“the ‘push’ factors that transformed chocolate from an expensive luxury into an increasingly common commodity. Many of the chocolate makers that started up in Britain in the nineteenth century were owned and managed by Quaker families. The philosophy and moral outlook of these founder entrepreneurs pervaded the industry for decades.” (Witzel, 2009)
In conclusion, in today’s world of cut-throat competition under the spell of a prolonged economic recession, philanthropy is the least of concerns for corporate leaders. Corporate philanthropy has become a hallow term which stands for yet another marketing ploy. It is fair to claim that there is an element of perversion in this tactic, which even Cadbury’s succumbed under competitive pressure. Cadbury’s Strollerton initiative that was unveiled a few years ago is seemingly altruistic and socially conscious, but , in truth, the initiative’s warm glow of charity-giving is nothing but “the white heat of extra sales and market share is something which Cadbury has shown to be one of the shrewdest marketing ploys around.” (Witzel, 2009) This kind of ‘caring corporatism’ is taking off in a big way. It is a sad development, indeed, that the noble philanthropic tradition of Cadbury’s has given way to bolstering the bottom line.
Bibliography
- Bacon, M. H. (1997). Let This Life Speak: The Legacy of Henry Joel Cadbury. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press.
- Dwek, R. (1992, July 23). Doing Well by Giving Generously. Marketing, 16+.
- Witzel, M. (2009, Summer). Democracy, Community and Chocolate: The Management Philosophy of the Cadburys and the Rowntrees, 19th Century Commercial Rivals, Resulted in Happy and Well-Paid Workers and Strong, Profitable and Creative Companies. European Business Forum, (14), 72+.