Business

Jason Lijewski
November 17, 2014

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The Green Bay Packers: A Sustainable and Socially Responsible Organization

Abstract
This paper will define what sustainability and social responsibility is, why its important,
and how the Green Bay Packers utilize it within their business model (which will be supported
with numerous examples).
Company Overview
The Green Bay Packers were founded in 1919 by Earl Curly Lambeau and George
Whitney Calhoun. The Packers joined the National Football League in 1921 and have the alltime NFL record for championships with 13. They are the NFLs only publically owned team,
with over 360,000 shareholders (as of 2014). Green Bay is the smallest city in the NFL with a
population of just over 100,000. The Green Bay Packers mission statement is as follows: To
win championships and deliver excellent guest experiences while being guided by our core
values.
Introduction
As we become a more global economy, we realize the impact business can have on
societies. In class, we have discussed both the positive and negative consequences business
decisions and conduct have had on the world throughout history. Through analyzing this, the
importance of sustainability becomes apparent.
Social concerns regarding responsible business practices are emerging as companies are
put under the microscope by society. Due in part to these pressures, giving back to the
community and being stewards of the earth have become increasingly important and appreciated
by people everywhere. This perspective has helped shape the business environment as

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The Green Bay Packers: A Sustainable and Socially Responsible Organization

companies realize that their impact stems further than the current business cycle. A socially
conscious vision has emerged.
As this paper will demonstrate, the Green Bay Packers play an active role in successfully
implementing social sustainability and responsibility within their business model. Their efforts
to achieve this include both environmental and community outreach measures.
Elements and Definitions of Sustainability and Social Responsibility
So what is sustainability? In the textbook Business (2014), authors Hughes, Kapoor, and
Pride define sustainability as businesses meeting their present needs while not infringing upon
the ability of future generations to meet theirs (Hughes, Kapoor, & Pride, 2014, p. 29). For
businesses to implement sustainability, they must have the vision to consider the impact they are
having on the future world.
So how does a company become sustainable? According to Hughes, Kapoor, and Pride
in the textbook Business (2014), becoming social responsible is a key step as it requires a
business to recognize the impact their decision making has on society (Hughes, Kapoor, & Pride,
2014, p. 44). This being said, Hughes, Kapoor, and Pride define two contrasting business
models of social responsibility. The traditional model businesses have followed is known as the
economic model, in which businesses define social responsibility as paying their taxes and
creating jobs for workers. Other businesses, however, define their social responsibility in a more
extensive way - this is called the socioeconomic model. In this model, businesses view their
impact beyond abiding laws and making profits to also include giving back to the community
and taking care of the environment (Hughes, Kapoor, & Pride, 2014, p. 49).

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The Green Bay Packers: A Sustainable and Socially Responsible Organization

The socioeconomic model obviously takes more time and effort for a business to
implement due to its more inclusive nature. As we talked about in class, however, this extra
effort is proven to have paid off long term for the companies implementing a socioeconomic
model. As consumers become more educated and informed on the impact businesses have on
their lives, marketplace support for social sustainability and responsibility has increased.
How do consumers know if a business is sustainable and socially responsible? This is
accomplished through the social audit. Hughes, Kapoor, and Pride in Business define the social
audit as a comprehensive report of what an organization is doing within society (Hughes,
Kapoor, & Pride, 2014, p. 62). The social audit is important because it facilitates an open
solicitation to the public of how a business is affecting society (both positively and negatively).
Many social audits of businesses are easily accessible online. For example, I found the Green
Bay Packers 2013/2014 Community Outreach Report (which I will cite numerous times in this
paper) on the team website as a downloadable PDF file.
How the Green Bay Packers Implement Sustainability and Social Responsibility
Now that we have the definitions out of the way, I will examine how the Packers
incorporate sustainability within their business model. According to a Packers.com article titled
Packers First Down for Trees Program enters fourth season, the Packers teamed with the
federal and Wisconsin state government entities to develop a program that donates trees to
Brown County (the county which Green Bay is in) based off of how many first downs the team
achieves in a season. Since the 2010 season, the program has facilitated the planting of over
2000 trees. Over the course of their lifetimes, the trees will be estimated to provide over 9

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The Green Bay Packers: A Sustainable and Socially Responsible Organization

million dollars in benefits to the local community, such as C02 reduction, air quality
improvement, and increased property values (Packers.com, 2013).
Another cool way the Packers have participated in sustainability is through their
partnership with Waste Management to recycle the various pieces of their old Lambeau Field
scoreboard (which was replaced during recent stadium renovations and expansion). According
to the Waste Management article titled Sustainable Stadiums and Arenas, the Packers teamed
with Waste Management to dismantle and recycle the old scoreboard. Vinyl advertisement
panels, steel, and aluminum were transported to local refineries for reprocessing and the video
elements of the scoreboard were disassembled to recover metals and plastics (Waste
Management).
I can personally attest to the sustainability efforts of the Green Bay Packers. From 20082012, I was employed by the Packers as an equipment staff assistant during training camp.
Throughout the facility at Lambeau, plastic bottles and cardboard were separated for recycling.
In fact, large dumpsters in the shipping and receiving dock existed to hold separated items for
recycling (I took many trips down there).
The Packers are also an excellent example of incorporating community outreach into
their social responsibilities. Before I get into these examples, Id like to share the Packers
community outreach mission, as stated on the first page of their 2013/2014 Community Outreach
Report:
The Green Bay Packers organization is dedicated to enriching the lives of
Wisconsin and Upper Michigan residents by donating time and talents, along with
providing diverse community outreach programs. Our programs are designed

