BALANCING CORPORATE PROFIT AND PLANET EARTH PROTECTION: AN EXAMINATION OF HOW HARRAH’S USES MULTI-MEDIA PLATFORMS AND MESSAGES TO PERSUADE EMPLOYEES AND CUSTOMERS TO EMBRACE ITS “CODE GREEN” SUSTAINABILITY PROGRAM

William Berry
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William Berry: Bethune-Cookman University, USA

in ABEM Conference Proceedings from Academy of Business and Emerging Markets (ABEM), Canada, currently edited by Satyendra Singh

Abstract: The most prominent thing that anyone who walks into a casino will see is literally thousands of bright lights. While the flashing displays promise the public the casino is a place for fun, they fail to inform people that lots of energy is being consumed non-stop to keep the lights glowing. Nor do they express that inside the casino many more lights are burning to create excitement about slot machines, and also to power the cameras located “everywhere” to keep everyone under surveillance. This study examined the messages and the employee/customer programs that Harrah’s New Orleans casino produced to respond to the critical issues of energy and water consumption, waste, and greenhouse gas emissions. The study used corporate social responsibility (CSR) theory to explore how sustainability practices are presented and communicated on Harrah’s corporate website and also in signage displayed prominently throughout the New Orleans property. The focuses of the content analysis included presence, prominence and extent of communication, as well as CSR issues reported on the website. The results indicate that Harrah’s CSR communication has gained great attention among employees and customers. Furthermore, in addition to seeking to earn profits for shareowners, employees at Harrah’s New Orleans have participated in the local community’s sustainable development and implemented CSR activities through ways such as partnerships, with almost 10,000 volunteering hours, for each employee at the property. One of the highlights of these efforts was collaboration with the National Park Service and Chalmette Elementary School in a project called Planting the Future. Employees donated hundreds of hours planting trees and restoring native plants in the area. The study points to strategies for how corporations in emerging markets can develop strategies to earn a profit while also embracing practices that support environmental sustainability.

Keywords: CORPORATE PROFIT; PLANET; EARTH; PROTECTION; HARRAH; MULTI-MEDIA; MESSAGES; EMPLOYEES; CUSTOMERS; SUSTAINABILITY; PROGRAM (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2017
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