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The Green Bay Packers: A Sustainable and Socially Responsible Organization

to assist non-profit organizations, mentor youth, encourage volunteerism

and gain an awareness of the unique needs of our communities. We are committed
to taking an active role in leading by example to encourage, inspire and build
unity within the communities that have consistently supported us for 95 years.
This sentiment is supported by a quote made by the legendary Vince Lombardi, who was a
former head coach of the Packers (I found this quote on the front page of the Packers 2012/2013
Community outreach Report):
After all the cheers have died down and the stadium is empty, after the headlines
have been writtenthe enduring thing that is left is the dedication to doing with
our lives the very best we can to make the world a better place in which to live.
The following examples and information of the Packers community outreach activities
are all taken from their 2013/2014 Community Outreach Report.
The Green Bay Packers Foundation is really the starting point in how the Packers give
back. Since it was established in 1986, the foundation has donated over $3.7 million to charities
across the country. As noted in the report, the foundation is so active that the team set up a grant
request form located on packers.com for nonprofits seeking charitable contributions. One notable
donation the foundation made last year was $250,000 to the University of Wisconsin at Green
Bay scholarship fund.
One of the more unique ways in which the Packers help the community is through the
Tailgate Tour. The tour can best be described as a road trip Packer coaches, players, and staff
(current and former) make to communities in Iowa, Wisconsin, and Upper Michigan. During the
trip, the group makes predetermined guest appearances at various community events in the cities

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The Green Bay Packers: A Sustainable and Socially Responsible Organization

they stop in to raise money that is used to better the community (they also make several
impromptu stops along the way, often at schools, hospitals, and nursing homes). Since the
inception of the Tailgate Tour, over $1,135,000 has been raised to help communities better
themselves (such as constructing a community playground or garden).
One way in which the Packers honor and recognize our military veterans is through their
Operation Fan Mail program. Since the program began in 2007, the Packers have hosted 64
active military service members and their families during game days. The following photos,
taken by Packers photographer Jim Biever and obtained from packers.com, exemplify this.

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The Green Bay Packers: A Sustainable and Socially Responsible Organization

The Packers have also set up some pretty awesome Veterans Day tributes with their fans.
The following photo comes courtesy of conservativetreehouse.com and depicts one of these
tributes from November 14, 2011.

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The Green Bay Packers: A Sustainable and Socially Responsible Organization

Closing
The Green Bay Packers are a great model for other organizations to learn from in respect
to implementing sustainability and social responsibility. There is no doubt that the Packers have
benefited from their efforts to give back, as it has translated to people respecting their reputation
and what they stand for (both in the NFL and elsewhere). This demonstrates the reciprocal effect
of successful implementation of sustainability and social responsibility within the business
model.
Take care of the future and the future will one day take care of the present Unknown

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The Green Bay Packers: A Sustainable and Socially Responsible Organization

Reference Page
Biever, Jim. Game Photos: Packers vs. Bears (2014, November 9). Packers.com. Retrieved
from: http://www.packers.com/media-center/photo-gallery/Game-Photos-Packers-vsBears/b6f1c8c9-94a1-407a-a142-4f00eb660cd9#8ba85b8a-6d08-4d53-965cbd9bdb7332b3
Green Bay Packers 2012/2013 Community Outreach Report (2013). Packers.com. Retrieved
from: http://prod.static.packers.clubs.nfl.com/assets/docs/2013_CO_report.pdf
Green Bay Packers 2013/2014 Community Outreach Report (2014). Packers.com. Retrieved
from: http://prod.static.packers.clubs.nfl.com/assets/docs/2014/2014-CO-report.pdf
Hughes, Robert J., Kapoor, Jack R., Pride, William M. (2014). Business. Mason, Ohio: SouthWestern.
Packers First Down for Trees Program enters fourth season (2013, September 13).
Packers.com. Retrieved from: http://www.packers.com/news-and-events/article1/Packers-First-Down-for-Trees-Program-enters-fourth-season/8b05b1cc-f08e-43b0847d-2af650634844
Sustainable Stadiums & Arenas. Waste Management. Retrieved from:
http://www.wm.com/sustainabilityservices/documents/insights/Stadiums%20and%20Arenas%20Insight.pdf

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The Green Bay Packers: A Sustainable and Socially Responsible Organization

Reference Page (continued)

Veterans Day At Lambeau Field 11-14-11 (This was censored by ESPN) (2011, December 23).
The Last Refuge. Retrieved from:
http://theconservativetreehouse.com/2011/12/23/veterans-day-at-lambeau-field-11-14-11this-was-censored-by-espn/